{The Ultimate Bengals Offseason Extravaganza Thread}

[TJHoushmandzadeh's Shiny Shoes]

(03-17-2025, 09:21 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: In theory, but man the young guys on the defensive line didn't look any better with Trey on that line.

I do think CHase and Higgins help guys like Gesicki and Brown.

Myles Murphy played 40%+ of the Defensive snaps 8 times last season

These are the points conceded in those games

41 (OT) (first game off of IR)
7
14
20
27
6
24 (OT)
17

Ossai played 55%+ of the snaps 5 times
These are the points conceded in those games

24
27
6
24 (OT)
17

McKinnley Jackson played in 25%+ of the snaps 9 times these are the points conceded in those games
7
14
24
34
20
27
6
24 (OT)
17

Compare that to Lawrence Guy (happy birthday Lawrence!) played in 20%+ of the snaps in 4 games. These are the points conceded in those games
38
24
41 (OT)
37

Or Zach Carter who played in 50% of snaps and this is the points we conceded in those games
26
38
24

We had a horrifically bad D when we were running guys out like Guy and Carter for more snaps. When we ran Murphy, Ossai and Jackson out for more snaps we weren’t necessarily great but it wasn’t a disaster. Those are totals this O can beat most weeks.

I wanted them to do more on D but the young guys (other than Carter) showed enough to suggest they belong on a NFL roster. They showed you can win with them if they have the bigger pieces like Trey around them.

What they now need to do is find a Jessie Bates in the second round or a Geno Atkins in the fourth to elevate the D. Do that along with a Logan Wilson or Germaine Pratt type in the third or a Carlos Dunlap in the second and this team can go all the way.

Maybe they even find that D playmaker in the first. This will be the first top 20 pick on D since Dre Kirkpatrick in 2012. A top 20 pick gives you a much better shot at that difference maker in a way picking 30 or 31 won’t.