11-18-2020, 01:43 PM
(11-17-2020, 05:26 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Thuney - Definite upgrade, but will the Bengals fork over $14 mill per year to a guard?
Scherff - Same as Thuney
Linsley - While Linsley is a good C, I don't see the Bengals moving on from Hopkins.
Trent Williams - He's really good, but Jonah has been really good too. Do you want to bench/move the Bengals' best OL to bring in Trent? Or put Trent at RT?
Villanueva - Jonah has actually been slightly better than Villanueva. So do you put Villanueva at RT to replace Hart? Hart has been a better run blocker than Villanueva.
For Trent Williams and Villanueva, they are both 32 years old. I'm not sure the Bengals will invest big money into an OL who is beyond 30.
Let's instead be more realistic.
The two OT spots and the C spot are least likely to be replaced in the offseason because we've seen decent-or-better performance from those positions. The OG spots are the biggest weakness right now, but we've seen Spain come in and play adequately. Spain and/or XSF might be able to help solidify the OG spots by season's end.
After this off-season, it's hard to say what the Bengals would do. Before their spending spree in FA, I would agree that there's no chance they would pursue most of these guys. I mean, for years people were saying they wouldn't spend a 1st on an IOL then they took Zeitler and Price.
Thuney would make sense from a need standpoint. He's also a Centerville native and Mike loves his hometown heroes. Plus, he has rings already.
Linsey is an interesting option. C's are your best values on the OL in FA to start with. On top of that, given the cap situation, there will be very few teams looking to throw big money at a top C. Trey can also play G, so his contract isn't necessarily a waste if you get Linsey. Plus, he's a Youngstown/OSU guy.
The Bengals reportedly had interest in trading for Williams, so it would make sense if they pursued him in FA. Jonah also played RT in college, so he is capable of making the switch.
Villenueva is actually graded a little better than Jonah currently is. He's also had some issues with the Steelers. He had a public dispute and hold out over a contract extension. He is also a military veteran and chose to go out and stand alone for the national anthem a couple of years ago while the rest of the team stayed in the locker room to protest.
Spain has played well given the circumstances, but he has been far from great. Plus, he's a FA next year. He and XSF are guys we have the opportunity to upgrade over and should do so. Joe likes to hold the ball to make big plays, so a mediocre OL will still result in a bunch of sacks, hits, and fumbles. He needs a good/great line to be most effective.
