What have we learned in the past few weeks?

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

(12-28-2020, 01:07 AM)J24 Wrote: 1.) Geno is a first ballot HoF and has been one of the best All around Dts the past decade. What you say makes no sense.
2.) Our pass rush sucks ass. So yeah we need as many pass rushers we can get in the off-season.

I agree. But is not logical to expect a pass rush from the interior linemen. Geno is a freak. A 4th rounder that outperformed everyone drafted above him. But he has always been weak against the run, almost a non-factor. He's like Sam Adams. They'd let him push by, make one cut and there's a huge opening in the middle vacated by Geno. It stands out even more considering how incredibly weak Cincy was at LB in the last 20 years out side of Burfict. He made a couple of plays in one game late last season(Miami game maybe) and much of the sports bar I was at all let me know, "See! He can make plays in the backfield". The reason is, they all talked about how great he was rushing the passer. I pointed out all year how weak he was against the run and showed him getting pushed around and off of the ball on replays.

Beating someone when they are backing up is one thing. Beating someone when they are coming straight at you is something else entirely. Geno is outstanding at one and not at the other. Watch Mike Daniels on running plays. He holds the line, often dictating the direction he is going. I don't see that with Geno.

[CanadianBengal]

I agree that building up the offense is the best plan. To many holes to fill in one year so prioritizing the offense to ensure that Burrows grows is the most important step for next year. They need an OT, OG, TE and WR3. XSF or Spain would be fine with one starting and the other as the first one off the bench. Sewell is my dream first pick but could live with Slater. I think signing Thuney or Scherff would be great but hard to imagine the Bengals landing one of the elite free agents. But I can dream. I think they need a good third WR not an elite top five pick like Chase. They don't need three great WRs with Burrows as the QB. A good third WR who can stretch the field either with RAC or deep speed would round out the group. CJ's contract may be too rich in a year when the salary cap is going down and they may be able to get a guy like Everett for the same money. I like Gio but do they really need 16 million being spent on RB? I wonder if he would come back cheaper? Again, I think this year, with so many teams up against the cap, Gio is pretty expensive.

I think the Bengals should have lots of money for FA this year if they play it right. Hart, Gio, CJ, Geno, Finney frees up an additional 30 million. There likely will be more cuts than usual if the cap goes down.

[Murdock2420]

(12-28-2020, 01:50 AM)CanadianBengal Wrote: I agree that building up the offense is the best plan. To many holes to fill in one year so prioritizing the offense to ensure that Burrows grows is the most important step for next year. They need an OT, OG, TE and WR3. XSF or Spain would be fine with one starting and the other as the first one off the bench. Sewell is my dream first pick but could live with Slater. I think signing Thuney or Scherff would be great but hard to imagine the Bengals landing one of the elite free agents. But I can dream. I think they need a good third WR not an elite top five pick like Chase. They don't need three great WRs with Burrows as the QB. A good third WR who can stretch the field either with RAC or deep speed would round out the group. CJ's contract may be too rich in a year when the salary cap is going down and they may be able to get a guy like Everett for the same money. I like Gio but do they really need 16 million being spent on RB? I wonder if he would come back cheaper? Again, I think this year, with so many teams up against the cap, Gio is pretty expensive.

I think the Bengals should have lots of money for FA this year if they play it right. Hart, Gio, CJ, Geno, Finney frees up an additional 30 million. There likely will be more cuts than usual if the cap goes down.

Why is everyone wanting to cut Gio? He has shown in the last two wins how valuable of a piece to the offense he is.. cutting him just creates another hole that you'd need to fill.

[*bfine32*]

(12-28-2020, 01:54 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Why is everyone wanting to cut Gio? He has shown in the last two wins how valuable of a piece to the offense he is.. cutting him just creates another hole that you'd need to fill.

They mentioned something during the game today that caught me by surprise. Apparently we are 12-1-1 when Gio has at least 15 touches. If he had 15 today it goes to 13-1-1

[Murdock2420]

(12-28-2020, 01:57 AM)bfine32 Wrote: They mentioned something during the game today that caught me by surprise. Apparently we are 12-1-1 when Gio has at least 15 touches. If he had 15 today it goes to 13-1-1

Yup, heard that same stat.

To me he isn't a guy you cut, he is a guy you find more ways to get involved in the game plan.

Plus, his blitz pick-up as a RB is best on this team by far.

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

(12-28-2020, 01:59 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Plus, his blitz pick-up as a RB is best on this team by far.

I was a huge Rudi fan for that exact reason. When he went to Detroit, Palmer got injured in the first game of the year against the Giants on a play that Chris Perry gave up on blocking too early and went out to catch a possible dump off. He gutted his way through a couple more games but he was done and we got Fitzpatrick for the rest of the year.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(12-28-2020, 01:59 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Yup, heard that same stat.

To me he isn't a guy you cut, he is a guy you find more ways to get involved in the game plan.

Plus, his blitz pick-up as a RB is best on this team by far.

Off topic, but how do you feel about Lawrence going to the Jags? Certainly better than the Jets.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

We have learned that:

1) Allen is a decent backup QB
2) Perine is worth keeping
3) Fred Johnson is worth keeping
4) XSF & Spain are passable starters at OG.
5) Erickson is worth keeping
6) Alexander is worth keeping
7) Hunt is worth keeping

[Murdock2420]

(12-28-2020, 02:07 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Off topic, but how do you feel about Lawrence going to the Jags? Certainly better  than the Jets.

Cautiously optimistic.

James Robinson is great, they have several good receivers Chark, Cole and Shenault.

The defense is going to need some work but new coach coming in, with Lawrence I think they have a chance to get a few nice free agents.

Biggest thing is I think their owner is a smart guy unlike the utter disaster in New York. 

Plus, it'll be fun to see Watson versus Lawrence twice a year.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(12-28-2020, 02:17 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Cautiously optimistic.

James Robinson is great, they have several good receivers Chark, Cole and Shenault.

The defense is going to need some work but new coach coming in, with Lawrence I think they have a chance to get a few nice free agents.

Biggest thing is I think their owner is a smart guy unlike the utter disaster in New York. 

Plus, it'll be fun to see Watson versus Lawrence twice a year.

Your boy Tee looks like he’s going to be a stud for us. Did you think he’d be this good as a rookie? Especially without Burrow for a handful of games.

[Murdock2420]

(12-28-2020, 02:21 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Your boy Tee looks like he’s going to be a stud for us. Did you think he’d be this good as a rookie? Especially without Burrow for a handful of games.

I mean, the fan in me wants to be like "of course I knew" but no I figured he'd top out around 600 yards and go through the typical rookie WR growing pains. I thought it would be year 2 before we saw these types of numbers. He needs to clean up a few of those drops, but it looks very promising for the future with him and Tyler as WR1 and 2. Need a speed guy now. Would like to see us get his running mate at Clemson to replace John Ross. Amari Rodgers is a fast damn WR.

[CanadianBengal]

(12-28-2020, 01:54 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Why is everyone wanting to cut Gio? He has shown in the last two wins how valuable of a piece to the offense he is.. cutting him just creates another hole that you'd need to fill.

Gio counts 4.7 mil against the cap next year. If Mixon is healthy he barely sees the ball. That is a lot to spend on a back up RB. I would definitely love to see Gio back but not at that cap hit. If the salary cap goes down for next year, overpays like Gio, CJ and Hart hurt.

[*Synric*]

We learned Darius Phillips is a good corner. If he could just stay healthy.

[BURROWorBUST]

(12-27-2020, 11:39 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: Drew Sample is still a pedestrian player.

They need a bona-fide TE.

Just because Taylor "doesn't use them" is not an excuse to abuse the position.

Zac NEEDS to learn how to use them and value the position.

Reaching for Sample in the draft made absolutely no sense and still doesn't.

I'm with you on this...to a point. Probably the only way we get Sewell is if we lose next week and if Houston wins at home against TN. The Texans have been up and down all season. They could pull it off. And I don't think we beat the Ravens. If we do, then our offensive line really has developed into a competent group with Sua-Filo and Spain in there. Also props to Bobby Hart. He handled JJ Watt pretty well. But if we don't have a chance to draft Sewell, Kyle Pitts has to be in the conversation. So do Gregory Rousseau (pass rush), and Ja'marr Chase. If it comes down to Pitts or Chase, I think you let Burrow make the call.  

[Nicomo Cosca]

(12-28-2020, 05:28 AM)BURROWorBUST Wrote: I'm with you on this...to a point. Probably the only way we get Sewell is if we lose next week and if Houston wins at home against TN. The Texans have been up and down all season. They could pull it off. And I don't think we beat the Ravens. If we do, then our offensive line really has developed into a competent group with Sua-Filo and Spain in there. Also props to Bobby Hart. He handled JJ Watt pretty well. But if we don't have a chance to draft Sewell, Kyle Pitts has to be in the conversation. So do Gregory Rousseau (pass rush), and Ja'marr Chase. If it comes down to Pitts or Chase, I think you let Burrow make the call.  

Gee, I wonder who he’d pick between those two...

[CorpusChristiBengal]

I wrote out a huge diatribe about how it's silly to let a QB pick the first rounder, but we probably should roll out the red carpet for Joe behind closed doors after this season, lol.

[fredtoast]

(12-28-2020, 04:07 AM)CanadianBengal Wrote: Gio counts 4.7 mil against the cap next year. If Mixon is healthy he barely sees the baball

People don't realize that last year whem Mixon played every game Gio still played close to jalf (40%) of the snaps. He is more than "just a backup."

[Daddy-O]

(12-28-2020, 12:19 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: He made a critical catch, contested by the DB today, made an impressive grab in traffic on the Left side, and also turned on the juice and made a nice reaching grab on the sidelines. All "classic AJ Green" type of plays.

Fans should not allow "their vision" of what should happen with the team cloud their reality of how the management of the team actually does things.  I get the feeling that the Brown/Blackburn family absolutely loves AJ Green, and would like nothing more than for him to retire as a Bengal.  So, don't be surprised if they do manage to work out a 3 year contract with him. 

I don't know.  Watching him this year there is something just not there.  It may be mostly in his head and I'm not sure why.

He definitely looks slower but does seem to be getting back the ability to run routes well so maybe he is serviceable.

Not sure about a 3-year deal unless it is extremely team friendly, and AJ I'm sure values himself a lot more than we do.  If some team throws money at him he'll leave and should leave.  New England is no longer that team to resurrect old WR careers.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(12-27-2020, 11:59 PM)ah5 Wrote: they also have a competent OL.

This.... look at the conference leaders....all of them can block and rush the passer, TN being the exception on the latter point. The game is still predicated on winning at the point of attack.

[XenoMorph]

That we cant win when we need to... And can win when we no longer have a reason to lol...


Good to see the players still doing what they are paid very well to do...