{The Ultimate Bengals Offseason Extravaganza Thread}

[Nicomo Cosca]

(03-18-2025, 11:12 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I thought Bynes waa pretty good. So was Brown until the injury. 

But this is not a normal year. 

I *hope* we still have some significant moves to make. There are some good FA's still out there. 

For 2 whole games?

His inability to stay healthy was exactly why he made it so far into FA.

[*rfaulk34*]

(03-18-2025, 04:46 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: https://www.cincyjungle.com/2025/3/3/24376476/al-golden-safety-position-bengals-geno-stone



Probably going to be Battle and Stone as starters. They'll probably only either sign a backup vet after the draft or a draft a late pick backup.

First round safety, holmes.

[Whatever]

(03-18-2025, 06:18 PM)Housh Wrote: That would’ve made our defense top 5?


Iv been seeing the media say the dumbest shit ever in regards to us signing Tee and Chase.


If you are saying we would’ve been able to get a big fish you are talking about Milton Williams

So that’s 1 guy. Even if we had Milton Williams it’s not like he turns us top 5 by himself.


You could also say maybe with the 28M we could’ve gotten 2 mid tier guys. Like a Chase Young and a Jevon Holland.


Yeah our D would likely be better but 2 mid level guys ain’t taking our D into the top 5.







I guess I’m saying Iv seen ppl say we could’ve done so much more to help the defense with Tee’s money….

Ok give me the exact moves then. It’s everyone saying we messed up but not one media pundit has put together a plan with the 28M that would’ve taken our D to new heights. Mofos just wanna complain about us making a move right after they complained that we weren’t making moves.

There's no single defensive player that makes us a Top 5 d by himself.  But Tee Higgins doesn't make us a Top 5. offense by himself, so the point is pretty moot.

I think, one for one, Josh Sweat would be an interesting comp for Tee.  Williams is overrated AF, by the way.  

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(03-18-2025, 11:28 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: We were #5 in third down conversion % we were #6 points per play. #7 in points per game. #5 yards per point #5 in red zone scoring % #5 first downs per play 

Can just look at the two main ones... 9th in yards, 6th in points.

Still a great offense, but ultimately my point was that pretending the only way that improving the defense is a better idea is if it makes it a top-5 defense is just silly. An 8th scoring offense and 14th scoring defense is better than a 6th scoring offense and 25th scoring defense.

[Bengalbug]

(03-18-2025, 11:09 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: If Joe Burrow is going to call the shots on the roster then he needs to be responsible for the outcome.   Burrow got what he wanted at the cost of not being able to add better free agents to the defense so Burrow and the rest of the offense needs to win the games.  Dont count on the defense to do it for you.

Draft and develop better. Outside free agents are always a gamble. The bengals have arguably spent more assets (dollars and picks (which have a value)) on defense, since burrow got here.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(03-19-2025, 01:48 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: Draft and develop better. Outside free agents are always a gamble. The bengals have arguably spent more assets (dollars and picks (which have a value)) on defense, since burrow got here.

Exactly. Since Burrow has been here:

Logan Wilson - 3rd round
Ossai - 3rd round
Dax - 1st round
CTB - 2nd round
Zach Carter - 3rd round
Murphy - 1st round
Turner - 2nd round
Battle - 3rd round
Jenkins - 2nd round
Jackson - 3rd round

That’s a lot of premium picks. So I’m not sure where this boo hoo the poor defense narrative is coming from.

[Soonerpeace]

(03-19-2025, 12:39 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Can just look at the two main ones... 9th in yards, 6th in points.

Still a great offense, but ultimately my point was that pretending the only way that improving the defense is a better idea is if it makes it a top-5 defense is just silly. An 8th scoring offense and 14th scoring defense is better than a 6th scoring offense and 25th scoring defense.

Completely agree. Last years team lost the close ones which previously they won. The defense was clearly worse.  But they’ve missed on players. Whether it be Free Agents at safety or the TE from Minnesota, Rankins, or Hill & Murphy or Burton. Their hit rate poor. With the high salaries now they’d better clean it up 

[Soonerpeace]

(03-18-2025, 11:45 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Scoring points is what the final outcome of games are determined by.  The Bengals were not in the top 5

Point differential is the better stat. The top 4 offensive scoring teams since 2020 few have made the SB. KC only a couple of times. 

[Bengalbug]

(03-18-2025, 11:12 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Trey came back and said all the right things as well and he is the type of player you do not trade unless there is somewhat of a player 
that can replicate what he does. Trey is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL, you cannot replicate that. With Pratt asking for a trade
while being paid big bucks, this is way different in my eyes.

We brought in Oren Burks who played great on the Eagles last year and he can cover and most importantly, tackle.

I just don't think Pratt fits Golden's system and that is why he asked for a trade. We will see, I am expecting us to Draft a pass rushing 
LB that can play the Viper position in Golden's scheme.

I’m expecting golden feels he can get more, maybe way more in some cases, out of the current defense. It’s a 2 year plan. Als job is to squeeze as much as he can this year. Then we will know who does or doesn’t fit in his system and invest/restructure next year.

[*jason*]

(03-18-2025, 10:51 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I will have to watch that game again and check that out. I didn't see this initially, if so, we shouldn't want players on our team that don't go 
all out all the time no matter the circumstances. I stand by what I said, that we should trade Pratt and see what we can get. He has been a 
good LB in the past and could get us another pick when we only have 6 this Draft.

Germaine wanted to be traded. Players on the team that don't want to be here is not a good thing.

Plus, he has times where he would rather strip the ball out than tackle. That is great if it works, bad if it doesn't and Golden likes different 
LB's in his system, not stack LB's like Pratt who refuse to tackle or cover well.

Gimme Jihaad Campbell...

[*pally*]

"Hug me brotha!" - Joe probably@JoeyB x @teehiggins5 x @Real10jayy__ pic.twitter.com/RGjo7XnDe4

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) March 19, 2025

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[Ell Prez]

(03-18-2025, 09:36 PM)samhain Wrote: Tough to imagine the sorcery that would beat the chemistry that the big 3 have.  

I think the real question is what we would have done if some of the recent draft picks actually panned out.  What if Dax was looking like Bates 2.0 and ready to cash in?  What if Murphy was a terror off the edge and getting ready to demand a 25 mil payday?  What if CTB continued to trend in a good direction in 24?  That would have made paying 2 receivers crazy money a lot harder to justify.

Unluckily for us, those guys haven't done squat in a combined 5 seasons.  Makes keeping your 3rd or 4th best player a whole lot easier to digest regardless of position.

This is everything. This is the main reason we’re able and willing to sign tee. It’s because no one else deserves big contracts. If our defense was good because of those players, they would let tee walk and draft his replacement, because we wouldn’t need to draft defense.

[Whatever]

(03-19-2025, 02:46 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Exactly. Since Burrow has been here:

Logan Wilson - 3rd round
Ossai - 3rd round
Dax - 1st round
CTB - 2nd round
Zach Carter - 3rd round
Murphy - 1st round
Turner - 2nd round
Battle - 3rd round
Jenkins - 2nd round
Jackson - 3rd round

That’s a lot of premium picks. So I’m not sure where this boo hoo the poor defense narrative is coming from.

For better or worse, Lou ran a complex defense that wasn't friendly to young players.  When we had the back to back AFC title game runs, it worked because the defense was largely compromised of vet FA's and a couple of holdovers from the Marvin era.  As we lost veterans and had to replace them with draft picks because we needed to pay the stars on offense, it sputtered.  Late last year, when he finally simplified things and there was more of a youth movement in terms of snaps, they played better.  Honestly, if he had made the switch at the bye instead of waiting, there's a good chance we could have gotten that one more W to put us in the playoffs.

[WeezyBengal]

Jessie Bates among others. 

I know people won't like that take, but I really think they didn't sign Bates because they knew they had to pay Tee...then they weren't going to sign Tee because they knew they had to pay Joe/Chase to ridiculously expensive contracts. 

[ERIC1]

(03-18-2025, 06:18 PM)Housh Wrote: That would’ve made our defense top 5?


Iv been seeing the media say the dumbest shit ever in regards to us signing Tee and Chase.


If you are saying we would’ve been able to get a big fish you are talking about Milton Williams

So that’s 1 guy. Even if we had Milton Williams it’s not like he turns us top 5 by himself.


You could also say maybe with the 28M we could’ve gotten 2 mid tier guys. Like a Chase Young and a Jevon Holland.


Yeah our D would likely be better but 2 mid level guys ain’t taking our D into the top 5.







I guess I’m saying Iv seen ppl say we could’ve done so much more to help the defense with Tee’s money….

Ok give me the exact moves then. It’s everyone saying we messed up but not one media pundit has put together a plan with the 28M that would’ve taken our D to new heights. Mofos just wanna complain about us making a move right after they complained that we weren’t making moves.

defense is not the only problem the Bengals  need to address or will need to address.I am happy for the people that  are enamored with Higgins but you simply do not pay a number 2 receiver , often injured  close to 30 million bucks a year..Another Bengals front office blunder

[ERIC1]

(03-19-2025, 09:43 AM)Whatever Wrote: For better or worse, Lou ran a complex defense that wasn't friendly to young players.  When we had the back to back AFC title game runs, it worked because the defense was largely compromised of vet FA's and a couple of holdovers from the Marvin era.  As we lost veterans and had to replace them with draft picks because we needed to pay the stars on offense, it sputtered.  Late last year, when he finally simplified things and there was more of a youth movement in terms of snaps, they played better.  Honestly, if he had made the switch at the bye instead of waiting, there's a good chance we could have gotten that one more W to put us in the playoffs.

OH please..we had beau coup injuries on defense last year..And by the end of these season the "rookies" were playing better ..not because of simplification ..but because they were getting better acclimated

[ERIC1]

(03-18-2025, 10:43 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: I honestly felt the Front Office would blow this.  I am very happy to have been proven wrong.

Joe Burrow got his friends signed..THe Front Office did blow it

[Tomcat]

(03-19-2025, 10:39 AM)ERIC1 Wrote: Joe Burrow got his friends signed..THe Front Office did blow it

You're definitely a Broken record!

[Nicomo Cosca]

(03-19-2025, 10:25 AM)ERIC1 Wrote: OH please..we had beau coup injuries on defense last year..And by the end of these season the "rookies" were playing better ..not because of simplification ..but because they were getting better acclimated

Actually it was because they were playing the likes of Cooper Rush, Mason Rudolph, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but go off.

[*bfine32*]

At least we've grown as a fanbase from complaining about them NOT spending money to HOW they spend money.