DL worth Top 15 selection?

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(11-04-2020, 03:22 PM)ochocincos Wrote: The Bengals won't have enough cap space to "go big" in FA unless they let their big-name internal FAs walk.
I think you're discounting Spain, and you're undervaluing Jonah Williams, who has had less than half a season of starts but is already the team's best OL. And Williams is better than any OL in this draft class other than Sewell IMO. There are a couple LTs hitting FA worth pursuing if the team wanted, but we know how much they like Hart.

My gut tells me they stick with Williams, Hart, Hopkins, and two of Spain, XSF, and Jordan as the planned starters for next year.
I think they use most of their available cap on attempting to re-sign their own guys unless those guys don't want to be back.

Some people don't want to admit it, but I actually think DL and LB are worse than the OL right now. The offense is still putting up points but the defense isn't stopping people. They can't stop the run and they can't rush the passer. If the defense can improve, it should mean Burrow has to throw less, and thus also indirectly helps keep him upright.

The Bengals are in line to have the 6th most cap space in the NFL in the 2021 offseason. If they don't have enough, nobody does.

And even then that's assuming they don't cut any of their MANY cut candidates...

Bobby Hart: $5.9m cap savings (Assuming the coaching staff gets it's head out of it's ass.)
CJ Uzomah: $5.25m cap savings (Mediocre backup TE coming off torn achilles, real easy decision.)
Giovani Bernard: $4.1m cap savings (Mixon is a $10.7m cap hit in 2021... can't waste ~$15.5m on 2 RBs while leading in pass attempts.)
Vonn Bell: $3.5m cap savings (What a letdown.)
BJ Finney: $3.5m cap savings (Was just a throw-in to balance out money for Dunlap deal, probably would be gone if not for all the injuries.)
XSF: $2.5m cap savings (Like him as a backup, but it could offset the salary increase for adding a good G.)
Billy Price: $2.1m cap savings (Unnecessary with Spain as the IOL backup)

- - - - - - - -

If your gut is right and they stick with that OL, be prepared for another losing season. 

I don't think Taylor cares if they *need* to throw or not, they're still going to throw. Even when they have a lead and the run game is working, they're still throwing. Seems to be just what Taylor is as a playcaller.