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...by Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.
https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-gm-power-rankings-eagles-howie-roseman-reigns-while-brad-holmes-makes-his-ma
3) Duke Tobin, Cincinnati Bengals
'Longtime NFL analyst Solomon Wilcots once said of Marvin Lewis that the coach “raised the Titanic” during his time in Cincinnati. That's partly why Tobin gets extra credit for building two different Bengals eras with top-shelf rosters. Having Joe Burrow instead of Andy Dalton atop the quarterback depth chart should help the latest iteration last. The team has a strong recent record with targeted free-agent strikes ( Chidobe Awuzie, D.J. Reader), and it was smart not to overspend when some of their own players like Hayden Hurst and Vonn Bell got paid too much elsewhere. Tobin used that extra money to find value with tackle Orlando Brown Jr. at the top of the market and safety Nick Scott and tight end Irv Smith Jr. as worthwhile low-cost gambles. Cincinnati's offensive line overhaul last offseason mostly worked, but I love that Tobin didn't stand pat. There is strong cohesion between Tobin and Zac Taylor's coaching staff, which develops rookies like cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt before giving them playing time.
Burrow claimed back in January that the Bengals' Super Bowl window is "my whole career." Tobin is the right man to prove his quarterback correct.'
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How times have changed. I remember just a few years ago when tons of fans were calling for Duke's head.
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Tobin is definitely interesting to say the least. It seems he goes 4 or 5 years with incredible drafts. Then can go 5 years of complete crap drafts. Rinse, repeat.
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(04-14-2023, 02:40 PM)Mgbrown66 Wrote: Tobin is definitely interesting to say the least. It seems he goes 4 or 5 years with incredible drafts. Then can go 5 years of complete crap drafts. Rinse, repeat.
Hope we don't see another 2015 trend ever again.
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So when we win the Super Bowl he rises to #1, right?
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(04-14-2023, 02:46 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Hope we don't see another 2015 trend ever again.
Avoiding draft picks who are already coming in injured on Draft Day might be a good start.
Ogbuehi, Price, Ross, Williams.
Oh, and reaching for a Rd 5-6 TE in the 2nd round. That also can help moving forward.
Zac Taylor 2019-2020: 6 total wins
Zac Taylor 2021-2022: Double-digit wins each season, plus 5 postseason wins
Zac Taylor 2023: 9 wins despite losing Burrow half the season
Zac Taylor 2024: Started 1-4. If he can turn this into a playoff appearance, it will be impressive.
Sorry for Party Rocking!
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Are they winning because of Duke or in spite of Duke? Likewise, were they losing because of Duke or in spite of Duke?
I mean, honestly, when you have a franchise stud like Joe Burrow, all bets are off in terms of what everyone else is doing. Especially the FO. It's the unanswerable question. Just get out of the way, work with your star and that's good enough. I wouldn't give the GM any undue credit (or blame) for what happens.
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The way the FO operates, you have to give some of the credit in the recent drafts to the coaches and their ability to see what they want in players they bring in in the draft/free agency.
Quote:"Success doesn’t mean every single move they make is good" ~ Anonymous
"Let not the dumb have to educate" ~ jj22
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Last week Paul Dehner interviewed one of the Bengal's scouts from the Marvin Lewis era that worked under Duke Tobin. Alot of great inside info into a draft room mindset.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaED-YxUsg4&t=1091s
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(04-14-2023, 02:40 PM)Mgbrown66 Wrote: Tobin is definitely interesting to say the least. It seems he goes 4 or 5 years with incredible drafts. Then can go 5 years of complete crap drafts. Rinse, repeat.
Any time that someone is good at something and does it for a long period of time, there are going to be peaks and valleys in their performance. Those highs and lows may or may not all be attributed to Tobin personally, as we really don't know who had how much outside influence at the time of any given draft. Having been a fan of this team for life, I'd have to say that I'm more pleased than discouraged with his product.
Volson is meh, but I like him, and he has far exceeded my expectations
-Frank Booth 1/9/23
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(04-14-2023, 03:38 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Avoiding draft picks who are already coming in injured on Draft Day might be a good start.
Ogbuehi, Price, Ross, Williams.
Oh, and reaching for a Rd 5-6 TE in the 2nd round. That also can help moving forward.
Damn rights, another reason I hope we don't draft Kincaid. I know his back medically cleared but that doesn't mean it can take hits.
(04-14-2023, 03:45 PM)jj22 Wrote: The way the FO operates, you have to give some of the credit in the recent drafts to the coaches and their ability to see what they want in players they bring in in the draft/free agency.
Yes, Zac and Lou deserve a ton of cred. Took a couple years, but they built what they foresaw, and the results are pretty damn good lol
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(04-14-2023, 04:56 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Damn rights, another reason I hope we don't draft Kincaid. I know his back medically cleared but that doesn't mean it can take hits.
Yes, Zac and Lou deserve a ton of cred. Took a couple years, but they built what they foresaw, and the results are pretty damn good lol
I'm a little less worried about Kincaid since he's already been cleared prior to Draft Day and the Bengals can have a visit with him.
The ones that suck are the ones where the player basically needs all offseason (and even into the season) to recover.
That severely impacts their ability to get familiar with the playbook and get in football shape.
Zac Taylor 2019-2020: 6 total wins
Zac Taylor 2021-2022: Double-digit wins each season, plus 5 postseason wins
Zac Taylor 2023: 9 wins despite losing Burrow half the season
Zac Taylor 2024: Started 1-4. If he can turn this into a playoff appearance, it will be impressive.
Sorry for Party Rocking!
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(04-14-2023, 05:00 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I'm a little less worried about Kincaid since he's already been cleared prior to Draft Day and the Bengals can have a visit with him.
The ones that suck are the ones where the player basically needs all offseason (and even into the season) to recover.
That severely impacts their ability to get familiar with the playbook and get in football shape.
Yes and we have seen our fair share of that crap as you noted.
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Duke and Zac work very well together. Zac has gained Duke’s trust with his formula of drafting team captains and veterans that are hard workers that love ball. Zac also wanted players from successful college programs and captains. Why because the groom you and you don’t start at top programs by not working at a high level. Duke has gained Zac’s trust as he’s hit on those guys. Zac got his coaches involved in the process more than most teams. He wanted them to have ownership.
Romo “ so impressed with Zac ...1 of the best in the NFL… they are just fundamentally sound. Taylor the best winning % in the Playoffs of current coaches. Joe Burrow” Zac is the best head coach in the NFL & that gives me a lot of confidence." Taylor led the Bengals to their first playoff win since 1990, ending the longest active drought in the four major North American sports, en and appeared in Super Bowl LVI, the first since 1988.
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(04-14-2023, 02:38 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: How times have changed. I remember just a few years ago when tons of fans were calling for Duke's head.
I mean he and his staff were definitely part of the problem. Their choice of certain contracts, what type of player to bring in, and poor draft picks were all a big part of the woes post 2015. People can grow and do better, which they have been, but that doesn't change the past. Sounds like both sentiments are probably true.
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Something which has to happen some day is an ESPN segment during the draft involving Tobin and Kiper. A little tongue in cheek where Kiper questions the Bengals first selection and Tobin, being interviewed by Chris Mortenson, does the "Who the h..l is Mel Kiper?" routine.
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That guy was the QB coach and offensive coordinator my first few years at MU.
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One thing Duke can never deny was the year they came in dead last in the league he stepped in poop and came out smelling like fresh baked bread..
In the immortal words of my old man, "Wait'll you get to be my age!"
Chicago sounds rough to the maker of verse, but the one comfort we have is Cincinnati sounds worse. ~Oliver Wendal Holmes Sr.
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I heard Duke was going to be much lower on this list but the Drew Sample signing yesterday shot him up the board just in time
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Jerry Jones at 10. The list is basically a team rankings list.
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