ESPN - Troy Blackburn comments on Bobby Hart signing

[*ochocincos*]

(03-30-2019, 08:34 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: But he's just not what you are making him out to be....

He is a middle of the road starting RT in the NFL and at just 24 years of age, has upside.  Hart played next to a rookie, and the line helped Mixon average 4.9 YPC in 2018.  That was the highest a Bengal running back has had in over a decade, I believe.  And before you attribute it all to Mixon, he only averaged 3.5 YPC in 2017.

A line is as much about how it plays as a unit than just the individual ratings, and they were much better with Hart than with Ogbuehi and Fisher.

I put in another post that Whit didn't start at LT exclusively until his fourth year in the league and he struggled mightily early on in his career.  Whit was a high 2nd rounder, and was 25 when he started his career in the NFL.  Hart is just now 24.  He earned a middle of the road contract and that is exactly what he got.

Now, this thread seems to be going in two different directions:  some are pissed about Troy's comments, and some are pissed about Hart's deal.

I don't agree with what Troy said, but it is more about how he said it than the actual message.  He came off as condescending and arrogant.  I can tell you that Troy Blackburn is a first class man that not only cares a great deal about his team and the city, but is a very good person.  I'm sure he regrets spouting off in the manor he did, but that is water under the bridge.  

He is also partly responsible for Marvin being let go and allowed Zack to build his own staff.  A lot of other coaches were handed an existing staff.  This is quite a shift for the Bengals.  They realized they needed a clean sheet from the coaching perspective and we have that now.  I, for one, am extremely excited to see what this team can become with the new coaching staff.  

In the end, it all boils down to this draft.  They have to nail it.  Do that, and this season could be a really fun time.  Whiff on your first two picks like Ced and Fish, and it will be a long season.  

You are right, it boils down to the draft. It didn’t necessarily have to if the Bengals chose to prioritize FA more/better than they did. They chose quantity over quality. Troy said as much in his statement. It puts a lot of pressure on the draft. While we don’t know how Taylor’s crew will approach the draft, past history suggests the Bengals will look to an outside-in approach of QB, WR, OT, CB, or OLB when selecting in top 15. They also haven’t traditionally felt obligation to get an immediate contributor as a rookie. We’ll see in 4 weeks I guess.


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