Rookie Play Time

[GreenCornBengal]

The draft was great, but the real question to me is how much time do these rookies actually get. How many snaps are the coaches going to let them play?

Every year we get a ton of great talent and then squander it their rookie years. Why does it feel so familiar to feel this high after draft day only to be let down with a lack of opportunity for the rookies.




John Ross - We all want him to be out there every play, but will he? I feel like our coaching staff will leave Green and Lafell out there all the time. Throw Eifert in there and you only have rom for one more WR. Will it be Ross? I'm not so sure with this coaching staff. They will probably switch out Ross and Boyd. But why draft Ross #9 if you are only going to use him on 10-15 snaps a game. I want him out there every snap.

Mixon - I hear people saying he is going to tear up the league, he is 'just like Leveon Bell!'. Why would it not surprise me if Marvin made the kid sit behind Jeremy Hill an entire season. Well the kid needs to learn patience obviously. No better way to learn than doing absolutely nothing on the bench!

Willis and Lawson - While I really think these guys are good, better than guys we have drafted in the past, what makes them different than a Will Clarke? Clarke is not nearly as talented as these guys, don't get me wrong, but he has barely touched the field. I don't feel like the coaches have given any young guys a fair chance on the D-line in a long time. Are the coaches gonna change their ways now?

Josh Malone - ^^^ see Ross analysis, this guy won't even touch the field.. if he does we have injuries



I'm just not so certain that these guys will contribute right away. It seems to never happen. I hope I'm wrong.

[*jason*]

I think Ross will see plenty of snaps, though I do believe Lafell will start over him. Mixon will be used at least as much as Gio was as a rookie... Unless he just wows in the preseason. I'd think Willis will at least be a rotational player. After that... Who knows.

I think this year they drafted guys who can make an immediate impact. Unlike the Dre Kirkpatrick situation, where Terrance Newman and Leon kept him off the field, Ross has a journeyman and a second year guy ahead of him. Mixon has an underachiever, and an injured dude to compete with. I think they see the field and make plays this year.

[BengalFanInNJ]

Ross and Mixon will get playing time early. At the very least, they will see time at the end of games that are already decided. Mixon almost has to see time unless Gio is 100% over his ACL injury.

[BengalChris]

ROSS
Ross will work his way on to the field fairly early I believe. He'll need to learn the routes out of some different formations first, but if he's health in OTAs and the preseason, he should be able to do that. The faster he learns and translates that to play in practice the faster he'll see the field. We should know how he's doing come the 3rd preseason game in that if he lines up with the starters, then we can expect that he's likely to start game 1.

MIXON
Gio was having his worst year as a pro before being injured and has never been top 10 starter quality. Mixon simply needs to beat out Hill for the starting job. With this offensive line who knows? It's hard to gain yards when you have defenders all over you right after you get the ball.

What Mixon needs to do win the starting job is (in no particular order):
1. Block well on passing plays. [This might be the thing that holds him back the most.]
2. Gain positive yards on the vast majority of running plays. Meaning fewer negative plays than Hill or Gio are having, which was a lot. He'll need to make guys miss in the backfield, something both Hill and Gio had trouble doing.
3. Learn the RB pass routes and catch the ball well.

If and when Mixon does those things I believe becomes the starter. Of course, Hill is going into a contract year and I don't see the team offering him an extension, so he might play like his arse is on fire.

WILLIS
Hopefully Willis works his way into the rotation early, a least on passing downs. MJ is decent at setting the edge in the run game, so passing downs are where we should see Willis first. It's not like Will Clarke has been good enough to stand in his way.

INJURIES
Hill going down would elevate Mixon to the starting job by default. An injure to either LaFell or Boyd would probably make Ross an immediate starter. An injure to MJ or Gilberry would mean we'd see a lot of Willis.

All that is just my opinion though.

[fredtoast]

(04-30-2017, 01:52 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: Every year we get a ton of great talent and then squander it their rookie years. Why does it feel so familiar to feel this high after draft day only to be let down with a lack of opportunity for the rookies.



I'm just not so certain that these guys will contribute right away. It seems to never happen. I hope I'm wrong.

This is a message board muyth.  The fact is Marvin plays rookies as much as the average NFL coach.  Here are the real numbers....http://thebengalsboard.com/Thread-Marvin-Lewis-playing-rookies?highlight=marvin

[GreenCornBengal]

(04-30-2017, 11:04 PM)fredtoast Wrote: This is a message board muyth.  The fact is Marvin plays rookies as much as the average NFL coach.  Here are the real numbers....http://thebengalsboard.com/Thread-Marvin-Lewis-playing-rookies?highlight=marvin

I'm talking about snaps, not starts or games played. You may be right, but until you show me snap numbers I don't think your point is proven.

Anywho, the point is I'm not sure if the rookies we picked up this year are in must start situations in the coaching staffs mind.

I'm tempering my expectations until I see them getting significant snaps.

[The Caped Crusader]

Ross will share playing time with LaFell, but LaFell will be the starter. Mixon will get a few carries later in the year, maybe sooner if camp goes well.

[Bengal Dude]

Mixon will be the leader in snaps for our rookies barring injury. Ross will be rotated in with LaFell and Boyd. Willis will get some 3rd down snaps. Lawson may also get some 3rd down snaps. Obviously Elliott will be the starting kicker if he wins the battle (which he should). All the other rookies will probably get some snaps here and there, but mainly be ST guys.

[Au165]

(05-01-2017, 01:00 AM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: I'm talking about snaps, not starts or games played. You may be right, but until you show me snap numbers I don't think your point is proven.

Anywho, the point is I'm not sure if the rookies we picked up this year are in must start situations in the coaching staffs mind.

I'm tempering my expectations until I see them getting significant snaps.

You can look at snap counts here

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/snapcounts

[XenoMorph]

(04-30-2017, 01:52 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: The draft was great, but the real question to me is how much time do these rookies actually get. How many snaps are the coaches going to let them play?

Every year we get a ton of great talent and then squander it their rookie years. Why does it feel so familiar to feel this high after draft day only to be let down with a lack of opportunity for the rookies.




John Ross - We all want him to be out there every play, but will he? I feel like our coaching staff will leave Green and Lafell out there all the time. Throw Eifert in there and you only have rom for one more WR. Will it be Ross? I'm not so sure with this coaching staff. They will probably switch out Ross and Boyd. But why draft Ross #9 if you are only going to use him on 10-15 snaps a game. I want him out there every snap.

Mixon - I hear people saying he is going to tear up the league, he is 'just like Leveon Bell!'. Why would it not surprise me if Marvin made the kid sit behind Jeremy Hill an entire season. Well the kid needs to learn patience obviously. No better way to learn than doing absolutely nothing on the bench!

Willis and Lawson - While I really think these guys are good, better than guys we have drafted in the past, what makes them different than a Will Clarke? Clarke is not nearly as talented as these guys, don't get me wrong, but he has barely touched the field. I don't feel like the coaches have given any young guys a fair chance on the D-line in a long time. Are the coaches gonna change their ways now?

Josh Malone - ^^^ see Ross analysis, this guy won't even touch the field.. if he does we have injuries



I'm just not so certain that these guys will contribute right away. It seems to never happen. I hope I'm wrong.

You don't just draft for the now but the future as well..

Kicker... (all play time)
Ross (  ends up 3rd or 4th WR this season play time I would guess...   They will move him around the field relieving various WRs and giving us a boost of speed where needed)
Mixon  Depends if gio is ready to go game 1...  If not he gets a lot   if gio is ready he probly gets a little here or there    more if gio or hill start having less than expected production  

Willis  Rotates at RDE
Lawson  Rotates at RDE

Glasgow  Rotates with Billings....

Linebacker Jordan..  Probly doesn't play much outside of special teams unless an injury
OL JJ Dielman   can backup RT and C    maybe is the jumbo 6th OL if active on gameday

Malone -- Probly used sparingly in pass game unless injury.  Kinda a security blanket if Ross gets hurt as he can stretch the field... Takes over as a Special teams gunner if I were to guess
Wilson -- Backup CB/RB   Possibly wins the return job or plays special teams as a gunner  could possibly knock peerman off the roster

TE -- Practice squad is my guess