Bengals "unknowns" going into '16.

[BengalChris]

(07-14-2016, 11:51 AM)fredtoast Wrote: These are issues that people can argue one way or another, but the fact is none of us know for sure.

1. Will Ogbuehi be better than Andre Smith?...I feel pretty good about this one.  For a couple of seasons Smith was one of the best right tackles in the league, but his play had declined.

Quote:I expect Ogbuehi to be an overall improvement.

2.  Was Dalton's '15 season a fluke?...Very few people want to admit it, but NFL history is full of decent QBs who had one great year.  I would not be surprised at all if Dalton's numbers drop, but I still him posting at least a solid mid-90's passer rating if his receivers stay healthy.  And this brings me to...

Quote:That is the million dollar question. The Bengals have a ton of offensive talent around Dalton, but when he has to play with reduced talent he's a average QB, 2014 showed us that. But, on the other hand, he has shown consistent improvement (except for the playoffs) and it is possible that his leadership could grow in 2016. The team needs it to with new #2 and #3 WRs.

3.  Can Eifert stay healthy?...Again, few people want to admit it, but Eifert has missed games every single year he has been in the league, and he is injured again.  They already say he is questionable for opening day, but the question is more about how long it will take him to get back to 100%?   We really need Eifert to be in top form because...

Quote:Another good question. Can Kroft be the man at TE?

4.  Can we find a legit WR other than Green?...I like LaFell's NFL resume (just one year removed from a 74 catch, 937 yard season), but the fact is we got him for a very cheap price.  For some reason other NFL teams did not see a lot of value in him.  I also like Tyler Boyd, but more often than not second round WRs do NOT have big impacts their rookie season.  We could have 2 very good WRs other than Green or they could both be ineffective this year.

Quote:The talent is there in LaFell and Boyd. Boyd should be better than Sanu.

5.  Can Shawn Williams make up for the loss of Nelson?...Nelson was one of my favorite Bengals.  I hated to see him go.  But every good team reaches the point where they have to start letting some higher paid players leave.  Shawn has shown some flashes, but we don't know if he will be consistent as a starter.  Chinedum Ndukwe and Vincent Rey became good players in the eyes of many fans based on one or two good games.  Lets hope Shawn is not like them.  

Quote:Williams may be taking Nelson's spot, I don't expect 8 INTs from him. With the drafting of Jackson and Shaw get some at safety, I believe the secondary has the potential to be better than last year's.

6.  Can Jeremy Hill return to his rookie form?...I am not going to predict Hill will average over five yards a carry again or have a bunch of 150 yard games, but I think he will be much better than he was in '16 (794 yds, 3.6 avg).

Quote:Another good question. The running game really is Jeremy Hill and I hope he gets back to form. In his first two years he's had 1,918 rushing yards and 20 rushing TDs. Bernard had 1,410 rushing yards with 7 rushing TDs the last two years.

7. (from Bonesaw) Can Zampese equal the success and innovation Hue brought to the offense?...I have faith in Zampese because he has worked with a lot of great offensive minds during his NFL career e.g. Sean Peyton, Mike McCarthy, Mike Martz, Ernie Zampese, and Bob Bratkowski.  But he is really a true question mark as a coordinator.

Quote:I wouldn't call Bratkowski a great offensive mind, but I do agree with your assessment of Zampese's potential.

Overall I think our defense will be just as good as last year.  On offense I think we will run the ball better (Hill plays better and Ogbuehi is upgrade), but I predict a drop in the passing game.  If Eifert stays healthy the play of our #2 WR is not as crucial, but I do not have a ton of confidence in our WR corps or the durability of Eifert.

Quote:Marvin Jones was our second leading receiver in 2015. I know people keep pointing to Eifert as the #2, but that's only true in the red zone. Jones had more catches and yards than Eifert and he helped us move down the field.

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