01-25-2020, 02:57 PM
(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.
I agree with this 100 percent.
However, this is just the early stage of "Bengal bargaining" setting in as it normally does this time of year. Fans know we're not going after big, expensive names. Due to this understanding, we then think of solid, B-grade guys that the team could easily afford.
This all seems very reasonable, so we wait. Then the middle stage hits. This stage is called the Hobspin Line. This is the moment in the space time continuum where we cross over from fantastical hypotheticals into the reality of Bengal roster-building. It's referred to by other fanbases as the new league year. This is when, like clockwork, uncle Hobs comes out and tells us that daddy Mike has fallen on dire times, and that a team like them just can't afford to pay for even semi-respectable UFAs without destroying the very fabric of reality. We accept, or get pissed or whatever.
Then there's the final "movement". This is the "stage 4" of Brown family offseasons. It is one of the primary causes of the metastitization of Bungalization. A real cornerstone of our fan culture, no doubt. This is where we sign some shitbag like Webb or pay Hart a shit ton of money to be a bad player for the next 3 years.
My prediction: No decent linebackers in FA and a 5 year extension for Vigil worth a total of 45 million. Another commitment to a sub-par scrub-a-dub that we get to watch be not-awesome for the foreseeable future simply because he was drafted by this team and likely has fewer options than better performers.
