Off Season thus far......

[BengalChris]

(03-19-2019, 01:54 AM)Benton Wrote: After I saw the numbers, the Hart signing didn't look so bad. It looked even better after I read his career penalties outside of last season were only an average of 3 per season. If the coaches can work that out and get a few good seasons out of him, then no issue.


I understand the frustration, and I've always criticized our seeming lack of interest in a championship. But outside of the freak that is NE, we're as poised as any team. The right mentality, a draft pick or FA that steps up, staying healthy. Heck, last season four of the losses were decided by a touchdown or less. Being just a little more competitive in those four games, we'd have been in the playoffs. And without MArvin, maybe those playoff games will be a little different.



I dunno. After MArvin was let go, I thought we'd bring in a coach and start looking at a 2-3 year rebuild. But this offseason has me thinking they may be looking at something sooner. 

We signed Webb and Miller, who aren't really upgrades, just guys to keep it together. We dumped a guy we could've at least dangled in a trade if we were trying to completely rebuild. We brought back Eifert which doesn't seem to indicate we're wiping the slate clean at tE.

I'm starting to think Zac may think he can win sooner rather than later.

We aren't as close as fans think we are. Let's say the Bengals had won those 4 close games, what then? They'd have backed into the playoffs as the #6 seed and likely lost in the first round once again.

But there's a big difference between that and beating the top teams. The gap between KC and the Bengals or between the Rams and the Bengals or New Orleans and the Bengals is large. Both KC and New Orleans blew up the Bengals, and Dalton was still the QB in those games.

New England does bring in seemingly average players and turn them into contributors who make a difference. Now that isn't true of all the players they bring in, but they always seem to have two so-so guys make a huge difference. Bengals just don't do that. They bring in so-so guys who continue to be so-so guys.

Taylor needs to win this season, if just to confirm the narrative that the problem was all coaching. Another playoff-less season means coaching was not the problem. Taylor is taking over a talent laden team with some obvious holes to fill.