SHRacerX Mock 9.0 2021, FA, No Trades, Complete picture

[*SHRacerX*]

(01-20-2021, 02:56 PM)BenZoo2 Wrote: I applaud your efforts.  I could almost be very excited about this scenario.  It’s the resigning our guys where I pause.

Our defense hasn’t been so good with Lawson and Jackson.  I get Lawson has the pressure numbers, and they are important.  But those aren’t sacks.  And I really thought Jackson was going to be in the top 5 shutdown corner conversation.  He hasn’t made it there.  

Hate to be “that” guy but I doubt slater is there in 2.  But that offensive line would do wonders for both sides of the ball.


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I try to look at the defense with an objective eye.  It isn't easy as the defense never really showed a complete effort, with the exception possibly being the MNF against the steelers where they played like their hair was on fire.  

If you look at early in the season, the offense was lumping along and having a lot of three and outs.  They couldn't establish any semblance of a rushing attack and Burrow was forced in to situations where he was facing a lot of teams unleashing the hounds on third and long.  Talk about baptism by fire.  

The offense started to hit its stride around week 4 with solid performances against quality defenses in Indy, Cleveland, and Tennessee.  

Then, right as the defense started to gel, Burrow goes down with an injury. The defense was playing better against WFT, NYG, Miami, and Dallas,  but a pathetic offense and turnovers doomed them.  

What concerns me the most about the defense is that they never seemed to have an answer to the rushing attack.  How much of that can I blame on the loss of Reader, Wren, Tupou, Daniels (who only played 4 games), and an ineffective Geno Atkins?  Some, for sure.  But it is still a big concern.  And that is where I believe the problem lies is with the defensive line.  Depth of starting talent is paper-thin, and the depth was tested (as it always seems to be) throughout the season with injuries.  

The LB play was what I would call encouraging.  Bynes did exactly what he was supposed to do, but he simply doesn't have the speed to help contain the rush outside.  It seemed to me that teams didn't always pound the Bengals up the middle, but usually outside and the DEs would lose contain.  The overall scheme by the Bengals seemed to be one we are very familiar with as it was the M.O. for Breshnahan, and seemingly every defensive coordinator outside of Zimmer:  Don't give up a big play.  I absolutely hate that.  It is like they think the QB play is still like it was in 2005 when each NFC North QB threw 5 INTs against the "drop and cover" defense of the Bengals.  Teams simply aren't that careless with the ball any more.  The defense always seems to bleed to death by paper cuts.  And it is almost always through high % plays underneath, rarely deep passes, which are harder to complete.  

I look at Vonn Bell's play by the end of the year and think he really started to become an impact player.  I don't entirely blame him for his slow start.  Everyone thought he would be used like an extra LB, but that isn't what I saw at all.  We took a square peg and forced it in to a round hole and make him a coverage guy.  Luckily, he started to get it and became a solid player by year's end.  

Probably the single greatest issue I had with the defense in 2020 was the play of what was supposed to be their two best players on that side of the ball.  I don't care what he did after he left here, but Dunlap completely quit on this team.  Atkins was ineffective.  On top of that, Dunlap became a side-show cancer.  Let's be honest, the team wasn't going anywhere this year and it would not have made them a playoff team had these two been at their best, but it was a tremendous letdown in terms of attitude and performance.  

I was hoping for more of ADG, but he seemed to show a bit at the end of the season, and if there was a bright spot to 2020 as the Bengals go, it was the emergence of Higgins, Wilson, ADG, Kareem, and Adeniji.  Only Bailey didn't get valuable experience out there this year, and all showed flashes that said they absolutely belong.  I think a lot of Bengals fans expect rookies to come in and be great from their first snap, but that is very rare.  I have really high hopes for Wilson, Kareem, and Adeniji....and I still believe Bailey could end up becoming a key player.  

So where do we go from here?  Well, I look at the defense as having one glaring weakness:  pass rush.  That doesn't mean we only need a speed option from the outside (wish they would give ADG a shot here, that was his best attribute in college) but also a penetrator from the inside a la an Atkins in his prime.  I would hope two of the first four picks are used in this manner.  I doubt they will invest more in terms of FA than they already have.  Oh, and I am counting on Lawson, WJIII, and Alexander being retained for that to be the draft focus.