The Hype and Reality

[Catmandude123]

The Bengals lost half of their games by a total of thirty one points. If they would have won all seven of those games they would have most likely still not won a playoff game. This year has a chance of being a "New Dey" unlike last year's "Same Dey". How the FO goes at free agency and the draft will reveal the probable outcome of 2020. I would rather the discussion this time of year be positive but I also understand others who have seen this dog and pony show the last 30 years under MB's tenure.

[*ochocincos*]

(03-10-2020, 07:12 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: Depending on what happens in free agency, we can't afford the typical draft of players who might start in a couple years.  We have some spots, especially LB, where we need rookies to start right away.  And we're picking high in each round, so our second and third round draft picks need to be able to start right away.  Of course Burrow will start.

I would like for that to happen but you and I both know that's not how the Bengals operate.
They will re-sign their own "meh" guys or bring in some mid-to-lower tier FA to start and then have the draft pick play behind them until the coaches feel the draft pick is ready to start.
I wouldn't be surprised if they re-sign Vigil, at minimum, so that they have their previous year's starters. That way, any draft pick won't be forced into a starting role.

[Okeana]

it all depends on how they handle free agency and the draft. The best players on our team are getting old and no superstars have emerged out of the new crop aside from mixon who people don't want to pay. So I expect us to be picking in the top 10 for the next couple of years at least. Remember this is still the same team that paid bobby hart 8 million and drafted drew sample so we could be looking at an entirely new coaching staff next year.

[*Nately120*]

(03-10-2020, 07:42 AM)Catmandude123 Wrote: The Bengals lost half of their games by a total of thirty one points. If they would have won all seven of those games they would have most likely still not won a playoff game. This year has a chance of being a "New Dey" unlike last year's "Same Dey". How the FO goes at free agency and the draft will reveal the probable outcome of 2020. I would rather the discussion this time of year be positive but I also understand others who have seen this dog and pony show the last 30 years under MB's tenure.

I feel like AJ and Jonah and the best new QB since Luck playing in 2020 along with the notion that ZT and company will be better and luckier this year is more than enough evidence MB needs to stay the course on this roster. 

[fredtoast]

(03-10-2020, 10:27 AM)ochocincos Wrote: I would like for that to happen but you and I both know that's not how the Bengals operate.
They will re-sign their own "meh" guys or bring in some mid-to-lower tier FA to start and then have the draft pick play behind them until the coaches feel the draft pick is ready to start.

Here are some guys who claim you are wrong.

Jesse Bates
Sam Hubbard
Carl Lawson
Joe Mixon
Tyler Boyd
Jeremy Hill
Russell Bodine
Ttyler Eifert
Giovanni Bernard
Kevin Zeitler
Andy Dalton
A J Green
Jermain Gresham
Carlos Dunlap
Jordan Shipley
Rey Maualuga

[*ochocincos*]

(03-10-2020, 01:25 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Here are some guys who claim you are wrong.

Jesse Bates
Sam Hubbard
Carl Lawson
Joe Mixon
Tyler Boyd
Jeremy Hill
Russell Bodine
Ttyler Eifert
Giovanni Bernard
Kevin Zeitler
Andy Dalton
A J Green
Jermain Gresham
Carlos Dunlap
Jordan Shipley
Rey Maualuga

Wait, what was I wrong about?

The following had a veteran in front of them when they were drafted:
Gresham (Reggie Kelly)
Eifert (Gresham)
Hill (Bernard)
Bernard (BJGE)
Green (Chad, Simpson)
Mixon (Hill, Bernard)
Hubbard (MJ)
Lawson (MJ)
Dunlap (Geathers)
Bates (Iloka)
Shipley (Chad, TO, Caldwell)
Bodine (Cook)
Boyd (Green, LaFell)

Yes, Iloka, Chad, and Cook were cut/traded before the season started, thereby putting Bates, Green, and Bodine into starting roles by Week 1 of the season, but they were not the top player at their position on the roster when drafted. And most of the guys you mentioned did not start many games their rookie years. It took them a year or two before getting into full-time starter role.

The only players who were slotted into starting roles upon being drafted were:
Dalton (Palmer refusal to play)
Maualuga
Zeitler

Did the guys you list get some decent playing time as rookies? Yes.
Did they have anyone in front of them on the depth chart the day they were drafted? Also, yes.
Therefore, I don't think I was wrong in that the Bengals had some type of veteran (typically non-elite) ahead of them rather than handing them the starting role upon being drafted.

My point was the Bengals are not going out to get elite players in FA from outside. They bring in mid-to-lower tier FAs and then draft for their eventual replacements.

[fredtoast]

(03-10-2020, 10:27 AM)ochocincos Wrote: They will re-sign their own "meh" guys or bring in some mid-to-lower tier FA to start and then have the draft pick play behind them until the coaches feel the draft pick is ready to start.

(03-10-2020, 08:19 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Wait, what was I wrong about?

The following had a veteran in front of them when they were drafted:
Gresham (Reggie Kelly)
Eifert (Gresham)
Hill (Bernard)
Bernard (BJGE)
Green (Chad, Simpson)
Mixon (Hill, Bernard)
Hubbard (MJ)
Lawson (MJ)
Dunlap (Geathers)
Bates (Iloka)
Shipley (Chad, TO, Caldwell)
Bodine (Cook)
Boyd (Green, LaFell)

My point was the Bengals are not going out to get elite players in FA from outside. They bring in mid-to-lower tier FAs and then draft for their eventual replacements.

Pretty much none of the guys you list as starters ahead of the rookies were mid-to-lower tier free agents signed to start in front of rookies.  They are almost all long time starters that were already in place.

And that is the way it works with almost every team in the league.  A little over half of the first round picks last year (18) started more than 8 games.  In fact rookies are more likely to start for bad teams than good teams because bad teams have more holes.

[ezekiel23]

I don’t think it’s prudent to be making premature predictions.That said,, I’ll be more than glad to make a prediction after the draft and free agency.If nothing else,this is going to be a very interesting and exciting year for Bengals fans,with all that’s going on.

[*ochocincos*]

(03-10-2020, 08:32 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Pretty much none of the guys you list as starters ahead of the rookies were mid-to-lower tier free agents signed to start in front of rookies.  They are almost all long time starters that were already in place.

And that is the way it works with almost every team in the league.  A little over half of the first round picks last year (18) started more than 8 games.  In fact rookies are more likely to start for bad teams than good teams because bad teams have more holes.

ochocincos Wrote:They will re-sign their own "meh" guys or bring in some mid-to-lower tier FA to start and then have the draft pick play behind them until the coaches feel the draft pick is ready to start.

I didn't say just mid-to-lower tier FAs. I also included their own "meh" guys.
My definition of "meh" is average or below.
Many of the guys who were the incumbent were average or below at the time those other guys were drafted.

[GreenCornBengal]

I remember rolling my eyes at the San Fran hype last preseason... so ya never know.

[*michaelsean*]

(03-08-2020, 01:31 PM)guyofthetiger Wrote: Remember how Cleveland was suppose to be a great team last year and didn't live up to expectations? Well, I am sending out a message to Bengals Nation that we do not let the hype of next season give us an embarrassing result. Yes, we may have Burrow and Green. But, please don't make comments about how great we will be until the results are in. I personally like to set the bar low and exceed it. With this said, I expect an 8-8 season. Wait, maybe a 9-8 season if there are 17 games. lol

That was media hype the fans bought into.  They should have been better, but the Super Bowl talk was nonsense.  

[BengalChris]

(03-08-2020, 01:31 PM)guyofthetiger Wrote: Remember how Cleveland was suppose to be a great team last year and didn't live up to expectations? Well, I am sending out a message to Bengals Nation that we do not let the hype of next season give us an embarrassing result. Yes, we may have Burrow and Green. But, please don't make comments about how great we will be until the results are in. I personally like to set the bar low and exceed it. With this said, I expect an 8-8 season. Wait, maybe a 9-8 season if there are 17 games. lol

Bengals fans had plenty of embarrassment after last season's New Dey enthusiasm gave us the worst team in the NFL.

Just don't expect much from this team and you won't be embarrassed. Two-win Taylor is in over his head and that hasn't changed this new season. Mike Brown has been the worst NFL owner for 29 years and that isn't going to suddenly change this new season.

Just treat every win as a bonus.

 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-10-2020, 05:57 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: I get what you are saying.

BUT... There is talk we are going to end up with more than just Burrow and Green. We have the #1 pick and can use the franchise tag so those two are a given. Plus we also have a vet QB and LT to trade, a bunch of money to spend, and the first pick in rounds 2-7.

And a coach that apparently kept the locker room together through an absolutely dreadful debut season. He could have pulled a Freddie Kitchens and ended up with a locker room of pissed off players in total disarray and been a total failure after one year. Instead we were win less deep into the season and had guys talking about how they don't know how we can be stopped. There may be something to that...

Nice post NATI. I also like that the Steeler fans in the media are so afraid of Burrow that they are trying to imagine him refusing
to play for us. This tells me something, as does the fact that Burrow would fit in this Offense much better than one that is not a 
West Coast Offense. As you say, we are bringing back Green and if he can stay healthy he could still be one of the best WR's in 
the NFL, at least for a year or two.

I think what you said here about the way the locker room hung in under Zac is also very telling and tells me these players have 
respect and trust in their new HC. Under Marv in his last few years the team looked like they were giving up at times, didn't see 
this under Zac last season in a 14 loss season.

The future is bright as long as we use FA to free up the Draft IMO. No reason to think otherwise unless you just have to be 
depressed. I choose to be optimistic even if I get let down, makes me stronger in the end.

(03-10-2020, 07:12 AM)BonnieBengal Wrote: Depending on what happens in free agency, we can't afford the typical draft of players who might start in a couple years.  We have some spots, especially LB, where we need rookies to start right away.  And we're picking high in each round, so our second and third round draft picks need to be able to start right away.  Of course Burrow will start.

I think we go after a top LB in FA for sure honestly. So many will be out there that would help us and this Draft is not crazy 
deep at LB while it is crazy deep at WR and inside O-lineman. Thinking we go Defense in FA, Offense in the Draft.

[grampahol]

I'll go ahead and predict an 0 and 0 season right up until the first game is played. Anything beyond 0-0 is just gravy, win, lose or draw! Bold enough prediction for anyone?
I know, right? nothing has ever been bolder, huh?

[CarolinaBengalFanGuy]

Come on 6-10! We can do it. Maybe.

[BonnieBengal]

(03-11-2020, 04:49 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I think we go after a top LB in FA for sure honestly. So many will be out there that would help us and this Draft is not crazy 
deep at LB while it is crazy deep at WR and inside O-lineman. Thinking we go Defense in FA, Offense in the Draft.

I hope that is the way it works out.  I still worry that the top players won't want to come here.