Fixing the Bengals

[*psychdoctor*]

This thread is open to all Bengal fans to espouse how they would "realistically" fix the team's underperformance.  However, there are RULES:

• Team cannot relocate to another city
• Coach Taylor cannot be fired (he just signed a new contract)
• Team cannot transfer ownership
  

Defining the Problems (Areas to consider):

• Team personnel, Talent acquisition via draft or Free Agency.  
  

• Money Cap allocation
  

• Changing Coaching Staff (outside of Taylor)
  

• Player Personnel and Development Director
  

• Coaching Schemes
  

Please be respectful.

[Nicomo Cosca]

Start with hiring a real GM and go from there.

[SunsetBengal]

Hire an actual GM and allow him to do his job.

[HarleyDog]

Put Mikey in a home. Hire GM. Zac gives up play calling. Restructure coaches contracts to be performance based. New OC. Put Lou on Notice. Force Zac to wear condoms so he doesn't create any more losers.

[QueenCity]

My agenda:

Fire: HC, DC, O-Line Coach, Duke Tobin
Tank: Need a top 5 pick rounds 1-7 & Trade Tee for a 2nd or 3rd
Develop a run game. I think Burrow and Chase needs to take a "backseat" for the 2nd half of their career.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(10-28-2024, 05:00 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Put Mikey in a home. Hire GM. Zac gives up play calling. Restructure coaches contracts to be performance based. New OC. Put Lou on Notice. Force Zac to wear condoms so he doesn't create any more losers.

Shouldn’t this be the other way around? Pitcher has only had 8 games, 3 of which the offense has scored 30+ points.

Lou otoh has had 6 years, mostly consisting of bottom half of the league defenses. Should he be the one getting the axe?

[Nicomo Cosca]

(10-28-2024, 05:06 PM)QueenCity Wrote: My agenda:

Fire: HC, DC, O-Line Coach, Duke Tobin
Tank: Need a top 5 pick rounds 1-7 & Trade Tee for a 2nd or 3rd
Develop a run game. I think Burrow and Chase needs to take a "backseat" for the 2nd half of their career.

Some actual balance sure, but you aren’t paying a QB $55 million, and a WR probably damn near 40 to take a backseat.

[PCB Bengal Fan]

Hire an actual G.M.
Add 10+ scouts
Fire Lou
Zac is fired from calling plays
Fire Pollak
Let Joe call plays
If you can't cover receivers in zone, blitz every down & play man.
GTFO of shotgun for crying out loud, I want NFL football not college RPO every play. If I want to watch college I'll watch the Buckeyes (way less stressful).

[BurrowTheGoat]

(10-28-2024, 05:06 PM)QueenCity Wrote: My agenda:

Fire: HC, DC, O-Line Coach, Duke Tobin
Tank: Need a top 5 pick rounds 1-7 & Trade Tee for a 2nd or 3rd
Develop a run game. I think Burrow and Chase needs to take a "backseat" for the 2nd half of their career.

Your way to "fix" the Bengals is to make our elite QB and WR "take a back seat?"  

[QueenCity]

(10-28-2024, 05:11 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Some actual balance sure, but you aren’t paying a QB $55 million, and a WR probably damn near 40 to take a backseat.

I should of clarified better I saw that coming. I recon the quotations didn't translate like it did in my mind.

Absolutely the offense needs balance and ideally I think Burrow needs a run 1st offense under center. If they can replicate the scheme from the 49ers game from last season that would be ideal.

Doesn't mean Burrow or Chase doesn't eat but I think it will help move the ball. Too many 3 and outs for such a talented offense is asinine. 

[*bfine32*]

Require Higgins to go to a masseuse. (Don't take Watson w/ him)

Fire Lou and Pollack

[TecmoBengals]

(10-28-2024, 04:42 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Start with hiring a real GM and go from there.

Sums up any contribution I could make to this thread. I also offer it should be priority #1 for Bengals ownership. Also, don't attach any restrictions to the GM when GM'ing such as "You have to keep Coach Simmons." 

[BengalsLUFC]

Fire Tobin
Fire Lou
Fire Pollack
Fire Simmonds
Expand the scouting department 10 fold

Sign a proper CB1 in FA to take the heat off CTB

Cut Hubbard and Rankins let Ossai walk

Give BJ a new deal 1 or 2 years.

Trey gets paid fair value on an extension.

Dax gets a 1 year prove it deal.

Cut Pratt and let Vonn walk

New long snapper.

Volson rides the line as a back up or is released.

Matt Lee becomes new starting C Ted gets a year at LG

Cut Cappa.

Chase gets his deal you try working something out with Tee given injury history that’s fair for both if not tag and trade.

Pitcher becomes new play caller non negotiable.

Irwin, T Williams GONE.

So many holes to fill the FO is going to have to work overtime to turn around the shit show that they created.

[GodFather]

(10-28-2024, 05:00 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Put Mikey in a home. Hire GM. Zac gives up play calling. Restructure coaches contracts to be performance based. New OC. Put Lou on Notice. Force Zac to wear condoms so he doesn't create any more losers.

Funniest thing Ive read here in a long time.. hilarious 

[R3stangs]

-Something has to change with player evaluation and/or player development. We simply miss too much in the draft for it to be all one or the other. Either we draft the wrong guys or our coaching staff can't develop them. I think its both.
-Hire some real proven OC/DC and make Taylor stop calling the offense.
-Once this is done focus on both the lines now that you have new talent and proper development.
-Change the culture of this team permanently. i thought maybe they had but this season has been a real wakeup call. This is still the same old Bengals just riding 3-5 ultra talented players as far as they can. The rest of the team is just there filling space most of the time.

[Nicomo Cosca]

Fire Hobby. Missing on both Murphy and Ossai has been a disaster. Not to mention whatever the hell Zach Carter was.

[HarleyDog]

(10-28-2024, 05:07 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Shouldn’t this be the other way around? Pitcher has only had 8 games, 3 of which the offense has scored 30+ points.

Lou otoh has had 6 years, mostly consisting of bottom half of the league defenses. Should he be the one getting the axe?

I was trying to abide by the rules of the thread.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(10-28-2024, 05:30 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I was trying to abide by the rules of the thread.

There’s nothing in his rules about coordinators.

[George Cantstandya]

Bring back the cart.

[*ochocincos*]

In order of priority...

1) Find a better DL coach than Marion Hobby and/or alter the defensive scheme to cater more to the DL's strengths. The dudes they got are not producing and none of the DL draft picks in the Taylor era really haven't since they were added.

2) Let Higgins walk and sign Chase to a big extension. Bengals should not pay $50+ mill APY for two WRs.

3) Get a more budget-friendly WR who can replace Higgins. I prefer to look at FA for someone who has proven to get 700-800 yards that will cost under $15 mill APY, but I'd also be somewhat ok taking a WR in Rd 1 or Rd 2 if not finding a good option in FA.
(Yes, I do realize a WR who averages 700-800 yards a year is lower than Higgins' 1000 average. However, you pay a premium for a guy like that and other guys should be able to step up if WR2 isn't quite as productive as Higgins)

4) See if a better OL coach can be found and/or alter the offensive scheme to cater more to the offense's strengths.

5) Plan to get 1-2 new OL and 1-2 new DL in the draft and/or FA who can make an impact within a year, two at most.

6) Personally, I'd put more emphasis on the running game and get a true upgrade to Zack Moss in the draft if there's a stud available. RB seems to be where a lot of teams can get pretty quick contributions from a draft pick for 3-5 years and then rinse and repeat in the draft if not able or willing to pay for a vet RB.

7) If the above needs are met such that the draft would allow, I'd love to see more of a pass-catching TE taken early in the 2025 draft to pair with All, Sample, and McLachlan (although I'd like to see McLachlan get some snaps this year too). I personally like Colston Loveland, Harold Fannin, Tyler Warren, or Luke Lachey.