10-20-2020, 06:18 PM
(10-20-2020, 03:32 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: I know there's a thread about Geno and Carlos being frustrated, but I though this article deserved it own:
Dehner Jr.: Bengals need to part ways with Carlos Dunlap, Geno Atkins now
'How long must the charade continue?
This organization made two mistakes giving large third contracts to Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap.
It did. Spin it any way you’d like, the fact that $25 million in cap hit this year is tied up in two aging 30-somethings who have contributed next to nothing is a debilitating reality.
With a 21-point lead Sunday, the Bengals needed two quality pass rushers to put Philip Rivers and the Colts away.
Instead, on the biggest play of the game, their defensive line consisted of Xavier Williams, Christian Covington, Andrew Brown and Khalid Kareem.
Or otherwise known as a guy plucked off the street last Tuesday, a guy traded for in September, a recent healthy scratch who was waived Monday and a rookie fifth-round pick.
On the sideline was $25 million in pass rushers.
Anarumo and head coach Zac Taylor are in the crosshairs as any coordinator and coach with three wins in 22 games should be. I question how they allowed the relationship with these former players to get so toxic or why Carl Lawson ever comes off the field at this point, but they probably aren’t wrong on who is giving them the best chance to win.
Atkins has zero pressures in 37 snaps this season. Zero. Not a second spent breathing the same air as the quarterback. He has all zeros across every stat in the box score. Not a tackle. Not an assist. Not a thing. If the shoulder he’s dealing with is part of this, then maybe an IR stint is necessary.
He needs to play like a 14m defensive tackle. That’s what the Bengals needed Sunday. He contributed nothing in the snaps he did have, which has mostly been the case in the past few years.
Dunlap’s disinterested effort has translated to his base production. He ranks 47th out of 58 qualifying edge rushers in pass-rush productivity and dead last on the team despite the most pass-rush snaps.
We can argue how it came to this. This isn’t about who carries the blame for the undeniable disconnect created between these players and the staff. Bottom line, between the public bashing Dunlap has fired at the organization and staff at every turn possible this season and the lack of desire illustrated by Atkins to play, much less provide production, it’s obvious there’s no resolution here.
It’s over. The organization has constantly latched onto somehow re-creating 2015, and this is the latest lame attempt.
You have three options for this moment in time. Get rid of Dunlap and Atkins, eating the rest of their ill-advised contracts. Or force the coaching staff to find some way to make it work and risk the veterans continuing to hang around and infect a new core of the locker room. Get rid of the coordinator and hope a new face in charge makes them magically start playing like they are 27 again, at the same time jeopardizing the progress you have seen at other positions, namely with Jessie Bates, William Jackson III and the young linebackers (wasn’t everyone praising Anarumo last week for the innovative plan and success against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens?).
For those discussing a trade, save your breath. Finding teams willing to trade away anything for the large contracts and unproductive tape available on Atkins and Dunlap is wildly misunderstanding the market.
If you actually could find some team willing to give up any assets for those players, then lump that into these conversations as well.
More specifically, just cut them now. End it.'
It's rare that I fully agree with Paul on his takes but this one pretty much nails it. The only part I disagree with is some team may take a chance on them in a trade but Bengals would probably be eating most of the salary in the trade.
Confucius say, he who go to bed with itchy butt wake up with smelly finger.
