Ossai is back

[THE PISTONS]

(03-10-2025, 10:21 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: He asked for Tee, Chase and Gesicki so he should be thrilled. He got all 3.

Our offense isn't going to improve much from last year. 

The defense needs to improve. Not sure that's happened.

[007BengalsFan]

(03-10-2025, 10:12 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Looking that way. And that's if Treys back.

We have a roster that lacks top end talent eapecially on defense. We've signed a bunch of average to below average NFL starters. That's not what we needed.

Its the same guys on defense as last year with Slaton taking over Rankins spot and Banks taking the 3rd LB spot from ADG.  Ossai and Murphy will get more snaps because of Hubbards retirement.  

[samhain]

(03-10-2025, 10:23 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Our offense isn't going to improve much from last year. 

The defense needs to improve. Not sure that's happened.

Al Golden better have learned how to work miracles from Touchdown Jesus up there.  Otherwise, his return to Cincy will be a rough one.

[THE PISTONS]

(03-10-2025, 10:25 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Its the same guys on defense as last year with Slaton taking over Rankins spot and Banks taking the 3rd LB spot from ADG.  Ossai and Murphy will get more snaps because of Hubbards retirement.  

Yep.

[THE PISTONS]

(03-10-2025, 10:26 PM)samhain Wrote: Al Golden better have learned how to work miracles from Touchdown Jesus up there.  Otherwise, his return to Cincy will be a rough one.

The thing is, Notre Dame gets good recruits and talent too. It's not like they had lowly players and he had an amazing scheme.

[Luvnit2]

(03-10-2025, 10:23 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Our offense isn't going to improve much from last year. 

The defense needs to improve. Not sure that's happened.

I disagree. Gesicki took over half a year to get on the same page as Burrow. Hopefully Higgins plays more than 11 or 12 games. Mims has a year of experience. But, the biggest change has yet to come, Bengals will sign at least one upgrade at guard. Cappa was worse than Volson. Both of our guards were horrid.

We lost no one on offense that helped our offense in 2024. Alli is hurt, but he did not play the entire year either.

I see our offense being better in 2025.

As for the defense, we need the two 2nd year tackles to step up in year 2. The NT we signd may be a better run defender than Reader. Let's see if they add other pieces prior to the draft. Hopefully Wilson is not lost for the year as well. Defense is still a huge ? But offense can definitey be better with the running game and ball control to help the defense stay off the field.

[samhain]

(03-10-2025, 10:28 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The thing is, Notre Dame gets good recruits and talent too. It's not like they had lowly players and he had an amazing scheme.

I really believed that this organization had changed it's ways.  I think the modern business of player acquisition finally caught up with the momentum of the Burrow era.  

A team can be cheap-ish with it's guarantees if it drafts and develops well.  For awhile anyway.  A team can (maybe) get away with whiffing on a draft or 2 if they know how to work FA.  Some teams actually strive to be good at both aspects of roster management.  One just won the Super Bowl a few weeks ago.  This team sucks horribly at both.

No scouting department, crippling fear of offering guarantees to non-quarterbacks, and all the urgency to win a title of the Oakland A's.  

It's embarrassing to me that I actually thought they were ready to be a real NFL organization.
  

[Bengalstripes9]

(03-10-2025, 10:19 PM)Tony Wrote: This defense is gonna be historicaly bad, might as well trade Tee now. It's so Embarrassing to be a fan of this team sometimes. Especially living here in PA. I can't even argue with anyone when they say how cheap and shit thia front office is. Please sell already. Save us all.

Tony! We missed you!

[Luvnit2]

(03-10-2025, 10:28 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The thing is, Notre Dame gets good recruits and talent too. It's not like they had lowly players and he had an amazing scheme.

Notre Dame quit getting the best recruits a long time ago do to ther=ir academic standards. I am a huge fan and Golden developed these guys to be great. I feel Golden will be a great teacher of technique and demand all out effort. I look forward to see how he schemes in 2025.

[THE PISTONS]

(03-10-2025, 10:36 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Notre Dame quit getting the best recruits a long time ago do to ther=ir academic standards. I am a huge fan and Golden developed these guys to be great. I feel Golden will be a great teacher of technique and demand all out effort. I look forward to see how he schemes in 2025.

2021 - 9th ranked class - https://247sports.com/Season/2021-Football/CompositeTeamRankings/
2022 - 7th ranked class - https://247sports.com/season/2022-football/compositeteamrankings/
2023 - 12th ranked class - https://247sports.com/Season/2023-Football/CompositeTeamRankings/
2024 - 9th ranked class https://247sports.com/Season/2024-Football/CompositeTeamRankings/

[Lucius Cincinnatus]

(03-10-2025, 10:36 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Notre Dame quit getting the best recruits a long time ago do to ther=ir academic standards. I am a huge fan and Golden developed these guys to be great. I feel Golden will be a great teacher of technique and demand all out effort. I look forward to see how he schemes in 2025.

Rivals Recruting Class Rankings:

2021: 9th
2022: 7th
2023: 12th
2024: 9th

[Luvnit2]

(03-10-2025, 10:50 PM)Lucius Cincinnatus Wrote: Rivals Recruting Class Rankings:

2021: 9th
2022: 7th
2023: 12th
2024: 9th

We used to be #1 or #2. Was ND close to the talent level of Ohio State at the NCG?  

Huge difference between top 3 teams and 7th through 12th and it shows on the field.

Heck, Georgia churns out all pro Edge and DT's every year. They have 2 in this draft that will go likely top 15. The best ND defender is a CB who will go late round 1. There are no DL, OL, TE's, RB's, WR's or QB's that will be sure fire picks on day 2 other than safety Watts.

I think Joe Montana was the last great ND QB. That was in the 70's.

[Lucius Cincinnatus]

(03-10-2025, 11:24 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: We used to be #1 or #2. Was ND close to the talent level of Ohio State at the NCG?  

Huge difference between top 3 teams and 7th through 12th and it shows on the field.

Heck, Georgia churns out all pro Edge and DT's every year. They have 2 in this draft that will go likely top 15. The best ND defender is a CB who will go late round 1. There are no DL, OL, TE's, RB's, WR's or QB's that will be sure fire picks on day 2 other than safety Watts.

I think Joe Montana was the last great ND QB. That was in the 70's.

Look at the teams that have worse recruiting class rankings..they are putting out a bunch of NFL players. ND has had essentially 4 straight top 10 recruiting classes...them not putting out a lot of draft talent would seem to point to more development issues than talent...Michigan and Penn St haven't had a higher rated recruiting class than ND the last 4 years...they haven't seemed to have any issues producing top talent...

Getting Ossai back for 7M is a good contract. But doesn't make our defense much better than last year (to stay on topic of the thread)

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

This is better than not getting any Ends and relying on the Draft.

Pretty sure Trey is back but we needed an End that has pressured QB's in the NFL instead of a rookie and Ossai being a little undersized
and more of a LB/End pass rusher fits a bit more in Golden's D than Lou's from what I have been seeing.

[J24]

In 2021 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals Draft Joseph Ossai with the 69th pick.

The next three DL drafted ; Milton Williams, Alim McNeil, and Osa Odighizuwa were all top 15 in PFF pass rush grade, PFF pass rush win rate, and total pressure amongst DTs in 2024. Also all three just got paid major contracts in the past season.

Joseph Ossai has a lot to prove this season to live up to those guys. So he doesn't look like a bust of a pick.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-10-2025, 10:18 PM)samhain Wrote: Glad they are willing to spend the money to keep this championship defense intact.

We had 4 guys grade out at 70+ at PFF. We brought one back today. 3/4 are under contract. Hendrickson, Wilson, and Hill, but not Hilton. 

Ossai had 5 sacks the last 7 games. ESPN had Slaton leading the league in run stop win rate (NFL 3rd) and the Pack allowed 1,fewer YPC with him on the field. And Burks graded out at 83 and was a stud starting for Dean for Philly late in the year and in the POs. And while it is correct to question him with his limited snaps in the regular season & playing on a,stacked D, the post-season numbers are also excellent, and bring the snap count close to 400.

Regular: 147 snaps, 83.0 O, 86.8 Run, 70.0 Cover, 63.2 pass rush. 

Post: 230 snaps, 80.7 O, 58.5 run, 82.9 cover , 73.4 pass rush. 
----------

I know that is an awful rosy take on those guys, but it isn't totally whacked. And I'd expec most of our draft to be on D, especially if we take care of G.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(03-11-2025, 12:37 AM)J24 Wrote: In 2021 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals Draft  Joseph Ossai with  the 69th pick.

The next three DL drafted ; Milton Williams, Alim McNeil, and Osa Odighizuwa were all top 15 in PFF pass rush grade, PFF pass rush win rate, and total pressure amongst DTs in 2024. Also all three just got paid major contracts in the past season.

Joseph Ossai has a lot to prove this season to live up to those guys. So he doesn't look like a bust of a pick.

Ossai is an edge. Those guys are DTs. We had Reader, Hill, Larry O at the time.

[J24]

(03-11-2025, 01:17 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Ossai is an edge. Those guys are DTs. We had Reader, Hill, Larry O at the time.

 We did not have Hill at the time(didn't trade for him until August that season) and Larry was on a one year deal. Also the Bengals drafted a DT in Tyler Shelvin in the 4th RD that year. (Who was out of the league in 2023) 

So yes the DT position was a need in 2021 and these guys have been proven to be better picks than Ossai so far.

[125250]

Maybe he can ruin another Super Bowl opportunity by senselessly getting a late hit.??????? Awesome!

[BengalsBong]

(03-10-2025, 10:16 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: True, but feel this year his agent's phone was not ringing and why he re-signed with us. It is a wake up call, produce or risk selling insurance in 2026.

The wakeup call was needed by more than one player on this team.

If Hendrickson agent can't find a trade, then Hendrickson will feel disrespected by the rest of the league again.

Hendrickson plays all out, but he will play all out with a chip on his shoulder if he can't find someone to trade for him.