03-24-2025, 09:18 PM
(03-24-2025, 08:52 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Yeah, 2021 wasn't luck.
The primary starters on defense in 2020 was
Sam Hubbard / Mike Daniels / Christian Covington / Carl Lawson
Josh Bynes / Germaine Pratt
Darius Phillips / Vonn Bell / Jessie Bates / Mackenzie Alexander / William Jackson
The primary starters on defense in 2021 was
Sam Hubbard / Larry Ogunjobi / DJ Reader / Trey Hendrickson
Logan Wilson / Germaine Pratt
Chidobe Awuzie / Vonn Bell / Jessie Bates / Mike Hilton / Eli Apple
They got a 2nd year healthy Joe Burrow, and added Ja'Marr Chase, Trey Hendrickson, Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton, Larry Ogunjobi, even Riley Reiff and Eli Apple... plus replaced Randy Bullock with Evan McPherson.
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That's the exact opposite of "hoping that our luck changes". That's making significant changes to improve.
It is also a team with Burrow, Chase, Higgins, Bates, Wilson, and Pratt on rookie contracts. Maybe Hubbard, too?
Look, I fully embrace the idea that the FO has failed to maximize our cap space so that we can max out out talent while Trey is still a wrecking ball, and Joe/Tee/Chase are in their prime. 2-3 years, max. We should have restructured Burrow and maximized our space with the extensions.
As no one is that stupid, it had to be on purpose.
However, I don't think it is fair to compare to 2020. We had TONS more space. And a better FA class to draw from. And we absolutely hit HE after HR in FA. Trey, Reader, Chido, Hilton, Bell, Hill/Price trade, Larey O, even Apple on a cheap.
Both things are true. The FO coukd/should have done more to maximize our space AND our hands were, if not tied, at least constrained somewhat.
It is also true that the criticism bothers them. That little burn video they put out is telling. Keep on them. Maybe if they take enough heat Mike will actually push all his chips in for once.
