"We're not trading that guy"

[*ochocincos*]

(10-11-2019, 10:45 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The Window closed 3 years ago. It's airtight now.

I dunno if the window really closed in 2016. They lost Smith, Jones, and Sanu after 2015 but did get Brandon LaFell, who put up nearly 900 yards. The big issues that happened that year were having Zampese as OC, putting Ogbuehi at RT, and the critical injuries to AJ and Eifert.

I agree though, there are so many weak spots right now that the window is likely closed.
LT, LG, RT for sure. Need to fill two of those with *good* starters.
QB could improve with one who can extend plays to allow more time for receivers to get open.
TEs not utilized enough in the passing game and not blocking well enough in the running game.
Health of the WRs is a big issue.
Need better performance by the DL, especially if any of Dunlap, Atkins, Hubbard, or Lawson is hurt. They need to stop with the jumbo DL deployment. It's too slow to stop anything in the modern NFL.
LB is the weakest position on the team right now. Both Vigil and Brown need replaced. Hopefully by season's end Pratt proves he's worthy of claiming a starting role.
DBs are surprisingly underperforming. I wouldn't have pegged Kirkpatrick as the top performing DB right now.
K obviously needs replaced.

Out of all that, the Bengals need:
2 OL (absolute)
2 LBs (absolute)
1 K (absolute)
1 DL
1 WR
1 DB
QB (if franchise-caliber QB available)

That's 9 replacements and they only will have 7 draft picks. And you can't really count for any draft pick after 4th round to be a good starter (aside from K). Yes, every now and then you find one but it gets more rare the later rounds you draft. So even if the Bengals assume they'll get competent starters in the first 4 rounds of the draft, they need to be active in FA with proven above-average-at-least guys. No more of this bargain-bin value shopping hoping a once-good player just had a bad year or bad luck with injury and will turn it around.