YOU are the interviewer

[SunsetBengal]

(01-14-2025, 06:05 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Yes the DC should be a 4-3 guy as that is our personnel.

Well said, I think bringing back Mike Hilton and BJ Hill is essential as there are no players that will be cheaper that would be an upgrade at 
this point in this FA. Now with the wastes in roster spots in Rankins and Stone, those are easy cuts, maybe Cappa as well and that will free 
up a lot of dough which we will need anyways for others as well as the Chase and Trey extensions. I know you are not for bringing back Tee, 
but I think that it will happen through a Burrow restructure of some sort.

Have to cut Hubbard's contract and if we bring him back cheaper as a backup, so be it. Honestly, this isn't that bad of a roster as long as we
make some nice moves and have a good Draft. Like Rex Ryan said, whoever we bring in should be chomping at the bit. With Burrow, Chase
and Trey we have 3 of the best players in the NFL to build around for another SB run.

We're going to find out soon weather Geno Stone was really Lou's guy or Duke's guy. For most of the season he did very little in terms of positive production, then all of a sudden after some things were allegedly "simplified", he starts making plays? Seems to me if he were really Lou's guy, Lou would have looked into and solved the issue sooner. They'll have to review the game footage and see if Stone was really playing better or just benefitted by happening to be in the right place at right time.

Upgrades are out there, it's just a matter of if the management is willing to drop Stone and spend a little extra for quality.

[*bengalfan74*]

(01-15-2025, 08:50 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: We're going to find out soon weather Geno Stone was really Lou's guy or Duke's guy. For most of the season he did very little in terms of positive production, then all of a sudden after some things were allegedly "simplified", he starts making plays? Seems to me if he were really Lou's guy, Lou would have looked into and solved the issue sooner. They'll have to review the game footage and see if Stone was really playing better or just benefitted by happening to be in the right place at right time.

Upgrades are out there, it's just a matter of if the management is willing to drop Stone and spend a little extra for quality.

Stone is one that I'm very leery of. He was basically non-existent the first 12 games of the season. His 4 int's on the year were against bad QB's/offenses - Cleveland x2, Tenn, and Dallas. And he sits very solidly in the land of I'm not buying he just morphed into a quality player the last 5 games. His PFF grade in passer rating allowed is 94.2 and puts him 83rd place.

He's one, like you say, I wouldn't be at all upset if they cut and found an upgrade. Which probably wouldn't be hard to do.

[*ochocincos*]

(01-15-2025, 08:50 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: We're going to find out soon weather Geno Stone was really Lou's guy or Duke's guy. For most of the season he did very little in terms of positive production, then all of a sudden after some things were allegedly "simplified", he starts making plays? Seems to me if he were really Lou's guy, Lou would have looked into and solved the issue sooner. They'll have to review the game footage and see if Stone was really playing better or just benefitted by happening to be in the right place at right time.

Upgrades are out there, it's just a matter of if the management is willing to drop Stone and spend a little extra for quality.

Unfortunately Stone, and the rest of the team, will have to learn some new concepts, so we very well could see a learning curve again to start the year.
With that said, I'd love it if it really was just Stone needing some time to learn a playbook and not his limitations that were holding him back the first 3 months of the year.
That could help reduce the immediate starter need at FS for 2025.
However, Stone is entering the final year under contract, so I could see the Bengals investing a draft pick early at S anyway to sit behind him for a year like they did with Hill and Bates.

[SunsetBengal]

(01-15-2025, 11:18 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Unfortunately Stone, and the rest of the team, will have to learn some new concepts, so we very well could see a learning curve again to start the year.
With that said, I'd love it if it really was just Stone needing some time to learn a playbook and not his limitations that were holding him back the first 3 months of the year.
That could help reduce the immediate starter need at FS for 2025.
However, Stone is entering the final year under contract, so I could see the Bengals investing a draft pick early at S anyway to sit behind him for a year like they did with Hill and Bates.

Yeah, because that worked out so well?? I guess they may never learn.

[Speedy Thomas]

Great thread, and for the most part well thought-out replies. Here are my questions:

1. Provide an overview of the system you would implement. What makes it better than the previous defensive system?
2. What are you looking for in a player? If you were making all personnel decisions, who from the current roster would you keep? Realistically, who would you want to bring in (free agency and draft)? What would be the strengths, and relative weaknesses, of your roster?
3. What are you looking for in your defensive assistant coaches? Who would you want?
4. What about being the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals appeals to you? What are your concerns?
5. How can YOU take us to where we haven't been able to get to without YOU?

[*ochocincos*]

(01-15-2025, 11:30 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yeah, because that worked out so well?? I guess they may never learn.

Actually I never really thought about it until you mention this, but I can't think of a recent draft pick (past 3 years) who came out really impressing after they sat the majority of their rookie year.
Mims has been about the best of recent draft picks and he got thrust into his heavy snaps role after just what, the 2nd game of the season?

I know the Bengals have liked to draft guys who have a veteran in front of them on their final year under contract, but I can't help but think if they really want to get a boost for the upcoming season, it needs to be a guy who has more opportunity to get significant snaps their rookie year.

Here are the guys who are in their final year under contract:
- Geno Stone (FS)
- Trey Hendrickson (DE)
- Sam Hubbard (DE)
- Sheldon Rankins (DT)
- Alex Cappa (RG)
- Cordell Volson (LG)
- Ted Karras ©
- Germaine Pratt (LB)
- CTB (CB)
- Hill (CB) *If team doesn't pick up his 5th year option

And here are the spots with a starter position open right now (impending FA):
- WR2 (Higgins)
- TE (Gesicki)
- DT (Hill)
- SCB (Hilton)

I would assume Kris Jenkins takes one of the starting DT spots and DJ Turner takes the 3rd CB spot, but maybe not.

I also will assume based on previous years that the Bengals will fill the above immediate openings with FAs if they don't have confidence in the current depth to take over, and then the early draft picks will be brought in for the guys who are entering contract years.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(01-15-2025, 08:50 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: We're going to find out soon weather Geno Stone was really Lou's guy or Duke's guy. For most of the season he did very little in terms of positive production, then all of a sudden after some things were allegedly "simplified", he starts making plays? Seems to me if he were really Lou's guy, Lou would have looked into and solved the issue sooner. They'll have to review the game footage and see if Stone was really playing better or just benefitted by happening to be in the right place at right time.

Upgrades are out there, it's just a matter of if the management is willing to drop Stone and spend a little extra for quality.

No doubt, still in the end the new DC should have final say about the players on his Defense.

Duke screwed up if Stone was his guy, same with Rankins. Lou screwed up in not getting these guys up to par with what they previously shown.

Rankins was the biggest surprise honestly, he was actually decent during his NFL career. Never would of thought he would of offered NOTHING 
for us, not even a better inside pass rush. Sadly, looking back at Geno Stone's Ravens year and once he started getting interceptions for us it was
him being in the right place at the right time more than anything he did individually through instincts and such.

Geno Stone has good hands, that is about all I can say for him.

(01-15-2025, 10:44 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Stone is one that I'm very leery of. He was basically non-existent the first 12 games of the season. His 4 int's on the year were against bad QB's/offenses - Cleveland x2, Tenn, and Dallas. And he sits very solidly in the land of I'm not buying he just morphed into a quality player the last 5 games. His PFF grade in passer rating allowed is 94.2 and puts him 83rd place.

He's one, like you say, I wouldn't be at all upset if they cut and found an upgrade. Which probably wouldn't be hard to do.

Truth, Stone was bad barring interceptions that were right to him. We can easily find a better Free Safety. I like Battle at Strong, should of never 
been benched for Bell, I don't care if he was a bit overweight in the Offseason, he was the better player and did nothing wrong to get benched as
a rookie. Battle played great for a rookie for heck sake and never was the problem.

[SunsetBengal]

(01-15-2025, 03:11 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Rankins was the biggest surprise honestly, he was actually decent during his NFL career. Never would of thought he would of offered NOTHING 
for us, not even a better inside pass rush. Sadly, looking back at Geno Stone's Ravens year and once he started getting interceptions for us it was
him being in the right place at the right time more than anything he did individually through instincts and such.

Meh, Rankins had always been a middling sort of player in his career. He had one year where he had 8 sacks, and never got close again.

He was a panic signing, and we all knew it at the time, as all of the decent NTs had already been signed.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RankSh00.htm

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(01-15-2025, 03:19 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Meh, Rankins had always been a middling sort of player in his career. He had one year where he had 8 sacks, and never got close again.

He was a panic signing, and we all knew it at the time, as all of the decent NTs had already been signed.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RankSh00.htm

Still, middling is much better than nothing...