Why can't the Bengals sign a DC?

[GreenDragon]

Seriously. All their top prospects have given a resounding "No, thanks!" to the Bengals. Whatupwitdat?

[McC]

(02-14-2019, 11:39 AM)GreenDragon Wrote: Seriously. All their top prospects have given a resounding "No, thanks!" to the Bengals. Whatupwitdat?

Hard to say.  The big mouths who have been leaking all this haven't said yet.

[jj22]

Probably because it's the Bengals, and now that Marvin is gone, there is no one here with the experience to calm the nerves of potential candidates having to work under the circumstances MB presents. These good assistants we've had over the years trusted Marvin. ZT just doesn't have the skins in the game to get that trust, and all his friends who trusted him work on Offense.

We will be hard pressed to fill out the Defensive staff this offseason. Don't forget we still have a LB and DL coach position to fill. The D is officially in serious trouble, and ZT's first year may be over before it even got started.

[Interceptor]

Rex Ryan.

[masonbengals fan]

Need to get somebody hired for this position. Now...

[Big Boss]

It's easy to spell doom and gloom when we have nothing but headlines to react to, but the simple fact of the matter is we don't know how any of these conversations have gone.

We don't know why talks fell through with JDR, but all indications are that the decision was mutual. Maybe JDR wants to take another year off and see if any HC opportunities come knocking next year. Maybe Taylor decided that JDR wouldn't be the best fit with what he wants to do schematically. Either way, nothing particular concerning about that. The stars simply didn't align here.

Capers outright declined the interview, true, but I couldn't be bothered to care about that. My manager at my last job was a diehard Packers fan and she spent years bitching about him. The way she reacted when he was finally fired, you'd have thought the Packers had just won the Super Bowl.

Grantham could have decided that he is comfortable with the Florida gig and doesn't want to uproot his family. Sucks that he came to this decision after two days of interviews, but it is what it is.

Yes, they've been publicly turned down three times, but only one of those was due to lack of interest.

[THE PISTONS]

(02-14-2019, 12:31 PM)Big Boss Wrote: It's easy to spell doom and gloom when we have nothing but headlines to react to, but the simple fact of the matter is we don't know how any of these conversations have gone.

We don't know why talks fell through with JDR, but all indications are that the decision was mutual.  Maybe JDR wants to take another year off and see if any HC opportunities come knocking next year.  Maybe Taylor decided that JDR wouldn't be the best fit with what he wants to do schematically.  Either way, nothing particular concerning about that.  The stars simply didn't align here.  

Capers outright declined the interview, true, but I couldn't be bothered to care about that.  My manager at my last job was a diehard Packers fan and they spent years bitching about him.  The way she reacted when he was finally fired, you'd have thought the Packers had just won the Super Bowl.  

Grantham could have decided that he is comfortable with the Florida gig and doesn't want to uproot his family.  Sucks that he came to this decision after two days of interviews, but it is what it is.

Yes, they've been publicly turned down three times, but only one of those was due to lack of interest.

That's Hobson level spin.

The fact is it's very late in the game to not have a DC. Free agency is coming. Draft preparation is going on now.

Grantham obviously decided he wanted to stay at Florida...and during the interview process you need to deduce that and have a Plan B and C.

A lot of these hires seem like Taylor's friends. So if they fail, will he be reluctant to fire them?

[Schmitbuck]

One of the worst defenses in the NFL with aging stars.

Ownership that won't spend salary cap money at obvious need positions (see O-line)

Inexperienced offensive minded headcoach that probably wants to use available capital (draft/FA) to improve offense first

Ownership that overly emphasizes keeping existing personnel because of dead cap.

Interviewing 3-4 DC when personnel fits 4-3.

[Big Boss]

(02-14-2019, 12:37 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: That's Hobson level spin.

The fact is it's very late in the game to not have a DC. Free agency is coming. Draft preparation is going on now.

Grantham obviously decided he wanted to stay at Florida...and during the interview process you need to deduce that and have a Plan B and C.

A lot of these hires seem like Taylor's friends. So if they fail, will he be reluctant to fire them?

How is it spin if it's just the truth? 

-We have zero context as to why the JDR thing fell through.  
-Capers outright declined the interview, so that's that.
-We also have zero context as to why Grantham turned it down.  

What is untruthful about any of that? And I fail to see what is unrealistic about any of the scenarios I had laid out.   

You guys are acting like candidates are simply refusing to give the Bengals the time of day, which isn't the case (Capers excluded).  It's perfectly possible that these offers are falling through over things like personnel control, salary, ownership, etc., in which case your concerns are warranted.  But without having those facts in front of us it seems silly to jump off the bridge. It's unfortunate, but that's all it is. Get back to me when we start hearing of more candidates declining to meet with us.  

[McC]

(02-14-2019, 12:37 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: That's Hobson level spin.

The fact is it's very late in the game to not have a DC. Free agency is coming. Draft preparation is going on now.

Grantham obviously decided he wanted to stay at Florida...and during the interview process you need to deduce that and have a Plan B and C.

A lot of these hires seem like Taylor's friends. So if they fail, will he be reluctant to fire them?

Why are you assuming they don't?

And are you saying Zac is the only HC to hire people he knows and is comfortable with?  Is Grantham his friend?  I've heard nothing about that.

And are you also saying that if one or more of his hires doesn't get the job done that he would choose friendship over his own damn job? 

Sorry, but I see a lot of faulty logic and downright assumptions in this post.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Must be that these guys just aren't wanting to work the scheme Taylor wants to run or it is not a fit.

I don't want him to pick someone that is not a fit for what our new HC wants to do anyways.

There is still time and good coaches out there. Pleasant or Elko and i am happy.

I highly doubt these guys don't want to work with guys like Geno, Dunlap, Bates, WJ3, Hubbard etc.

[sandwedge]

(02-14-2019, 12:37 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: That's Hobson level spin.

The fact is it's very late in the game to not have a DC. Free agency is coming. Draft preparation is going on now.

Grantham obviously decided he wanted to stay at Florida...and during the interview process you need to deduce that and have a Plan B and C.

A lot of these hires seem like Taylor's friends. So if they fail, will he be reluctant to fire them?

I can't agree with anything you said in this post.

[sandwedge]

(02-14-2019, 12:43 PM)Big Boss Wrote: How is it spin if it's just the truth? 

-We have zero context as to why the JDR thing fell through.  
-Capers outright declined the interview, so that's that.
-We also have zero context as to why Grantham turned it down.  

What is untruthful about any of that?  And I fail to see what is unrealistic about any of the scenarios I had laid out.    

You guys are acting like candidates are simply refusing to give the Bengals the time of day, which isn't the case (Capers excluded).  It's perfectly possible that these offers are falling through over things like personnel control, salary, ownership, etc., in which case your concerns are warranted.  But without having those facts in front of us it seems silly to jump off the bridge.  It's unfortunate, but that's all it is.  Get back to me when we start hearing of more candidates declining to meet with us.  

Agree and reps your way!

[*PhilHos*]

(02-14-2019, 01:51 PM)sandwedge Wrote: I can't agree with anything you said in this post.

Well, he's right in that free agency is coming and draft preparation is currently ongoing, so there's that. 

[XenoMorph]

(02-14-2019, 01:54 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Well, he's right in that free agency is coming and draft preparation is currently ongoing, so there's that. 

Right and whatever Defensive mind comes to the team (if from the pro ranks) would have already been doing their due diligence.

Draft prep is coming.  But I think the big dead line is Free agency  as you want to know how the defense will be ran before trying to grab players for it.

[Schmitbuck]

(02-14-2019, 12:43 PM)Big Boss Wrote: How is it spin if it's just the truth? 

-We have zero context as to why the JDR thing fell through.  
-Capers outright declined the interview, so that's that.
-We also have zero context as to why Grantham turned it down.  

What is untruthful about any of that?  And I fail to see what is unrealistic about any of the scenarios I had laid out.    

You guys are acting like candidates are simply refusing to give the Bengals the time of day, which isn't the case (Capers excluded).  It's perfectly possible that these offers are falling through over things like personnel control, salary, ownership, etc., in which case your concerns are warranted.  But without having those facts in front of us it seems silly to jump off the bridge.  It's unfortunate, but that's all it is.  Get back to me when we start hearing of more candidates declining to meet with us.  

It's not in the best interest of the 3 coaches to discuss publicly/leak the negatives of the Bengals organization as it could hurt their future job prospects. 

I bolded these two sentences as they are huge contradictions to what I think your point is. What exactly has the organization done to earn your unwavering benefit of the doubt? I think it's completely reasonable to be 'glass is half empty' in this situation given ownership's past and when other fan bases are laughing at our organization's ineptitude. 

Taking a step back, it looks like we have a QB coach in over his head just trying to fill his coaching staff.  

[Goalpost]

NFL combine begins on the 26th. Private workouts afterward. Time is getting dicey if you ask me.

[*pally*]

(02-14-2019, 12:43 PM)Big Boss Wrote: How is it spin if it's just the truth? 

-We have zero context as to why the JDR thing fell through.  
-Capers outright declined the interview, so that's that.
-We also have zero context as to why Grantham turned it down.  

Gratham got a 1/2 mil a year raise and an extension to 2022 from Florida to stay

[Joelist]

We have no way of knowing why a candidate decided not to come aboard. The thing right now is it is making things feel like we're back to the same old Bengals - sluggish, slow to react and not proactive.

[Bengalholic]

(02-14-2019, 03:06 PM)Schmitbuck Wrote: It's not in the best interest of the 3 coaches to discuss publicly/leak the negatives of the Bengals organization as it could hurt their future job prospects. 

I bolded these two sentences as they are huge contradictions to what I think your point is. What exactly has the organization done to earn your unwavering benefit of the doubt? I think it's completely reasonable to be 'glass is half empty' in this situation given ownership's past and when other fan bases are laughing at our organization's ineptitude. 

Taking a step back, it looks like we have a QB coach in over his head just trying to fill his coaching staff.  

Grantham got more money and years to remain in Florida. Not much Taylor or the Bengals could do about that.

Capers will be 69 when the seasons starts, and may not have been interested in interviewing for a full-time DC job.

And as I said before, I don't think the Del Rio thing was ever very serious, which is likely why they only spoke on the phone.