***NFL Free Agency News & Signings Thread***

[phil413]

Totally absurd. Man was 9th in the MVP vote a year ago and ran for 1000 plus. Even if they decline the 5th yr 25M option they can tag him if he has a breakout year. That's a steakagain at QB after getting I'm sure a miffed Russell for a million. They both may flop but wow those are some creative moves.

[Joelist]

Fields isn't going to get his option picked up. You need to grasp just how bad a QB he is. Zero touch on passes and bails from the pocket constantly with open targets. Stealers are just taking a flyer that they can coach him into a workable QB.

[Bengalstripes9]

(03-16-2024, 08:02 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: Fields scares me. Not sure they get him unlocked. But he's one of those players that if the right offensive mind gets with him he can be very dangerous. The Steelers were in QB purgatory and now they have a very fresh start. I'm a fan of Fields from a fantasy perspective but I really hope this doesn't work out. The Bengals have to join the present of the NFL and start committing to pushing the limits every year. Not sure that will happen anytime soon but we may fall back to not being competitive enough in the North.

Fields doesn't scare me.

Fields is one of those QBs that is dynamic against mid defenses or worse.

Against good defenses he crumbles.

I don't think he's smart enough to be a top 10 QB in the league.
He's similar to Kyler Murray but different.

Russ has proven he can be good against good defenses and win close games.
He scares me more.

[NATI BENGALS]

(03-16-2024, 07:59 PM)Bengalstripes9 Wrote: I don't think the oline is that bad. 

LG could be better, but I would say we're about average there.
LT, C, and RG are pretty good.

RT was our biggest weakness last year. 
I don't think we got that much worse.
Jonah's rating was not good.
I'm guessing after the draft we'll be as good as we were last year.
Depending on who we pick at tackle, we could be better long-term (and potentially short term as well, you never know).

I honestly don't think the guys on our roster already are that big of a dropoff from Jonah.
Carmon looked better than him in the playoffs last year at LT.

That’s what I’m saying. If we signed Becton and he actually shows some improvement and taps into the potential he has. I’ll be claiming Bengals have one of the best OLs in the league.

I prefer Becton to one of the rookies because he has had 4 years of figuring out how to play in the NFL. He won’t be much older than a rookie. And he still has massive potential. And we won’t have to burn a high draft pick to find out if we can get solid play from him.

[*pally*]

Russell Wilson just signed a one-year deal for the $1.21M minimum.

Justin Fields is due $3,233,448 and the #Steelers will now have the rights to his fifth-year option.

Pittsburgh’s QB depth chart is under contract for under $4.5M total. https://t.co/ym2zUoOfST

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 16, 2024

[NUGDUKWE]

(03-16-2024, 07:59 PM)Bengalstripes9 Wrote: I don't think the oline is that bad. 

LG could be better, but I would say we're about average there.
LT, C, and RG are pretty good.

RT was our biggest weakness last year. 
I don't think we got that much worse.
Jonah's rating was not good.
I'm guessing after the draft we'll be as good as we were last year.
Depending on who we pick at tackle, we could be better long-term (and potentially short term as well, you never know).

I honestly don't think the guys on our roster already are that big of a dropoff from Jonah.
Carmon looked better than him in the playoffs last year at LT.

This is part of the problem for me. All the people that cover the Bengals say we could get better at LG. But the Bengals just seem to be okay with mediocre. All the metrics I've seen point to Volson being the guy he his now and not really improving. I think waiting to address tackle is risky enough but aren't Karras and Cappa free agents next year? We need to be adding talent/depth elsewhere in the line as well. Maybe they shock me but I seriously doubt we spend a day 2 pick on OL if we go there in the 1st.

[SunsetBengal]

(03-16-2024, 08:05 PM)Joelist Wrote: Fields isn't going to get his option picked up. You need to grasp just how bad a QB he is. Zero touch on passes and bails from the pocket constantly with open targets. Stealers are just taking a flyer that they can coach him into a workable QB.

Fields is there to backup Wilson.  They wanted another QB who can move on his feet to backup their newly acquired QB who also likes to move on his feet.

[NATI BENGALS]

(03-16-2024, 08:04 PM)phil413 Wrote: Totally absurd. Man was 9th in the MVP vote a year ago and ran for 1000 plus. Even if they decline the 5th yr 25M option they can tag him if he has a breakout year. That's a steakagain at QB after getting I'm sure a miffed Russell for a million. They both may flop but wow those are some creative moves.

At least it’s not a major adjustment compared to other QBs in the division we have to defend. All those speedy DBs will come in handy.

[pulses]

(03-16-2024, 08:09 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: This is part of the problem for me. All the people that cover the Bengals say we could get better at LG. But the Bengals just seem to be okay with mediocre. All the metrics I've seen point to Volson being the guy he his now and not really improving. I think waiting to address tackle is risky enough but aren't Karras and Cappa free agents next year? We need to be adding talent/depth elsewhere in the line as well. Maybe they shock me but I seriously doubt we spend a day 2 pick on OL if we go there in the 1st.

Karras is 2024 and Cappa in 2025....we need to be drafting their replacements ahead of time.....thats why a guy like JPJ would be good to get this year...and a RT.

[SunsetBengal]

(03-16-2024, 08:11 PM)pulses Wrote: Karras is 2024 and Cappa in 2025....we need to be drafting their replacements ahead of time.....thats why a guy like JPJ would be good to get this year...and a RT.

Or, if you don't want the short armed guy at C, you could take Graham Barton and plug him in.

[NUGDUKWE]

(03-16-2024, 08:06 PM)Bengalstripes9 Wrote: Fields doesn't scare me.

Fields is one of those QBs that is dynamic against mid defenses or worse.

Against good defenses he crumbles.

I don't think he's smart enough to be a top 10 QB in the league.
He's similar to Kyler Murray but different.

Russ has proven he can be good against good defenses and win close games.
He scares me more.

Well he certainly scares me a heck of alot more than Pickett or Wilson at this point in his career. I haven't watched a ton of Fields but he can make the throws and he is a dynamic runner. If they can figure out the right formula then it could be explosive. Maybe it's not likely to happen but our luck it will.

[Bengalstripes9]

(03-16-2024, 08:09 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: This is part of the problem for me. All the people that cover the Bengals say we could get better at LG. But the Bengals just seem to be okay with mediocre. All the metrics I've seen point to Volson being the guy he his now and not really improving. I think waiting to address tackle is risky enough but aren't Karras and Cappa free agents next year? We need to be adding talent/depth elsewhere in the line as well. Maybe they shock me but I seriously doubt we spend a day 2 pick on OL if we go there in the 1st.

I agree. They absolutely have to start hitting on olineman in the draft.

It's ridiculous. I can't even begin to count all the failed draft picks at the position in the last 15 years.

I don't know how they can go from adding players like Whit, Zeitler, etc. to guys like Ogbuei.

So many misses. It's really set the team back. And not retaining players like Whit and Zeitler put us in a position to draft Burrow/Chase.

Bengals have to hit this year on 1, maybe 2 lineman to ensure long-term success.
Its a big task but I'm glad the draft is supposedly deep this year on oline and dline.
If they fail this year it'll set us back much further than years past.

[pulses]

(03-16-2024, 08:14 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Or, if you don't want the short armed guy at C, you could take Graham Barton and plug him in.

I like Barton as well. But i wouldn't take Barton at 18

[SunsetBengal]

(03-16-2024, 08:16 PM)pulses Wrote: I like Barton as well. But i wouldn't take Barton at 18

Why does the pick have to come at #18?  They have the freedom to trade and move if they don't like what's available when their pick comes up.

[phil413]

(03-16-2024, 08:10 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: At least it’s not a major adjustment compared to other QBs in the division we have to defend. All those speedy DBs will come in handy.

Agreed, especially the versatility of ao many of them.  They'll probably add another corner with as deep as the class is.  You could see a bit more blitzing to keep them on their toes, but we still need the front 4 to be healthy.  Trey is great, Hubbard's roaming was key vs Mahomes, BJ and Rankins have good motors.  The pass sets look like a strength for this team, and they can still chase down quick qbs...yet they still have the chemistry to stay disciplined.  

[Bengalstripes9]

(03-16-2024, 08:14 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: Well he certainly scares me a heck of alot more than Pickett or Wilson at this point in his career. I haven't watched a ton of Fields but he can make the throws and he is a dynamic runner. If they can figure out the right formula then it could be explosive. Maybe it's not likely to happen but our luck it will.

I think Fields would have put up good numbers against last year's Bengals defense.

If they get the defense back to form with corner depth and defensive line depth, I think we're capable of shutting him down like any above average defense is.

Russ is more proven against good defenses. If they can protect him up front he can be very accurate with the football and moves well in the pocket.

Russ certainly makes the Steelers much better in my eyes.

Makes sense from the Steelers point of view to see what you have in both QBs this year on cheap deals. See who you want to go forward with.
Fields definitely has potential. I just don't think he's ever going to be an elite decision maker or have elite accuracy. I could be wrong though.

[Frank Booth]

Bengals are gonna have to get themselves a run stuffer in the interior of the d-line. Fields and even Wilson make pittsburgh more run heavy than before. The whole division is run heavy, so the front offce better focus on run defense from now on

[NATI BENGALS]

(03-16-2024, 08:23 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Bengals are gonna have to get themselves a run stuffer in the interior of the d-line. Fields and even Wilson make pittsburgh more run heavy than before. The whole division is run heavy, so the front offce better focus on run defense from now on

It will be hard for them to stick to the run when we are up by 14 points in the second quarter.

[Chezaugie]

(03-16-2024, 08:06 PM)Bengalstripes9 Wrote: Fields doesn't scare me.

Fields is one of those QBs that is dynamic against mid defenses or worse.

Against good defenses he crumbles.

I don't think he's smart enough to be a top 10 QB in the league.
He's similar to Kyler Murray but different.

Russ has proven he can be good against good defenses and win close games.
He scares me more.

Well, be afraid. As you said, "Fields is one of those QBs that is dynamic against mid defenses or worse" Well, in 2023 the Bengals were 31 out if 32 in defensive rankings (embarrassingly. only ahead of Washington). Using your argument, he would flourish against a 2023 Bengal defense. And, I won't even go into the historical backup QB success rate against the Bengals. Fields is a tremendous back QB.

[Joelist]

Lest we forget the other AFC North teams have turnover too.

So far the Rats have lost 3 starting O linemen and on defense Stone, Queen and Clowney so far. Henry is the only add of note.

Stains added a head case in Jeudy and some smaller fish and that is pretty much it.

Steelers redid the QB room and added Queen. They lost Diontae Johnson too.

We lost Reader, Williams, Mixon, Boyd and Awuzie and added Stone, Moss, Rankins, Bell, Gesicki so far.

Everyone we added is an upgrade to their position group (3T, Safety, TE/Slot, RB) but we do have a pair of gaps at RT and NT.

So the whole division is experiencing turnover and wait till the draft, there will be more. So far I think we're doing pretty well - I'm not going to freak out because of a lack of immediate news.