03-18-2025, 10:20 AM
(03-18-2025, 09:41 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Yes, it is your right to be critical. It is also members right to challenge your thought process.
The Bengals have been an average team the past 2 years going 9-8. The good news is they shall have no distraction from Chase and Tee heading into camp. Yes, they have added 1 starter while losing no starters to date. Hilton is still available, we may lose him.
There are teams who have improved their roster on paper like the Bills and lots of bad teams who have lots of cap space. Others like the Chiefs are regressed on the paper. The Steelers do not have a starting QB nor do the Giants. The Raven's have lost the net of starters gained to starters lost. So have the Browns.
I would argue the Bills on paper are the best team in the league and the Chiefs on paper are now 2nd or 3rd. Why mention it? The hill to climb in 2025 may not be as steep attempting to catch the top team in the AFC. It all matters, our 2025 schedule matters.
I will say I am happy where we sit less than one week within free agency. I will add I loved the. fact we cut 2 undr performers and forced Hibbar to retire. That is a new step for us, not showing blind loyalty and hoping a guy who had a bad year gets better. I will also add we need 2 guards, not 1 still.
The bad news is we have not addressed our guard situation at all yet and the defense only limited. The good new is it is less than one week into free agency and far from over.
I did not respond to change your view, it is apparent you are dug in, I responded to share my view less than 1 week into free agency.
I love the well thought out challenge. Sure beats “you’re a dummy. Who Dey!”
You bring up an excellent point in the schedule. Schedule looks good and could lead to a couple more wins right off the bat. I don’t have much doubt that this team is a playoff team, although nothing is guaranteed, I just don’t think this is the roster you win a superbowl with. And that’s what I’m after. Can this team beat the ravens, chiefs, bills, and then the eagles/lions. All in a row? I don’t see it.
I don’t care we almost beat the ravens and chiefs last year. We didn’t. We also barely beat the Giants, got crushed by the eagles, lost to the patriots. I could keep going. Every year the margin for error is extremely slim. Games you should have won and lose. Games you almost lost and somehow won. 9-8 is very pedestrian no matter which way you slice it.
I want to see more. We have the cap space. I can’t sit here and applause the team and crown them “good enough for a Super Bowl” when they have the exact same team as last year….which was pretty bad.
We could not stop the run or the pass. One player isn’t going to improve the rush defense. And the hat have we done for the pass? Turner, CTB, stone, Newton (I like him the best if the group), Battle, Hilton were all getting burned pretty consistently last year. Hill wasn’t that good when he was healthy. At least the defense wasn’t any better, statically, when he played.
I haven’t even began to discuss Pratt. My goodness.
