02-18-2020, 06:39 PM
(02-17-2020, 11:49 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Agreed on all points. If I really want to improve the team, I am starting on the lines...
If I try to look at this through Bengal-vision:
I think they see Fred Johnson as legitimate competition at RT for Hart, who finished with a below average grade, but did show improvement over 2018. Hart also stayed healthy and is still yet to turn 26 years old. Heading in to his third year as a starter, I honestly don't think Hart is the disaster many make him out to be. With Burrow's better pocket feel and mobility, the entire offensive line could look much better than with Dalton, who always seemed to roll out to the right side. Hart is the likely starter at RT with FJ as a backup to both RT and LT.
Speaking of LT, Williams will be essentially a rookie, but a year off rehab he will be stronger and his body will have had a chance to recover from the so-called rookie hangover (where rookies go from long season, to bowl game, to training for combine, to combine, to OTAs, etc. Williams is our guy at LT. He will have Johnson and Prince as the likely backups.
LG is a huge question mark: Do they continue to ride with Jordan? Is he too tall to be a successful Guard? He didn't rank too poorly in sacks allowed and penalties, but when you consider the number of snaps, his overall ranking was well below average. I'm sure he should be stronger after year 1 and he had time to recover from the aforementioned rookie fatigue, but I don't know if I see him as a strong starter. Huge potential for upgrade. Andrew Whitworth, anyone? He just opened the door if the Rams don't come through. So, we know there is no grudge here. I think there is no lose for the Bengals. The contract would likely be half of what a Thuney or Sherff would get due to age. I think this would be fantastic. You have Jordan and Price as backups.
Center is Hopkins position with Hart and Jordan as potential backups.
RG is the position that should have a draft pick designed to replace Miller, a stop-gap at best. There are a lot of guards in the draft that could be suitable long-term replacements and might even push Miller out of the starting lineup and make him expendable a year early. I won't go in to who should be drafted here, that is a topic for the draft boards, but I can see a draft pick being utilized here. Likely a 4th rounder or 3rd if they can get an additional pick sliding back in rd 2.
So, there you have it. I would imagine they will draft a RG with a FA acquisition like Whitworth not only working from a budgetary standpoint, but also from a leadership standpoint. Whit could be an outstanding LG, and I think he would actually like to come back and play with Burrow.
I would love to see a local guy like Thuney come back to Cincinnati, but I think the Bengals will spend that money to secure Green and Mixon (not sure I agree with that, but I am trying to think what they will do). I don't see them parting ways with Dre K, but they should, or at least get a renegotiation out of him. The problem is, he would likely have plenty of suitors to give him a new contract if released, and the Bengals would get nothing. Hopefully, the Bengals find a trade partner for Dalton, and release that $17 million to their FA pool, along with releasing Cordy Glenn, or trading him if you can get anything for him. Offers will likely be tendered to Billings, Vigil, Fej, and Dennard. I can't see any huge FA acquisitions on the defensive side of the ball.
In a nutshell, Whit and a draft pick, plus Williams coming back from injury, could pay huge dividends in 2020. If you add a speedy route-runner that can get open quickly, I think that the offense could be night and day from 2019. It was the perfect storm last year and they clearly suffered for it. The three game trial of Ryan "noodles" Finley was a disaster. Outside of those games, the offense was below average with no AJ Green, no LT, and a scheme that seemed to forget how to use Joe Mixon until the season was already over.
Great post, all for bringing back Whit at LG as I stated in the thread in JN. He would of still been our best player on the OL
last season even if he fell off a bit and moving to Guard might help elongate his career. Still think we need to get a LB in FA
like Trevathan, Jamie Collins or Littleton. We will have the money after moving Dalton and Glenn's salaries.
Agreed on the guys we need to bring back as well. This is all likely even if I would rather get a younger Lineman like the
ones we listed. Draft a RG like Biadasz in the 3rd. I agree that Hart hasn't been as bad as lots of people make out and from
all accounts Fred Johnson played very good in limited action, might of got a steal here. Heard the dude is huge.
Not all good Lineman have to be drafted early as history has shown. There are always diamonds in the rough.
