Defensive Facelift

[GreenCornBengal]

Outside of Bates, Hubbard and Phillips I don’t think there is anyone else left from the Marvin era. The injuries last year + free agency/draft has this team looking completely different.

Normally defensive overhauls scare me, but with how bad this D has been the past few years I can only see this thing going up from here. It’ll be fun to watch. Excited to find some new players to like as well as new liabilities to bemoan.

[wcu]

Between FA and the draft, it seems like they had a legitimate plan to address our defensive woes and executed it well. Hopefully their roster choices pan out well. This is perhaps the first time I've seen them be so calculated and deliberate about trying to fix a problem.

For too many seasons I've written the team off early. If the front office isn't going to put in the effort to fix glaring problems that even the general public can see, then why should I invest my time and money in their product? This year is definitely different and I'll be watching them eagerly and rooting a little harder given the effort they've made.

[Bengal Dude]

(05-02-2021, 12:49 AM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: Outside of Bates, Hubbard and Phillips I don’t think there is anyone else left from the Marvin era. The injuries last year + free agency/draft has this team looking completely different.

Normally defensive overhauls scare me, but with how bad this D has been the past few years I can only see this thing going up from here. It’ll be fun to watch. Excited to find some new players to like as well as new liabilities to bemoan.

Funny thing is that Bates, Hubbard, and Phillips were only Marvin players for 1 season. They've been with Zac and Lou longer now. 


I've been saying this since free agency. This team has given Lou a lot of his own guys. If this D continues to struggle and play like what it has been. Lou should not make it through the season. He needs to be fired.

[SunsetBengal]

(05-02-2021, 01:39 AM)Bengal Dude Wrote: Funny thing is that Bates, Hubbard, and Phillips were only Marvin players for 1 season. They've been with Zac and Lou longer now. 


I've been saying this since free agency. This team has given Lou a lot of his own guys. If this D continues to struggle and play like what it has been. Lou should not make it through the season. He needs to be fired.

I agree, it's time for Lou's Crew to produce.  In the beginning he was using players selected for a different style of defense than the principles that he subscribes to.  As time has went by, all of those players have been cast off, as soon as it was fiscally viable to do so.  The players selected since have all been picked according to their skill sets leaning toward excelling in the coverage schemes that Lou employs.  Now, injuries and covid opt outs also have played a role in the defensive ineffectiveness, but all teams have to deal with those same issues.

So yes, it is time for Lou to put up or shut up.

[fredtoast]

-The defense was horrible the last couple of years Marvin was here and the first two seasons under Taylor.  They definitely needed a facelift.  But guys like Jackson, Dunlap, and Lawson were not the reason our defense was bad.

-If Reader and Ogunjobi stays healthy DT will be BY FAR the most improved position on the entire team.  We will go from having nothing at that position to one of the better duos in the entire league.  Everyone knows how important DTs are to eating up blockers and clogging up the run game, but even though DTs usually don't put up big sack numbers the outside edge rushers can't get sacks if the QB can just step up in the pocket.

-LBs are VERY young.  I don't know if they will be good or not but we have to give them at least one year to develop.  If we can coach them up properly that will be another position that should show considerable improvement.

- We have proven veteran talent at DE, Safety, and CB.

-TO ME IT IS ALL ABOUT THE COACHING.

[masonbengals fan]

Defintely time for Lou's defense to show vast improvement or time for another coach to get a chance.

[TJ528]

(05-02-2021, 10:18 AM)fredtoast Wrote: -The defense was horrible the last couple of years Marvin was here and the first two seasons under Taylor.  They definitely needed a facelift.  But guys like Jackson, Dunlap, and Lawson were not the reason our defense was bad.

-If Reader and Ogunjobi stays healthy DT will be BY FAR the most improved position on the entire team.  We will go from having nothing at that position to one of the better duos in the entire league.  Everyone knows how important DTs are to eating up blockers and clogging up the run game, but even though they usually have low sack numbers the outside edge rushers can't get sacks if the QB can just step up in the pocket.

-LBs are VERY young.  I don't know if they will be good or not but we have to give them at least one year to develop.  If we can coach them up properly that will be another position that should show considerable improvement.

- We have proven veteran talent at DE, Safety, and CB.

-TO ME IT IS ALL ABOUT THE COACHING.

And I think that's the biggest question of all. Zac and Lou's ability to coach them up

[samhain]

I was surprised to see them draft as many defensive players as they did after signing so many free agents on that side of the ball.

I'm not real sure that Lou Anarumo is the kind of guy you want to invest that kind of cap and draft capital in. He's as likely to get fired this year if things go poorly as any coach on the staff. His record throughout his career is unimpressive.

I'm happy to see them have a sense of urgency about fixing things on the defense, but I'd have liked to see a bit more done for the offense. Burrow will be here regardless of whether Anarumo or even Taylor keep their jobs beyond this year.

[bengaloo]

This is Lou's year for sure. We've put a lot of new players and money in FA into the defense and have added some very promising players. If the D sucks again, Lou will be gone no doubt.

But I think the D will make big strides. They had flashes at times last year and Lou had some pretty good game plans, but too many distractions and injuries held it all back. We were signing guys off the streets to play DL, and Dunlap not wanting to be anything but a 4-3 DE hurt us because he wasnt playing hard and didnt want to be here. Atkins was hurt, Reader got hurt, Hubbard got hurt, Waynes never even played. It was just an ugly year for the D and especially the DL.

Hendrickson, Ossai and Sample should add a lot to the pass rush which is the biggest need on D. They all have great ability but they also seem to want to play here unlike Dunlap last season. Love the Ossai and Sample picks. Both of those guys could be really good. Lots of upside.

[SunsetBengal]

(05-02-2021, 10:45 AM)bengaloo Wrote: This is Lou's year for sure. We've put a lot of new players and money in FA into the defense and have added some very promising players. If the D sucks again, Lou will be gone no doubt.

But I think the D will make big strides. They had flashes at times last year and Lou had some pretty good game plans, but too many distractions and injuries held it all back. We were signing guys off the streets to play DL, and Dunlap not wanting to be anything but a 4-3 DE hurt us because he wasnt playing hard and didnt want to be here. Atkins was hurt, Reader got hurt, Hubbard got hurt, Waynes never even played. It was just an ugly year for the D and especially the DL.

Hendrickson, Ossai and Sample should add a lot to the pass rush which is the biggest need on D. They all have great ability but they also seem to want to play here unlike Dunlap last season. Love the Ossai and Sample picks. Both of those guys could be really good. Lots of upside.

Agree with what you say.  I think Hendrickson will be a huge contributor that we look to as our playmaker on the Edge.  I would expect the rookies to be slowly rotated in as they learn and develop, unless of course they are pressed into service due to injury.

Here's a look at the latest Bengals post-draft defensive depth chart.

Quote:
LDE
94
Hubbard, Sam 18/3
00
Sample, Cameron 21/4
91
Bledsoe, Amani SF20
92
Akinmoladun, Freedom SF19

[/url]
NT
98
Reader, DJ U/Hou
00
Shelvin, Tyler 21/4
91
Tupou, Josh CF17




RDT
00
Ogunjobi, Larry U/Cle
76
DANIELS, MIKE SF20
69
McKenzie, Kahlil SF20




RDE
00
Hendrickson, Trey U/NO
90
Kareem, Khalid 20/5
95
Wren, Renell 19/4




DPR
00
Ossai, Joseph 21/3
00
Hubert, Wyatt 21/7






LB
59
Davis-Gaither, Akeem 20/4
51
Bailey, Markus 20/7






LB
57
Pratt, Germaine 19/3
50
Evans, Jordan 17/6






LB
55
Wilson, Logan 20/3
47
Jones, Keandre SF20






CB
23
Phillips, Darius 18/5
00
Apple, Eli SF21
30
Davis, Jalen SF20
39
Rose, Winston SF19


SS
24
Bell, Vonn U/NO
41
Henderson, Trayvon CF18






FS
30
Bates III, Jessie 18/2
40
Wilson, Brandon 17/6






CB
00
Awuzie, Chidobe U/Dal
00
Allen, Ricardo CC/Atl
27
Brown, Tony W/GB
33
Lewis Jr., Donnie SF20


NB
26
Waynes, Trae U/Min
00
Hilton, Mike U/Pit

[url=https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/player/0/]

[fredtoast]

(05-02-2021, 10:51 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote:  I think Hendrickson will be a huge contributor that we look to as our playmaker on the Edge.

I don't know if he will match his sack total from last year, but I don't see him as being a down grade from Lawson.  I really liked Lawson, but his injury history (all they way back through college) was terrifying.  Trey is also bigger than Lawson which will make him more of an every down player.

[impactplaya]

This defense really needs to have guy's to.step up
And actually finish plays.
Its needs to have players play at a elite level.
How many times did we see Jackson drop a INT
In.his hands. ? Unacceptable. Cause all of a sudden
The drive would continue.
Lawson has great as he was at pressures, was not
A finisher. Dunlap again was not a consistent finisher

Hendrickson was signed to.big $$$$ on his ability
To finish the QB off. A sack is always better than a pressure

The front office made a conscientious effort to infuse
This defense with guys in their mid 20s with
Their best days ahead of them.
Notice all the players 30 and over are gone?

I like how they added Hubert and Ossai to put some
Pressure on Hubbard to up.his game to another
Level. Hubbard has to improve his pass rush
Skills or he will be seeing his snaps decline

Shelvin might be the under the radar addition.
Running up.The middle and the edges on the Bengals just got
Harder. Him.and Reader will force double teams
Allowing hopefully more clean gaps for the LBers
To fill and stop RBs in their tracks