Cody Ford

[NotBigzo]

They're going to resign him and hope an offseason of knowing the G spot is his to loses leads to improvement there.

Bengals are going to give him a shot at becoming a starter and meeting a need. He's earned it.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(01-05-2025, 03:44 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: They're going to resign him and hope an offseason of knowing the G spot is his to loses leads to improvement there.

Bengals are going to give him a shot at becoming a starter and meeting a need. He's earned it.

He’s filled in admirably, and I wouldn’t mind bringing him back as a backup OT, but hell no as a potential starting guard. This is a problem among some of our fanbase whenever a guy shows even a little something. They need 2 REAL OG’s next season. Enough is enough already.

[FormerlyBengalRugby]

Love Ford as a pinch hitter in case on injury.

Not a fan of him being a starter, but I am a fan of replacing all three interior o-linemen, so we will see...

[Nicomo Cosca]

(01-05-2025, 05:35 PM)FormerlyBengalRugby Wrote: Love Ford as a pinch hitter in case on injury.

Not a fan of him being a starter, but I am a fan of replacing all three interior o-linemen, so we will see...

There’s no reason to replace Karras. He has one more year left on his deal, and he’s had the best season of his career as a pass blocker (at least per PFF).

[007BengalsFan]

(01-05-2025, 05:42 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: There’s no reason to replace Karras. He has one more year left on his deal, and he’s had the best season of his career as a pass blocker (at least per PFF).

We need to concentrate more on the 2 guard spots this next offseason and worry about replacing Karras after his contract is up. 

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-05-2025, 05:42 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: There’s no reason to replace Karras. He has one more year left on his deal, and he’s had the best season of his career as a pass blocker (at least per PFF).

Only way I want Karras starting in 2025 is if he's the LG and even then I am only so-so on it.

As per PFF if you wanna go with that route as well he's the 20th overall (below average) C because he's the 47th ranked C as a run blocker. As in there's a full set of NFL starters plus almost half a league worth of backup C who are better than him when it come to run blocking. Our center to be less soft when it comes time for 3rd and 1 so we don't have to throw deep balls or take sacks then.

I'm okay with Ford as a backup, but if he's a Week 1 starter then we learned nothing and we'll fix nothing. Earlier poster mentioned maybe he'll improve if he's guaranteed a starting role? The dude is going into his age 29 season. He is who he is.

[007BengalsFan]

I think replacing 3 interior offensive linemen in one off season is asking a lot especially when we have other positions of need to address. Karras is serviceable, Cappa and Volson are not. I would concentrate on upgrading the 2 guard positions this next offseason.

[FormerlyBengalRugby]

(01-05-2025, 05:42 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: There’s no reason to replace Karras. He has one more year left on his deal, and he’s had the best season of his career as a pass blocker (at least per PFF).

My eyeballs disagree.

I am all for looking for better in free agency and the draft, unless they believe Lee is the future and swap the two.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(01-05-2025, 06:05 PM)FormerlyBengalRugby Wrote: My eyeballs disagree.

I am all for looking for better in free agency and the draft, unless they believe Lee is the future and swap the two.

As 007 said, replacing all 3 spots in one offseason is a pretty tall task. Just being realistic. And the guards are the true problem. That Karras has even played as well as he has with absolute dogshit next to him on both sides is impressive in itself.

[Nepa]

I got such a kick out of the announcers spending so much time praising Ford that at one point they apologized, noted that his family must be delighted, and said they were going to shut up talking about him.

[Speedy Thomas]

(01-05-2025, 03:28 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: I just finished my first re-watch of the game and I will say that Ford had much less help than I remembered. I only counted twelve plays where he had blocking help. He definitely took some lumps but it was an impressive showing. Here are some notes I took on this specific match-up. Useful for the thread.

1. Ford had some really impressive reps against Watt. For example, early in the first, Watt faked outside and tried cut underneath Ford and he maintained his base really well and was able to neutralize him immediately. 
2.  The first Burrow fumble was a ford mistake. He should have squeezed down and blocked Queen since Queen had the more direct line to Burrow. However, he opted to block Watt and got whipped. If Queen didn't get there, Watt would have. 
3. Watt beat Ford bad enough to force Burrow to step up in the pocket. Not a bad rep for Cody but he got beat. Even worse rep for Volson, though. He was manhandled on this rep and his guy easily cleaned up for the sack. 
4. Watt recorded a sack fumble in the second quarter but it was nullified due to defensive holding. Ford was dominated on this rep. Watt was able to get the edge and dip around him.
5. Watt beat Ford badly again right before halftime. He was able to get the edge and froced Burrow to step up and quickly dump it off to Herbert. Herbert dropped it, but it would have been a loss of three. 
6. In the first half, Ford did a great job of preventing Watt from getting his hands inside and bullying him backwards. He handled the exchanges on stunts well but has struggled quite a bit when Watt utilizes his speed rush to get the edge. It's TJ Watt, though. I'm giving Ford some credit here. He lost some reps but has done a fine job.
7. Starting out the second half, Watt tries to get the edge again and Ford handles it beautifully. Burrow steps up but was never in trouble. This was an awesome snap by Ford. 
8. Just a note that when Watt goes out and Smith comes in, Ford dominates him. He's won every single rep that I have seen. 
9. Ford loses a rep with Watt going inside and Burrow escapes the pocket. This is his first snap back from injury. 
10. Another attempt by Watt to get the outside edge and Ford shuts him down completely. 
    

That's most of what I have got. Watt was completely irrelevant in the run game but this is partially due to the gameplan by Cincinnati, I think. They never really ran at him or to the edges much. If they did run to the edge, it was opposite his side. Watt won some reps and had impact but his biggest win was nullified by penalty. Ford probably saw Watt on somewhere between 30-35 of his snaps and had help on twelve of those. He gave up some pressures and a couple QB hits by my eyes (though probably not fitting the official definition) but that's it. If that is the performance you get from your back-up utility lineman then that is a victory IMO. Impressive game. 

Thanks Goose for the great breakdown and for addressing the original post, which was not to speculate on the future of the guard position, but to point out that he did a hell of a job last night and really all year.  

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-05-2025, 05:51 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Only way I want Karras starting in 2025 is if he's the LG and even then I am only so-so on it.

As per PFF if you wanna go with that route as well he's the 20th overall (below average) C because he's the 47th ranked C as a run blocker. As in there's a full set of NFL starters plus almost half a league worth of backup C who are better than him when it come to run blocking. Our center to be less soft when it comes time for 3rd and 1 so we don't have to throw deep balls or take sacks then.

I'm okay with Ford as a backup, but if he's a Week 1 starter then we learned nothing and we'll fix nothing. Earlier poster mentioned maybe he'll improve if he's guaranteed a starting role? The dude is going into his age 29 season. He is who he is.

Actually, if you set it to 50% snaps and take out all the guys that played single-digit games, he's 13th in overall grade, 27th in run blocking and 3rd in pass pro. (T) 3rd in sacks given up with 2 and 13th in pressures with 23. 

29 centers qualify with a 50% snap rate. 

If they Bengals are going to be cheapasses with the IOL again (as usual), i'd prefer he move to G and put Lee at C while picking up a good G in FA. Pretty fat chance of that happening though. At least there's less chance of Karras getting pushed around like a fat, useless sack of potatoes like Volson has been. 

PS - Karras has taken the 2nd most snaps by a center this year. 

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(01-05-2025, 01:11 PM)sandwedge Wrote: Anyone else see a replay of Ford blocking an inside defender and the guy kind of piled on his ankle after the play? Ford just gave the guy a death stare.

Yep, and it was Larry Ogunjobi

[The D.O.Z.]

I wouldn’t mind bringing Ford back to play back up T. He’s serviceable there. But I don’t want him penciled in to even compete at G. I want both G positions filled with viable talent in FA and an early pick. Where we currently pick is the perfect spot for a top G or C, in my opinion. Go after Daniels or Becton in FA and play them next to Mims for the next 2-3 years.

[Sled21]

(01-05-2025, 03:28 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: I just finished my first re-watch of the game and I will say that Ford had much less help than I remembered. I only counted twelve plays where he had blocking help. He definitely took some lumps but it was an impressive showing. Here are some notes I took on this specific match-up. Useful for the thread.

1. Ford had some really impressive reps against Watt. For example, early in the first, Watt faked outside and tried cut underneath Ford and he maintained his base really well and was able to neutralize him immediately. 
2.  The first Burrow fumble was a ford mistake. He should have squeezed down and blocked Queen since Queen had the more direct line to Burrow. However, he opted to block Watt and got whipped. If Queen didn't get there, Watt would have. 
3. Watt beat Ford bad enough to force Burrow to step up in the pocket. Not a bad rep for Cody but he got beat. Even worse rep for Volson, though. He was manhandled on this rep and his guy easily cleaned up for the sack. 
4. Watt recorded a sack fumble in the second quarter but it was nullified due to defensive holding. Ford was dominated on this rep. Watt was able to get the edge and dip around him.
5. Watt beat Ford badly again right before halftime. He was able to get the edge and froced Burrow to step up and quickly dump it off to Herbert. Herbert dropped it, but it would have been a loss of three. 
6. In the first half, Ford did a great job of preventing Watt from getting his hands inside and bullying him backwards. He handled the exchanges on stunts well but has struggled quite a bit when Watt utilizes his speed rush to get the edge. It's TJ Watt, though. I'm giving Ford some credit here. He lost some reps but has done a fine job.
7. Starting out the second half, Watt tries to get the edge again and Ford handles it beautifully. Burrow steps up but was never in trouble. This was an awesome snap by Ford. 
8. Just a note that when Watt goes out and Smith comes in, Ford dominates him. He's won every single rep that I have seen. 
9. Ford loses a rep with Watt going inside and Burrow escapes the pocket. This is his first snap back from injury. 
10. Another attempt by Watt to get the outside edge and Ford shuts him down completely. 
    

That's most of what I have got. Watt was completely irrelevant in the run game but this is partially due to the gameplan by Cincinnati, I think. They never really ran at him or to the edges much. If they did run to the edge, it was opposite his side. Watt won some reps and had impact but his biggest win was nullified by penalty. Ford probably saw Watt on somewhere between 30-35 of his snaps and had help on twelve of those. He gave up some pressures and a couple QB hits by my eyes (though probably not fitting the official definition) but that's it. If that is the performance you get from your back-up utility lineman then that is a victory IMO. Impressive game. 

I remember watching that and the announcer saying Ford should have taken Queen (the inside man) I'm going to say Ford did the correct thing here and I'm glad he did. While Queen had the more direct route, one of them was going to hit Burrow regardless. I trust Burrow's LSU teammate to sack him clean and not purposely try to injure him more than that scum Twatt, who would be trying as hard as he could to injure him. I'd personally rather Queen get him 3 times rather than Twatt putting his hands on him once. 

[Boomer Anderson]

Is Lee a viable candidate for Center, with Karras moving to Guard? Any updates on him and his progress?

I believe that Kirkland would have played some this year at G had he not gotten injured.

Regarding, Cody Ford, the dude is a valuable swiss army knife of a lineman with a team minded attitude. I really hope we re-sign him.