We’re gonna start Maema Njomgmeta aren’t we?

[Housh]

….Seems pretty Bengals to me.


Sad thing is i feel bad because i actually think he’s ready to start.

But going into the offseason planning on starting him is wild. Sign a vet and force Maema to beat him out at least.

[SunsetBengal]

He'd be fine in the middle on true 3LB sets. But why are we even talking about this right now? I know that Pratt has requested a trade, but no actions have resulted at this point.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-15-2025, 04:30 PM)Housh Wrote: ….Seems pretty Bengals to me.


Sad thing is i feel bad because i actually think he’s ready to start.

But going into the offseason planning on starting him is wild. Sign a vet and force Maema to beat him out at least.

Doubt it. If we are talking about a LB on the roster starting in Pratt's place it would be Logan, ADG or even Shaka Heyward who looked like a 
stud late last season over Meta. Plus I bet we add a LB in FA or in the Draft or both if we trade Pratt. Meta is a run stopper only.

[SunsetBengal]

(02-15-2025, 05:42 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Doubt it. If we are talking about a LB on the roster starting in Pratt's place it would be Logan, ADG or even Shaka Heyward who looked like a 
stud late last season over Meta. Plus I bet we add a LB in FA or in the Draft or both if we trade Pratt. Meta is a run stopper only.

I'm not so sure about that, Nate. Wilson is the WLB, and our best coverage back. Now Heyward might get the nod over Njongmeta for the MLB role, but I highly doubt that they would put Wilson out of position without a better option to take over at WLB.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-15-2025, 07:02 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I'm not so sure about that, Nate. Wilson is the WLB, and our best coverage back. Now Heyward might get the nod over Njongmeta for the MLB role, but I highly doubt that they would put Wilson out of position without a better option to take over at WLB.

Just saying Logan can play MIKE or WILL. Heyward looked like our best LB late last year and I am not kidding. He looked great.

Have to keep Shaka in consideration to compete with whoever we bring in. Meta doesn't have the ability to cover like Shaka does.

At least ADG has shown he can cover in his career unlike Meta even if he was bad late last season.

I would think Meta would be the backup MIKE to Pratt only as a run stopper.

[SunsetBengal]

(02-15-2025, 07:30 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Just saying Logan can play MIKE or WILL. Heyward looked like our best LB late last year and I am not kidding. He looked great.

Have to keep Shaka in consideration to compete with whoever we bring in. Meta doesn't have the ability to cover like Shaka does.

At least ADG has shown he can cover in his career unlike Meta even if he was bad late last season.

I would think Meta would be the backup MIKE to Pratt only as a run stopper.

I'd be perfectly fine with Shaka rising up and claiming a spot, I mean he's got great bloodlines. And late last season the Bengals needed players the most, since he stepped up, he should definitely have a strong eye on him heading into 2025. On another note, what you say could be part of a reason that Pratt asked for a trade?

[pulses]

(02-15-2025, 05:42 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Doubt it. If we are talking about a LB on the roster starting in Pratt's place it would be Logan, ADG or even Shaka Heyward who looked like a 
stud late last season over Meta. Plus I bet we add a LB in FA or in the Draft or both if we trade Pratt. Meta is a run stopper only.

Jay Higgins LB Iowa in the mid rounds one of the best coverage LB's in the draft.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-15-2025, 07:52 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I'd be perfectly fine with Shaka rising up and claiming a spot, I mean he's got great bloodlines. And late last season the Bengals needed players the most, since he stepped up, he should definitely have a strong eye on him heading into 2025. On another note, what you say could be part of a reason that Pratt asked for a trade?

Shaka was impressive man, I was always intrigued by his bloodlines myself and he was solid to good in preseason but he shown he could 
play with starters and make plays late last season. Time and time again, I was like, damn that Shaka might be a player, late last year.

On Pratt, I think he must of been told he was going to go back to being a 2 down LB at most under Golden and Hodges maybe even take a 
pay cut.

Social Media is everywhere so I doubt it was that.

(02-15-2025, 08:17 PM)pulses Wrote: Jay Higgins LB Iowa in the mid rounds one of the best coverage LB's in the draft.

Nice, I like that Higgins too lol 

Get the Iowa State Higgins the WR and Iowa LB and we might be upgraded for cheap for all we know...

[pulses]

(02-15-2025, 09:42 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Shaka was impressive man, I was always intrigued by his bloodlines myself and he was solid to good in preseason but he shown he could 
play with starters and make plays late last season. Time and time again, I was like, damn that Shaka might be a player, late last year.

On Pratt, I think he must of been told he was going to go back to being a 2 down LB at most under Golden and Hodges maybe even take a 
pay cut.

Social Media is everywhere so I doubt it was that.


Nice, I like that Higgins too lol 

Get the Iowa State Higgins the WR and Iowa LB and we might be upgraded for cheap for all we know...

Here is Jay Higgins PFF from this past year.

https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/Jay-Higgins/129469/draft-profile

[SunsetBengal]

(02-15-2025, 10:17 PM)pulses Wrote: Here is Jay Higgins PFF from this past year.

https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/Jay-Higgins/129469/draft-profile

NFl.com doesn't even have a profile on this guy. He may be a hidden gem, but he wasn't even invited to the combine it would appear at this point.

[Housh]

To my understanding of football Logan is a coverage linebacker and wouldn’t have the ability to man MLB role full time


Njomgmeta over Heyward makes sense to me as i think MN would provide a more consistent floor but Heyward’s ceiling could absolutely be higher


Also i think ppl are forgetting Akeem Davis Gaither may leave as well in FA.

Our linebacker group is gonna be totally different next season and it probably it should be. We just weren’t tough at that position last year. After Wilson got hurt we had to lead the league in missed tackles from the linebacker position and we had no real ability to use a 4-3 front

[Housh]

I’m fairly confident we are attacking linebacker via FA too.

Probably draft d line and attack linebacker via FA.

[NATI BENGALS]

Might be able to find a cheap vet to start. I doubt we would go into training camp with Maema at the top of the depth chart. Would like to see him take another step and win the job. But that would be pretty wild counting on a second year UDFA who didn't play many defensive snaps as a starter.

[pulses]

(02-15-2025, 10:30 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: NFl.com doesn't even have a profile on this guy. He may be a hidden gem, but he wasn't even invited to the combine it would appear at this point.

He got invited. But he might be a sleeper tho. nfldraftbuzz has him currently as a 4th rounder.


https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/hawkeyes/football/2025/02/13/iowa-football-nfl-combine-kaleb-johson-jay-higgins/78525352007/

[*ochocincos*]

(02-15-2025, 09:42 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Shaka was impressive man, I was always intrigued by his bloodlines myself and he was solid to good in preseason but he shown he could 
play with starters and make plays late last season. Time and time again, I was like, damn that Shaka might be a player, late last year.

On Pratt, I think he must of been told he was going to go back to being a 2 down LB at most under Golden and Hodges maybe even take a 
pay cut.

Social Media is everywhere so I doubt it was that.


Nice, I like that Higgins too lol 

Get the Iowa State Higgins the WR and Iowa LB and we might be upgraded for cheap for all we know...

Bengals gonna end up drafting Jayden on Day 2 and Jay on Day 3 and say, "WHAT? YOU SAID YOU WANTED HIGGINS!!"

[samhain]

I like Njongmeta as depth, but he'd have to improve a lot vs the passing game. This team sucked at acquiring linebackers that could cover right up until Pratt and Wilson entered their primes. Pratt's prime didn't last very long either FWIW. I'm kind of surprised that a converted safety became a 2-down linebacker as quickly as he did.

Being a copycat league, perhaps offenses will try to emulate the Eagles' emphasis on the run. If that happened, then Njongmeta might be a guy that could see more snaps. Until that actually happens, your defense needs to be predicated on stopping the pass and the excellent QBs that this conference is teeming with.

[SunsetBengal]

(02-15-2025, 10:57 PM)pulses Wrote: He got invited. But he might be a sleeper tho. nfldraftbuzz has him currently as a 4th rounder.


https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/hawkeyes/football/2025/02/13/iowa-football-nfl-combine-kaleb-johson-jay-higgins/78525352007/

Ok, there he is. Not sure why I couldn't find him before, must have been too much Pappy..while playing Winter Golf...

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/kaleb-johnson/32004a4f-4839-8805-a441-bdb3ea3187ea

[schroomytunes]

I think we are going to upgrade the LB position this year, both in FA and the draft. We usually keep 5 LB's so as I see it we probably will be cutting Pratt or trading him either way I think Golden has a plan: For me I would like something like this:

1) Logan Wilson

2) Robert Spillane- FA (Raiders)

3) Shaka Haywerd

4) Jay Higgins WLB- (Iowa) or someone similar 4th rd.

5) Jeff Bassa or Cody Simon (oregon, Ohio St) for a multi role LB/ ST. we need to get younger, and faster in this position while allowing $$$ to be spent on front 4. I look at the 6th rd, or UDFA for this position.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-15-2025, 11:14 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Bengals gonna end up drafting Jayden on Day 2 and Jay on Day 3 and say, "WHAT? YOU SAID YOU WANTED HIGGINS!!"

Talk about bloodlines lol

I asked if Jayden was related to Tee in the Draft forum but don't remember an answer ha ha

We can make Higgins our new Johnson.

(02-16-2025, 03:11 PM)schroomytunes Wrote: I think we are going to upgrade the LB position this year, both in FA and the draft. We usually keep 5 LB's so as I see it we probably will be cutting Pratt or trading him either way I think Golden has a plan: For me I would like something like this:

1) Logan Wilson

2) Robert Spillane- FA (Raiders)

3) Shaka Haywerd

4) Jay Higgins WLB- (Iowa) or someone similar 4th rd.

5) Jeff Bassa or Cody Simon (oregon, Ohio St) for a multi role LB/ ST. we need to get younger, and faster in this position while allowing $$$ to be spent on front 4. I look at the 6th rd, or UDFA for this position.

Nice Schroomy. Spillane would be a good pickup to replace Pratt. 

I like Bassa also, he is as you say a fast Linebacker. Maybe could be our new Vinny Rey on ST's...

[Joelist]

If Njongmeta starts that means we commit to a traditional 4-3 defense because he is pretty strictly a MIKE.