04-29-2018, 04:22 PM
(04-28-2018, 08:56 PM)CornerBlitz Wrote: Okay so I'm sitting here and overall pretty content with the NFL Draft and how things went with one exception. How do we not draft a QB (besides pick #249) in such a deep class? Every team in our division drafted a QB even in the case of a Pittsburgh who has an elite one already.
Smart teams plan for the future. Dalton is serviceable but are we willing to pay him 20-25 million per year and continue to stay average at the position? I thought the Ravens made a brilliant move in drafting Lamar Jackson....have him learn behind Flacco for a few year and see where things end up 3 years from now. Do they really want to give Flacco 25 million a year with the way he's playing? The same question can be posed for Andy......
Every off season we sit here and argue about Andy. I think most of us can come to the consensus that he's not terrible or great and that for the contract he's worth it....but that shouldn't preclude you from attempting to solidify/upgrade the position for the future especially with the way the QBs are getting paid.
You may sit here every year arguing about Andy. You may consider him in your words as " serviceable ". I do not.
You say this was a deep class of quarterbacks, but ESPN and NFL Network said the opposite. You point to Lamar Jackson, but there are huge questions to him as an NFL QB, and some teams were considering him switching to WR as Terrelle Pryor. I am glad Bengals did not take a QB early considering how weak the team is at Blocking and Tackling. I am happy to say that in Free Agency and Draft The Bengals addressed Blocking and Tackling.
I like that we go in with Andy Dalton as our quarterback in 2018. I recommend you watch the last game played again. With no blocking our O Line allowed Dalton to take hits by Ravens most quarterbacks never get up from. Dalton was tough enough that after all that pounding he took, he still threw the game winning bomb to Boyd. As I say, most quarterbacks would have been knocked out of the game. Other than that injury in 2015 Dalton has started every game since 2011. 2015 was sad because we started 8-0 and Dalton was easily going to be NFL MVP before the injury happened. He has been in many Pro Bowls which is far more than serviceable. Dalton is only QB in Bengals history to lead franchise to 5 straight play-off seasons. The last 2 seasons of 6 and 7 wins fall more on the loss of key veterans in free agency and season long injuries. After 2015 we lost Jones and Sanu and Eifert hasn't played the last 2 seasons and sometimes AJ Green didn't play due to injuries. This did cut down on pass targets. Add in that since 2015 the collapse of the O Line and losing too many key players on the O Line to other teams. This has also caused no rushing yards due to no blocking. So we have Pro Bowl Dalton last 2 years with no blocking, no rushing to counter pass rush, top receivers gone or injured. Most quarterbacks don't get up from the hits he has taken last 2 years, and most quarterbacks could not win 6 or 7 games on such a weak offense. I again say I like that Dalton is our QB in 2018 and that team has tried to bring in blocking to establish a running game to cut down on the pass rush, to give Dalton pass protection, to get the ball to receivers who are starting to maybe take the place of Jones and Sanu such as Boyd. Kroft has shown he can be a go to guy if Eifert remains injured. Team is hoping Eifert healthy.
So I like that we have Dalton and I like that we took the much needed Center and Blocking over Lamar Jackson and Calvin Ripley finesse players. We needed Blocking and Tackling and we got Blocking and Tackling. Now some say not enough blocking, but I point out we got Buffalo Bills Left Tackle in Free Agency and also Bills key Linebacker and both are in their 20's still. So I like that we have Dalton and there was no need in your Lamar Jackson. Had there been, Bengal would have kept AJ McCarron. Team needed Blocking and Tackling in this draft. They will be a better team for doing it. NFL is not touch footy ball finesse. You need Blockers and Tacklers when you play Steelers and Ravens twice a year.
So we have Andy Dalton who is far from retirement age. Bengals return a QB that did well last preseason, but Lasor brought in a quarterback he says fits his system. We also drafted all time leading passer for Toledo which means he can throw the ball, and he can throw it in lousy Ohio wind, rain and snow weather. That was something Ken Anderson from Augustana could do, play in bad weather. PB Stadium has no dome. So QB is the last thing I'm worried about on Bengals. You may " sit here arguing about Andy ". You may call him just, " serviceable". I tell you Johnny Unitas, Dan Marino, John Elway, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and any other QB ever could not have did better than 6 pr 7 wins with 2016 and 2017 Bengals lack of blocking, lack of receivers, lack of rushing game, mostly lack of blocking. I am very happy with our QB's and I hope they have addressed the no blocking problem and the no tackling problem. I'm glad we addressed blocking and tackling as Cleveland followed you plans by drafting yet another QB as every year. Sam Wyche, I agree, and I'm glad I don't live in Cleveland, at least in football.
I'm not arguing or complaining about Dalton every year and he is far more than serviceable. GO Andy Dalton. GO BENGALS. WHO DEY. He IS our quarterback and we will have decent depth as back-ups. Hopefully Dalton starts every game as usual. GO BENGALS. If the blocking improves, which it should thanks to the new LT and C, then the rushing lanes and passing lanes open up and Dalton has proved many times that he can get this team to a play-off season if he just has some blocking. No QB ever could win without blocking. Blocking will benefit our RB's and WR's also and our Defense that spent more time on the field than any D in the NFL last season due to no blocking. Taking a Lamar Jackson over Blocking and Tackling would have been been an 0-16 Cleveland choice and not a good one. The off season we are having, the players brought in means the Window Of Opportunity for Dalton, Green, Atkins, Dunlap to get to Super Bowl is still Open, not closed. GO BENGALS.
1968 Bengal Fan
