We're still not in good shape at LB. Any ideas?

[Bengalitis]

What about the AAF? no LB worthy from that league worthy we can bring over?

[THE PISTONS]

(04-29-2019, 10:19 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: As a business person, losing is bad financially. I know MB is protected so not saying going bankrupt, but tons of money lost when you have 20K fans less a game in tickets, parking and concessions.

That is why I know they want to win, but do not disagree they have proven they do not know how to win.

I think the issue I see with the 'how' part is that under their model, you have to nail draft after draft after draft. They did that for a span of time, but then when those guys contracts starting come up...they lost a bunch of them to free agency and couldn't replace them.

Their model puts so much pressure on drafting and coaching.

I don't get why they don't just dip into free agency for starters more.

It's weird - When we drafted bad, we'd make free agent signings and then those guys failed for various reasons - injuries, poor due diligence in the case of Antonio Bryant, bad system fit, lack of talent around them, etc. Then, once we started drafting well, we started going with low tier free agents.

Some approach in the middle would seem to work well.

[The Real Deal]

#Bengals fans...I covered NC State and LB Germaine Pratt @GermainePratt7 last Oct...here was my breakdown of him...he plays LB like it should be played...high motor, runs people down, blitzes, tackles...watch vid and maybe you'll be a believer too! https://t.co/FQzFHO1MmG

— Rocky Boiman (@ROCKYBOIMAN50) April 29, 2019

I would have liked to have seen more help at LB drafted, but I do think we drafted one new starter on the LB corps.

[XenoMorph]

(04-29-2019, 11:17 AM)The Real Deal Wrote:

#Bengals fans...I covered NC State and LB Germaine Pratt @GermainePratt7 last Oct...here was my breakdown of him...he plays LB like it should be played...high motor, runs people down, blitzes, tackles...watch vid and maybe you'll be a believer too! https://t.co/FQzFHO1MmG

— Rocky Boiman (@ROCKYBOIMAN50) April 29, 2019

I would have liked to have seen more help at LB drafted, but I do think we drafted one new starter on the LB corps.

Browns gonna play

vigil will be healthy again lost a step due to injury but played thru it all year last year.

Pratt

Evans

as it stands will be our top 4 unless Jefferson comes on this season

Lots of potential not a lot of proven production

[Luvnit2]

(04-29-2019, 11:29 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: Browns gonna play

vigil will be healthy again lost a step due to injury but played thru it all year last year.

Pratt

Evans

as it stands will be our top 4 unless Jefferson comes on this season

Lots of potential not a lot of proven production

The great teams develop next man up. I hope our new coaching staff are great at developing talent of our existing players. LB improvement from Vigil, Evans, Jefferson who are all great athletes and can be better. Guys like Ross whose athletic ability is off the charts. Malone being healthy needs to grow as do all of the 2nd and 3rd year players for us to be great in 2019.

Steelers lost 2 studs in Brown and Bell, already replaced one with Connor (next man up), but Brown will be hard to replace with one weapon, they will need multiple guys to step up to match his past production.

I know injuries happen, but we seemed a year ago to have more than the teams that made the playoffs, especially at key positions to our key players. Let's hope better health + improvement of returning vets + good draft move us upward and play more like the 4-1 team from a year ago and better.

[THE PISTONS]

It seems like there are 1 or 2 rookie LB's every year that come out of nowhere and play well. I wouldn't bet on it being Pratt, but it could happen.

So...even if Pratt becomes a capable starter Year 1 which is a big IF...we need depth as LB's get hurt.

[J24]

We play Nickle 70% of the time so we really only need two LB. Also don't be surprised to see Williams play at LB this year in known passing situations.

[Luvnit2]

(04-29-2019, 11:42 AM)Jakeypoo Wrote: We play Nickle 70% of the time so we really only need two LB. Also don't be surprised to see Williams play at LB this year in known passing situations.

I agree

Bengals seem to like Phillips, Fej, Bates and Williams so I can see more safeties on field as less LB's on passing downs

[THE PISTONS]

(04-29-2019, 11:47 AM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I agree

Bengals seem to like Phillips, Fej, Bates and Williams so I can see more safeties on field as less LB's on passing downs

They actually used Fej in a LB role last year...the Saints game was one such game. It didn't go well. Not that he was bad. I just didn't help.

[kevin]

(04-28-2019, 04:03 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Well, you're just not going to fill 3-4-5 needs in a draft and we had several on the team. OL was huge and Williams was a great pick.

Right now, I guess our starters would be Preston Brown, Vigil, and Jordan Evans or Pratt.

Evans really struggled last year and he struggled particularly in coverage. Brown looked slow and bad in coverage last year. He's more of a run thumper. Granted he led the league in Tackles 2 years ago, so maybe the injuries were his issue. Vigil looked like he improved last year.

Pratt is supposedly good in coverage which I like, but he's raw as he only started 1 year.

Maybe a guy like Jefferson improves too.

We have a lot of questionmarks at LB, and IF someone gets injured...we could be in really bad shape.

I'm hoping we can pick up a LB that is waived in free agency at some point.

Coach Taylor says in today's NFL you are in the nickle D 80% of the time.  So 80% of the time there may only be 2 LB's on the field anyway.  I think we can cover the 20 % of the time we use 3.  Plus we did draft a LB in early 3rd round and a LB in late rounds.  No more Burfict but I call that adding by subtraction, you can't coach that bonehead. 

[THE PISTONS]

(04-29-2019, 01:11 PM)kevin Wrote: Coach Taylor says in today's NFL you are in the nickle D 80% of the time.  So 80% of the time there may only be 2 LB's on the field anyway.  I think we can cover the 20 % of the time we use 3.  Plus we did draft a LB in early 3rd round and a LB in late rounds.  No more Burfict but I call that adding by subtraction, you can't coach that bonehead. 

That may be true...but it's not like Brown and Vigil are great LB's. We still need an upgrade at that position.

[kevin]

(04-29-2019, 01:17 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: That may be true...but it's not like Brown and Vigil are great LB's. We still need an upgrade at that position.

Well maybe the coaches like the LB they drafted early in round 3.  I'm sure they drafted him for a reason. 

[I_C_DeadPeople]

(04-29-2019, 10:28 AM)bengaloo Wrote: The more I learn about Davis, the more I see him with a chance to unseat Nickerson of his spot on the team. He is undersized a bit, but apparently was a terror in the SEC his entire career, and has a big motor. I think Pratt makes the team and earns plenty of playing time. His upside is big and he's coming to the right team to find playing time. Jefferson is one I want to see step up, but he's kind of been an enigma since we drafted him. Has he ever even been interviewed on the bengals home page? The dude has just been invisible since we drafted him. I would like to see him make his presence known this season.

Nickerson should not even be invited to camp, he is that bad. If he is anywhere near the roster after TC, this LB crew is in big trouble. 

I would not assume any one of the 6 noted above are here other than Brown. The rest have to earn their spots IMO. The way they played last year opens the door for any draft pick and free agent or anyone we can still trade for. 

[Joelist]

Unless Nickerson's issue was all coaching he should just be cut now. He was so bad out there last season they actually would have been better just telling a reserve CB or safety to go play LB.

[kevin]

(04-29-2019, 01:50 PM)I_C_DeadPeople Wrote: Nickerson should not even be invited to camp, he is that bad. If he is anywhere near the roster after TC, this LB crew is in big trouble. 

I would not assume any one of the 6 noted above are here other than Brown. The rest have to earn their spots IMO. The way they played last year opens the door for any draft pick and free agent or anyone we can still trade for. 

No, let Coach Taylor bring in many, many players to look at.  That doesn't mean they will be here start of season.  Marvin is ancient history.  Let Taylor get a look at this Last Place team and let Taylor see on practice field with his own eyes who needs to be cut from the team.  I'd like the new coaches to get a look at all the old and new Bengals and then let the cuts start coming. No more Last Place. NEW DEY. 

In all fairness, the last few D coaches didn't do so hot, and bad systems was mentioned in the bringing in Hue so Marvin could take over D, which is bad.

Still, in practices in corner of the field, they need the executioner in mask with ax and head chopping block ready to eliminate the Last Place type players. NEW DEY

[*Synric*]

(04-29-2019, 11:17 AM)The Real Deal Wrote:

#Bengals fans...I covered NC State and LB Germaine Pratt @GermainePratt7 last Oct...here was my breakdown of him...he plays LB like it should be played...high motor, runs people down, blitzes, tackles...watch vid and maybe you'll be a believer too! https://t.co/FQzFHO1MmG

— Rocky Boiman (@ROCKYBOIMAN50) April 29, 2019

I would have liked to have seen more help at LB drafted, but I do think we drafted one new starter on the LB corps.

I've been big on Pratt for a while. He has great vision and can move quickly through traffic. When he blitzes he sees the gaps open and explodes through them. He rarely misses a tackle his arms are like the jaws of life ones he gets them around you he is going to spin you backwards and slam you off the turf so their is no extra yards. To me he is a new age MLB that is going to be one of the best in football.

[J24]

(04-29-2019, 12:25 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: They actually used Fej in a LB role last year...the Saints game was one such game. It didn't go well. Not that he was bad. I just didn't help.

He was actually used as a Nickle back and not a LB. He got burned a couple of times from the slot from what I recall. 

[BoomerFan]

(04-29-2019, 10:45 AM)Bengalitis Wrote: What about the AAF? no LB worthy from that league worthy we can bring over?

Drew Jackson would be the guy to look at there. Drafted in the 6th round and released by the Colts in 2014, he had at least one really good game in the AAF: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Jackson_(linebacker)

In 2019, Jackson joined the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football. In the fourth game of the 2019 AAF season against the San Diego Fleet, Jackson recorded 14 tackles, a sack, and an interception as the Express won 26–23; he was later named AAF Defensive Player of the Week.


Couldn't hurt to bring him in for camp. Not saying he'll change the face of the team but maybe he earns a rotational spot and makes us better for it. He is clearly still in football shape. 

[XenoMorph]

time for Jefferson to win a starting spot.

[J24]

(04-29-2019, 10:51 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I think the issue I see with the 'how' part is that under their model, you have to nail draft after draft after draft. They did that for a span of time, but then when those guys contracts starting come up...they lost a bunch of them to free agency and couldn't replace them.

Their model puts so much pressure on drafting and coaching.

I don't get why they don't just dip into free agency for starters more.

It's weird - When we drafted bad, we'd make free agent signings and then those guys failed for various reasons - injuries, poor due diligence in the case of Antonio Bryant, bad system fit, lack of talent around them, etc. Then, once we started drafting well, we started going with low tier free agents.

Some approach in the middle would seem to work well.

Agreed to an extent I have no problem with signing 2nd tier free agents like they did when Zimmer came here. Adam Jones, Chris Crocker, Wallace Gilberry, Terrence Newman, Thomas Howard, Manny Lawson, Reggie Nelson, Brandon Johnson, and Nate Clemments. 
Now they don't even do that maybe a fringe LB but other than that nothing. They definitely need to be more aggressive than what they are. Signing Brown and Hart we're embarrassing dumbass moves. 

(04-29-2019, 11:39 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: It seems like there are 1 or 2 rookie LB's every year that come out of nowhere and play well. I wouldn't bet on it being Pratt, but it could happen.

So...even if Pratt becomes a capable starter Year 1 which is a big IF...we need depth as LB's get hurt.

Why can't it be Pratt exactly ?Dude has all the Athletic ability, high PFF college grade, and is  pretty smart and dedicated to football from all accounts.