Bengals draft priorities heading into NFL Combine.

[SunsetBengal]

(02-28-2024, 01:21 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Yep. That’s why he dropped to the 3rd round or whatever

There were also these other concerns.


Only one season of production
Doesn't have blazing speed
Not a tremendously explosive athlete
Doesn't come out of his breaks all that well

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-28-2024, 10:55 AM)Synric Wrote: The path for guys like Ja'Tavion Sanders and Theo Johnson to have better NFL careers than Bowers is a real thing looking at TE draft history.

Eh, wasn't very impressed with Sanders when I watched him play, bad blocker. But I guess he kind of fits the Kincaid type and we 
wanted that guy last year from what I heard.

[Essex Johnson]

(02-28-2024, 09:45 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I’m sure that’s right and they will re-sign him before the draft.

I think GB and Dallas are going to go after him also.. hopefully the bengals and him can come to an agreement but in Free Agency you never know

[Essex Johnson]

(02-28-2024, 12:15 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: That's the best way to make sure you draft a bust.  I would prefer to go into the draft with no glaring holes.  We have the money to add a RT, DT and another starter if we want.

If that's the case, then you force yourself to take a guy that plays a specific position.  If sign a stud RT, do you still go OT in the draft?  

I would love for a guy to come in and take the starting job away, but I'm glad we don't have to rely on rookies like we used to.

On flip side burning $$ on FAs has not worked out always for teams either plus it can strap you down the road on signing your own drafted players to second contracts..you have to have a balance, it seems most FAs are signing for 3 years on average so we can't have a revolving door especially at a position where you need 5 starters. Cappa contract is till 2025 and Karras in 2024,Brown we do have for 3 more seasons.

I would like to lock in on a quality OT with #18 pick that will be here for 7 to 10 years... Im ok signing a buffer OT for 1 to 2 that can be a good backup if needed to fill in especially since we are very thin with depth at OT.

[Joelist]

Rds 1 and 2 should be lines, with OT and DT being priority. Corner should not be a priority.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-28-2024, 05:43 PM)Joelist Wrote: Rds 1 and 2 should be lines, with OT and DT being priority. Corner should not be a priority.

Depends on what we do in Free Agency but I agree for the most part. Corner shouldn't be a priority if we bring back Chido.

Expect major growth in Turner and Ivey this Offseason and we all know CTB has been pretty damn good so far.

[007BengalsFan]

Im not a fan of taking a TE in the 1st round. Too many good TEs have been picked after the first day. Fans clamoring for Bowers in the 1st round remind me of fans clamoring to pick Mayer in the 1st last year. It would have been a bad decision to take Mayer in the 1st last year, it would be a bad decision to take Bowers in the 1st this year. Games are won in the trenches. The first round pick needs to be offensive line or defensive line. If Tee is traded you can use that pick on a WR to take his place.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-28-2024, 08:17 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Im not a fan of taking a TE in the 1st round.  Too many good TEs have been picked after the first day.  Fans clamoring for Bowers in the 1st round remind me of fans clamoring to pick Mayer in the 1st last year.  It would have been a bad decision to take Mayer in the 1st last year, it would be a bad decision to take Bowers in the 1st this year.  Games are won in the trenches.  The first round pick needs to be offensive line or defensive line.  If Tee is traded you can use that pick on a WR to take his place.

Depends on Free Agency though, I completely agree with you if we don't pick up a DT or a RT in FA, but I am sure we will pick both up.

Bowers could really take our Offense to another level along with our OL coming along in front of a healthy Burrow. Mayer was decent as a 
rookie last year as well, just not near as good as LaPorta who was a fantastic grab by the Lions.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-28-2024, 10:49 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Just remember that 4 other TEs were drafted before Travis Kelce that year.  TE is one of those positions where the best looking ones in college aren't always big stars in the NFL.  Look at how quickly Hayden Hurst was upstaged by Mark Andrews, etc., etc...

I think that Kelce was mostly because he played for Cincinnati in the Big East, which was a basketball conference. (I think only half the teams even had a football team?) Even then he was the very first pick of the 3rd round despite having a year long suspension on his record.

There's always guys who beat the odds and became good in later rounds because there's 5 rounds of them (and a lot more picks that's increased by more once you add comp picks) compared to just the first 2 rounds, but the last 5 TEs who are leading their draft class' TEs in receiving yards....
2023: rd2 Sam LaPorta
2022: rd2 Trey McBride
2021: rd1 Kyle Pitts
2020: rd2 Cole Kmet
2019: rd1 TJ Hockenson
...generally earlier drafted guys as a whole are always better hit-rate-wise.

[BFritz21]

(02-27-2024, 09:50 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: I feel like we are going to land an impact player at 18.

The way the D struggled last year and the O kept us alive even with a backup QB. I’m leaning towards D.

We are bad at drafting OL. Even though this is supposed to be a good class. I wouldn’t mind if they recognized their weakness in drafting OL well and just filled RT with a free agent.

Is it the bad drafting or is it Pollack? 

I want an offensive lineman in one and maybe another one on the interior as early as makes sense because I'm tired of seeing Burrow get his brains beat in but we've suck money into free agents and draft picks in the past and we're still not getting it done on the line.

[pulses]

(02-29-2024, 12:13 AM)BFritz21 Wrote: Is it the bad drafting or is it Pollack? 

I want an offensive lineman in one and maybe another one on the interior as early as makes sense because I'm tired of seeing Burrow get his brains beat in but we've suck money into free agents and draft picks in the past and we're still not getting it done on the line.

People forget around here that after 2024 we're gonna have Cappa and Karras to resign or let go....and we have nobody ready to step in that's worth a damn. They need to draft OT and IOL gotta have some of these guys ready and stop being so stubborn(volson).

[phil413]

(02-29-2024, 01:15 AM)pulses Wrote: People forget around here that after 2024 we're gonna have Cappa and Karras to resign or let go....and we have nobody ready to step in that's worth a damn. They need to draft OT and IOL gotta have some of these guys ready and stop being so stubborn(volson).

Yeah, if not for Brown falling in our laps we wouldn't have a long term starter in place.  A rookie RT on the roster makes too much sense due to class depth. They said they want a long term one, but that doesn't preclude them from signing a bridge at least as you can't plan around a rookie starting. 

A solid goal is getting  the board darling Eluemunor for 2yrs, fixing the DL and getting a fringe FS and TE.  I think it's possible.  Then when the BPA is a guy like Fuaga or you deal back for Mims or Guyton you have options.  Move Eluemunor back to guard or the rookie. That gives you a legit 3rd T and competition for Volson. 

[pulses]

(02-29-2024, 04:23 AM)phil413 Wrote: Yeah, if not for Brown falling in our laps we wouldn't have a long term starter in place.  A rookie RT on the roster makes too much sense due to class depth. They said they want a long term one, but that doesn't preclude them from signing a bridge at least as you can't plan around a rookie starting. 

A solid goal is getting  the board darling Eluemunor for 2yrs, fixing the DL and getting a fringe FS and TE.  I think it's possible.  Then when the BPA is a guy like Fuaga or you deal back for Mims or Guyton you have options.  Move Eluemunor back to guard or the rookie. That gives you a legit 3rd T and competition for Volson. 

Yeah because i'm pretty sure we all know Volson isn't the answer at LG and no matter how many times you hear one of the coaches brag him up they know he isn't the answer either. I think signing someone like Geno Stone and Eluemunor at RT and then someone like Schultz at TE and then a cheap DT who can stop the run ( Bilal Nichols) don't think they'll get any of the elite DT's on the market but they might surprise us. I think we'll resign Reader on the cheap as well. I think we should cut Mixon and Scott too. This makes our draft wide open.

[Essex Johnson]

(02-28-2024, 08:17 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Im not a fan of taking a TE in the 1st round.  Too many good TEs have been picked after the first day.  Fans clamoring for Bowers in the 1st round remind me of fans clamoring to pick Mayer in the 1st last year.  It would have been a bad decision to take Mayer in the 1st last year, it would be a bad decision to take Bowers in the 1st this year.  Games are won in the trenches.  The first round pick needs to be offensive line or defensive line.  If Tee is traded you can use that pick on a WR to take his place.

Hard to judge Mayer last year with Raiders mess, but at 18 I would not take Bower either unless we go FA to shore up lines then maybe you draft him but agree if Tee gone WR is higher priority 

[Soonerpeace]

(02-28-2024, 05:26 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I think GB and Dallas are going to go after him also.. hopefully the bengals and him can come to an agreement but in Free Agency you never know

I think as long as we are reasonable with Awouzie he’ll stay. He likes it here and they love him.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-29-2024, 09:50 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I think as long as we are reasonable with Awouzie he’ll stay. He likes it here and they love him.

Sure hope so, just saw an article saying the Ratbirds are wanting to add him, F that.

Let's keep Chido and add Geno Stone, bastids.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(02-29-2024, 01:15 AM)pulses Wrote: People forget around here that after 2024 we're gonna have Cappa and Karras to resign or let go....and we have nobody ready to step in that's worth a damn. They need to draft OT and IOL gotta have some of these guys ready and stop being so stubborn(volson).

Cappa is signed thru '25 and is a FA in '26. 

It is Karras' last year..

[Essex Johnson]

(02-29-2024, 09:50 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I think as long as we are reasonable with Awouzie he’ll stay. He likes it here and they love him.

well we have said that before on players and they left, it is not just us being reasonable with him.. it is Awouzie maybe deciding to take less $$ to stay with us.. FA is a crapshoot at times

[Essex Johnson]

(02-29-2024, 09:50 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I think as long as we are reasonable with Awouzie he’ll stay. He likes it here and they love him.

well we have said that before on players and they left, it is not just us being reasonable with him.. it is Awouzie maybe deciding to take less $$ to stay with us.. FA is a crapshoot at times... also unless im wrong could not have come to a contract agreement before this point ?

[*pally*]

Brock Bowers has met with the Bengals & Raiders

— Malik Wright (@Wrightreportt) February 29, 2024