THE Offseason Roster Question to Ask

[t3r3e3]

(01-24-2020, 11:12 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I don't know that the Bengals need to bring in TWO free agent LBs.  Once Brown was released, it seemed like Germaine Pratt's development curve took a strong upward curve, and Vigil seemed to just relax and make more plays.  I could see bringing in ONE quality free agent LB, as the Bengals are in a base set less than half of the time.  However, which LB to pick is something that must be studied upon, as he must be a guy that is going to be a not only a good athlete, but a good fit with the team, the scheme, and with the Bengals defensive study room.

Personally, I think a player like Danny Trevethon fits exactly what the Bengals need.  He's strong against the run, he can cover, he's good at executing the blitz.  But, his best attribute might be his leadership instincts.  That is something that the Bengals LB corps desperately needs right now, someone to both help Pratt get to the next level in his game, as well as help Vigil maximize his contributions on the field.

Sure, you can go with the hottest stat guys out there, pay them big money, and still not have things work out, because not everyone is a good fit on every team.  Look at Cleveland, they did a great job of putting together a collection of talented players, but they didn't meld into a cohesive team and live up to anyone's expectations of them.

Pratt is young, and Vigil is a middling talent. One of the knocks on Pratt coming out was that he was kind of stiff and lacked coverage skills despite the 40 time. The Bengals need a true 3 down LB who can run and cover. They don’t have one now. Teams will continue to exploit the LB’s until they do. This ain’t rocket science. Fix the LB issue, fix the terrible o- line, improve at DT and S, get another playmaker at WR or TE.