Mike Hodges LB Coach

[samhain]

(01-27-2025, 04:35 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I know it’s hard to recognize but this team could have played with half the playoff teams at the end of the season.. The roster holes are mostly the secondary. Rankins was a bust. The front office should have signed Chase for a lot cheaper and maybe Tee as well. They need to hit on first rounders. Look at the Ravens first rounders…. Zay Flowers, Kyle Hamilton , Tyler Linderbaum, Rashod Bateman, Patrick McQueen, Nate Wiggins. They’ve also missed recently in FA. Geno Stone Irv Smith Sheldon Rankin Nick Scott.

The new coaches outside Peters don’t excite me but yet I’m cautiously optimistic. I would rather had Eberflus as DC. Really this team needs better players more than coaches. They need to do better in the draft and free agency.

Philly was the team that really beat the brakes off of this them.  It was the only game that made me think they were overmatched.  I feel like they'd have no problem doing it again.  Any team with o-line/d-line horses like they have plus a stud rb is going to be tough.  They are imposing their will on people right now.  

It will be interesting to see how Spagnuolo deploys his "genius" blitzes against a team that can and (this is the key) actually wants to run it down the defense's throat.

[pulses]

(01-27-2025, 02:37 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: That is encouraging to learn. It will be interesting to see if the team keeps Pratt on the hopes that Hodges can get him to clean up the tackling issues that plagued him, or if they go a different route and bring in some new blood?

I'm hoping for some new blood.

[Luvnit2]

(01-27-2025, 06:41 PM)pulses Wrote: I'm hoping for some new blood.

Saints are once again in cap hell. They are over 50 million over the cap. They do this every year, but with a new head coach on the horizon, I wonder if there are good players they can't sign due to cap constraints. There are also guys they may have to cut or trade. Their issue is a lot of them carry huge dead money hits. Cam Jordan only has a base salary of 12, 500 million, but he is 36 years old.

I am not sure Hodges knows any player(s) Bengals should target from Saints.

[pulses]

(01-27-2025, 06:51 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Saints are once again in cap hell. They are over 50 million over the cap. They do this every year, but with a new head coach on the horizon, I wonder if there are good players they can't sign due to cap constraints. There are also guys they may have to cut or trade. Their issue is a lot of them carry huge dead money hits. Cam Jordan only has a base salary of 12, 500 million, but he is 36 years old.

I am not sure Hodges knows any player(s) Bengals should target from Saints.

He did however coach up Zach Baun up until this year so he knows all about him !

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(01-27-2025, 06:29 PM)samhain Wrote: Philly was the team that really beat the brakes off of this team.  It was the only game that made me think they were overmatched.  I feel like they'd have no problem doing it again.  Any team with o-line/d-line horses like they have plus a stud rb is going to be tough.  They are imposing their will on people right now.  

It will be interesting to see how Spagnuolo deploys his "genius" blitzes against a team that can and (this is the key) actually wants to run it down the defense's throat.

And it was tied at 17 at the half. But yeah, that was when we were overmatched because of the distinct advantage in the trenches and 
coaching where Philly was light years ahead of us. I think the Chiefs will be in trouble with this matchup against the Eagles. James Cook
was running all over the Chiefs, the Bills just refused to keep handing him the ball which was completely idiotic and lost them the game.

The Eagles will not go away from Saquon Barkley if he is running well. The Eagles Defense should also give Mahomes a ton of trouble.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(01-27-2025, 06:51 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Saints are once again in cap hell. They are over 50 million over the cap. They do this every year, but with a new head coach on the horizon, I wonder if there are good players they can't sign due to cap constraints. There are also guys they may have to cut or trade. Their issue is a lot of them carry huge dead money hits. Cam Jordan only has a base salary of 12, 500 million, but he is 36 years old.

I am not sure Hodges knows any player(s) Bengals should target from Saints.

Will Demarrio Davis be available? Would love to trade Pratt for Davis...

(01-27-2025, 07:01 PM)pulses Wrote: He did however coach up Zach Baun up until this year so he knows all about him !

He would be expensive but Baun sure would help out our D big time.

[Soonerpeace]

(01-27-2025, 06:29 PM)samhain Wrote: Philly was the team that really beat the brakes off of this them.  It was the only game that made me think they were overmatched.  I feel like they'd have no problem doing it again.  Any team with o-line/d-line horses like they have plus a stud rb is going to be tough.  They are imposing their will on people right now.  

It will be interesting to see how Spagnuolo deploys his "genius" blitzes against a team that can and (this is the key) actually wants to run it down the defense's throat.

Definitely. The trenches particularly was a sore spot with me. My Bengals source I bitched and moaned about Pollack constantly. He’d say the players really like him and Zac. Then I spoke with him right after the blood letting and he said they’d been unhappy awhile and were looking for a better teacher and technique guy.They Loved Frank’s as a motivator. I said well you sure did keep that well.I’m beginning to think that some of these coaches that are gone were heavily in favor of some busts in FA & the draft. 

[Luvnit2]

(01-27-2025, 07:21 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Will Demarrio Davis be available? Would love to trade Pratt for Davis...


He would be expensive but Baun sure would help out our D big time.

Davis is another 36-year-old. The problem Saints have is they have a lot of dead cap space on a lot of guys. Pratt would add to their cap expense in a trade for Davis.

[pulses]

(01-27-2025, 07:21 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Will Demarrio Davis be available? Would love to trade Pratt for Davis...


He would be expensive but Baun sure would help out our D big time.

Davis is 36 and signed for this year with the saints

[bengalsboy]

(01-27-2025, 02:47 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: We have so many holes: WR2, DE2, at least 2 DT spits, both G spots, a 3rd receiving threat, slot corner plus possible upgrades at TE, both S spots, one LB spot,  and a CB1. Not to mention OL & RB depth. 

Too much for one offseason, likely. I doubt we cut Pratt & Stone for that reason. We'll hope for a bounce back. Pratt was still top 10 in the league in tackles. 

But if a guy like Starks, Walker, or Campbell falls into our lap in the draft, I think you have to take them.

The Bengals also have close to $60 million in cap space.They can pick up almost 30 million more,bey cutting Hubbard,Cappa,and Rankins.

[SunsetBengal]

(01-27-2025, 08:28 PM)bengalsboy Wrote: The Bengals also have close to $60 million in cap space.They can pick up almost 30 million more,bey cutting Hubbard,Cappa,and Rankins.

No, they don't. The two main services that track that sort of thing has them around $45-$48M of usable cap space. You must account for some automatic spending items like rookie contracts, practice squad salary, injury fund, etc. when looking at a raw cap number.

[Luvnit2]

(01-27-2025, 08:38 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: No, they don't. The two main services that track that sort of thing has them around $45-$48M of usable cap space. You must account for some automatic spending items like rookie contracts, practice squad salary, injury fund, etc. when looking at a raw cap number.

I did an updated roster cutting Rankin, Hubbard, Stone, Moss and Cappa on Spotrac and after those cuts, we only had 74.5 million in cap space. The good news for us is we have not leveraged a lot of future cap space with creative cap application.

If they were to begin using some creative cap management, they could make the 2025 cap dollars go a lot further. But the FO has been reluctant to leverage much of the future.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(01-27-2025, 08:38 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: No, they don't. The two main services that track that sort of thing has them around $45-$48M of usable cap space. You must account for some automatic spending items like rookie contracts, practice squad salary, injury fund, etc. when looking at a raw cap number.

Even starting at a $47-$49 starting point, you have 51 guys under contract. 

1) The only rookie that costs significantly more than the guy he displaces is the Rd1 pick. Say +$2 mil more.

2) The PS + the last 2 roster slots (under $1 mil each) will indeed add around $5 mil. 

So, yeah, we are in the $40-$42 mil range, not counting the padding/cushion. 

But it is pretty easy to get close to $100 mil. 

1) Cut the dead wood. Cappa nets $8 mil, Rankins $8.6, Hubbard $9.5, Volson $3.5, Moss $3.3. By my count, that is $33 mil. So we are now at $73-$75 mil. 

2) Max restructure for Burrow adds $19 mil. $91-$94 mil. 

3) Other possible cut candidates: Stone ($6.475), Pratt ($5.85), Sample ($2.75). Post June 1: OBJ ($7.26), McPherson ($2.5), Burton ($1.059). 

My point is we have LOTS more that $47 mil in cap, not less. If we choose to go that route. 

[SunsetBengal]

(Yesterday, 01:22 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Even starting at a $47-$49 starting point, you have 51 guys under contract. 

1) The only rookie that costs significantly more than the guy he displaces is the Rd1 pick. Say +$2 mil more.

2) The PS + the last 2 roster slots (under $1 mil each) will indeed add around $5 mil. 

So, yeah, we are in the $40-$42 mil range, not counting the padding/cushion. 

But it is pretty easy to get close to $100 mil. 

1) Cut the dead wood. Cappa nets $8 mil, Rankins $8.6, Hubbard $9.5, Volson $3.5, Moss $3.3. By my count, that is $33 mil. So we are now at $73-$75 mil. 

2) Max restructure for Burrow adds $19 mil. $91-$94 mil. 

3) Other possible cut candidates: Stone ($6.475), Pratt ($5.85), Sample ($2.75). Post June 1: OBJ ($7.26), McPherson ($2.5), Burton ($1.059). 

My point is we have LOTS more that $47 mil in cap, not less. If we choose to go that route. 

Most of us are completely aware of the moves that could be made to gain more cap space, but what moves do we realistically see being made?

We know that the Bengals are historically dead set against pushing money into the future, I'd be very surprised to see anything like that happen.

I think that some of those cuts are very necessary (Rankins, Hubbard, Volson, Moss, Burton), and when you look at the cost of improving over what we have on guys like Stone, Pratt, Sample, etc., I think that we're more likely to see them remain than not.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(01-27-2025, 07:44 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Davis is another 36-year-old. The problem Saints have is they have a lot of dead cap space on a lot of guys. Pratt would add to their cap expense in a trade for Davis.

Thanks. Didn't know he was that old. That is older than Bobby Wagner for heck sake.

(01-27-2025, 08:01 PM)pulses Wrote: Davis is 36 and signed for this year with the saints

Thanks as well Pulses. That is a little too old more my liking and I know too old for the Bengals liking.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(Yesterday, 01:54 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Most of us are completely aware of the moves that could be made to gain more cap space, but what moves do we realistically see being made?

We know that the Bengals are historically dead set against pushing money into the future, I'd be very surprised to see anything like that happen.

I think that some of those cuts are very necessary (Rankins, Hubbard, Volson, Moss, Burton), and when you look at the cost of improving over what we have on guys like Stone, Pratt, Sample, etc., I think that we're more likely to see them remain than not.

I hope we don't see Stone back. The only thing he brings is an interception here or there if he is in the right place at the right time as he has 
good hands for a DB. Other than that, he has bad instincts, tackles very poorly and costs too much for what he brings. You guys are correct on 
the Cap space and we don't know what we will have once we extend Ja'Marr to the biggest WR deal of all time.

[pulses]

(Yesterday, 01:54 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Most of us are completely aware of the moves that could be made to gain more cap space, but what moves do we realistically see being made?

We know that the Bengals are historically dead set against pushing money into the future, I'd be very surprised to see anything like that happen.

I think that some of those cuts are very necessary (Rankins, Hubbard, Volson, Moss, Burton), and when you look at the cost of improving over what we have on guys like Stone, Pratt, Sample, etc., I think that we're more likely to see them remain than not.

If Pratt and Stone remain better draft their replacements this year then.

[sandwedge]

Does anyone know what the problem with Rankins was or is?