Wasn't a fan. With draft grades!

[Benton]

(05-01-2017, 01:52 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: 1. We needed speed and playmakers outside of AJ Green and Eifert (often hurt). So I don't see why you think Ross and Nixon didn't feel needs.

2. Ross isn't a one trick pony and I'm not sure why you keep suggesting he is. His scouting report emphasizes that he ran all types of routes and dominated teams even when not using his deep speed. He also has good hands.

3. This was not a good OL draft to say the least, and a rookie from a weak class wouldn't have helped much this year at all. If you're going to be mad about the line, be mad that we ignored it in free agency, when several solid players were available at reasonable prices, but we had to protect precious compensatory picks.

4. RB is definitely a need with Hill (awful), Gio (injured/ineffective) and Rex (gone).
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Long story short, I'd say this team only has 1 big weakness (o-line) and this was a bad draft to address that. They should've addressed it via FA, but seemed all too content to roll with some questionable (at best) players manning 4 spots. They did fill every other need (speed, playmakers and DE being the biggest), and I love the players we got to fill those needs.

Pacman and Nixon isn't a fair comparison IMO. One made a huge mistake and seemingly learned from it. The other is a repeat offender for a decade + who shows zero remorse for anything he's ever done. I once was just as forgiving towards Pacman as I am now with Mixon, but Pacman burned up all his chances. Fwiw, I don't think Burfict belongs in this discussion as he's a model citizen off field. Who else do we have that earns us the reputation?

I think I've beaten Ross' points to death, so no reason to keep going over 1 & 2. I'll disagree to disagree.

3. I'm not mad about anything. I didn't just get dumped for a different prom date.  

That aside, I agree, it wasn't a good draft for OL. My main issue wasn't with the OL. I'm not really sure where I've implied we should have drafted an OLman. I'll go ahead and toss out there, I don't think we should have drafted an OL high. I would've been OK with one or two OL guys in the later second or later (namely Elflein), but I wouldn't really have wanted him early in the second, either.

My main gripe about the line is DL. Has been for about four years. So... yeah...

4. I keep getting told injuries are to be ignored, so Gio should be gtg. And Hill just needs a coach. We've had several in the last few years and it's showing. Fix the coaching. Improved OL would also be a big issue here.


So, I'll say heading in, both our lines werent good. Our OL, as I've saidbefore, will be better next year. Our DL won't. This draft had very little impact on either. 

As far as Pacman and Mixon, I wasn't directly comparing the two as far as offenses go; it was a comment on people complaining about how the team is veiwed as rule breakers and thugs and criminals, but then are cool with Mixon. Burfict with his twisting ankles and other on the field play gets lumped in there, even if he is clean off the field. I seriously am not following where you'd say we haven't had players — from mail order weed to DUIs to underage girls to Pacman being Pacman — that give us a reputation for a team with problem children.

And I'm not rallying against it. Some of our best players aren't nice guys. I don't mind the label as one of the dirtiest teams. But I'm not pretending Mixon is any more of a character guy than Pacman, and I don't get upset when people refer to drafting low character guys as a "typical Bengals move."