IF White is gone, who do you pick?

[*ochocincos*]

(03-26-2019, 07:09 PM)Whatever Wrote: There's simply no way I'm taking a late first-early second 4-3 LB at 11.  There are still quality starters at that position out there in FA that are going to be on one year prove it deals after the draft ends.  We also have two 3rd round picks that are still on rookie deals that we hope a new defensive staff will get more out of.  Obviously, we want an upgrade, but reaching in a weak class isn't the way to go about it.

Reaching for need at one position while passing on a stud because you think you can get a decent player at the same position later is how you wind up with a roster full of average-mediocre players.  It is much easier and cheaper to find average-mediocre guys to plug holes in your lineup than it is to find star players to build your team around.  This is frankly a team where most of the star players are on the wrong side of 30.  Mixon is really the only guy under 30 that you could point to as being a bona fide star, then there are a handful of guys who might take that next step like Boyd, Lawson, WJ3, and Bates.  We really need to be looking at who are going to be the franchise cornerstones in 2-3 years when father time has caught up to AJ, Geno, and Dunlap.  Bush/Wilson won't be one of those guys.

Here's what I find interesting about Devin Bush.
Everyone calls him elite, right?
Dude had half the tackles that Devin White had last year. Bush never hit 100 tackles in a season whereas Bush exceeded that twice. Given his speed and athleticism, I would have thought Bush would have had more production than he had. I get a sense that Bush is more of a mid-1st pick that's boosted his stock from Combine performance.

Luckily, I don't think the Bengals HAVE to go LB in Rd 1 just to fill a need. A DL selection could play 50% of the defensive snaps this year given there isn't a good candidate for nickel DT (the current guys haven't cut it to this point). If Bobby Hart really is just a 1-year guarantee with a prove-it situation for years 2 and 3, I think Jonah Williams, Cody Ford, and Jawaan Taylor all should be in play too. Mike Brown wants Dalton to prove it this year, so QB could also be in play. With that said, I'm not highly confident in any of these QBs really. Haskins is probably the safest out of himself, Murray, Lock, and Jones, but only having the single year of starting does concern me. Murray I think needs to be in a particular system to shine, but we haven't seen this offense yet so I don't know if Murray will fit the system. Honestly, Will Grier is probably my QB3 after Murray and Haskins.