Do We Need Guards As Much As I'm Thinking?

[BFritz21]

We made the Super Bowl and AFC Championship game and we barely missed the playoffs last year, all with horrible offensive lines.

Burrow killed it behind bad offensive lines, so I've been wanting us to sell out to protect Burrow because we can even outscore teams with a bad defense, but we can't do anything if we can't move the ball and score.

I see sites saying that we need help in the IOL, but some mock drafts have us ignoring the IOL early or all together.

Will Peters be able to coach our guards enough to be serviceable?

Will we draft a guard early?

Will we find any in free agency after cuts start happening?

Is my fear about our guard play justified?

[SunsetBengal]

Yes, the Bengals definitely need Guards as much as your thinking.

[*Synric*]

Yes, hopefully Guard doesn't turn into a situation like NT & McKinnley Jackson 2024 like Charlie Goldsmith is saying.

[FormerlyBengalRugby]

(10 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yes, the Bengals definitely need Guards as much as your thinking.

Yes.

To protect Burrow and make the interior running game a threat, a guard(s) is key.

Otherwise it is akin to buying a Lamborghini and never locking it.

Amazing car (qb) but never protected and could be taken from you (franchise due to injury) at any time.

[StoneTheCrow]

Yes. See: Cameron Heyward in the last game of the season.

We’ll see what Peters can do I guess.

[*pally*]

Yes they do…but the coaches seem to be of a different mindset. Peters, at the combine, as much as said that he saw NFL upside in Volson. He never mentioned Kappa who was released just ha couple of weeks later

[BFritz21]

(10 hours ago)pally Wrote: Yes they do…but the coaches seem to be of a different mindset.  Peters, at the combine, as much as said that he saw NFL upside in Volson.  He never mentioned Kappa who was released  just ha couple of weeks later

I hate when coaches say that because, to me, it comes off as "yeah, they suck, but we have no other options right now."

I hope he's just playing mental games to throw other teams off, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

[SunsetBengal]

If Burrow would have had an ounce of protection on their final play in the Superbowl versus the Rams, the Bengals would be a respected team around the league and "talking head" community right now. This model of all flash and little substance simply isn't working. Build the damn team from the inside out, like it's supposed to be done..

[BrownAssClown]

Yes your fear is justified. If we don't take one in the first I'm okay with that but I hope we get one by the second or third. If there is a run on guards early I'm not opposed to trading up and getting one that's left. If for some reason the board doesn't fall right or the Bengals do not happen to get a guard or tackle that can convert to guard in the draft, they need to get on the phone quickly to bring in at least one of the FA linemen that are out there even if it's just a stop gap. The front office should want to protect Burrow as much as the fan base does, they have a lot invested in him.

[SunsetBengal]

(9 hours ago)BrownAssClown Wrote: Yes your fear is justified. If we don't take one in the first I'm okay with that but I hope we get one by the second or third. If there is a run on guards early I'm not opposed to trading up and getting one that's left. If for some reason the board doesn't fall right or the Bengals do not happen to get a guard or tackle that can convert to guard in the draft, they need to get on the phone quickly to bring in at least one of the FA linemen that are out there even if it's just a stop gap. The front office should want to protect Burrow as much as the fan base does, they have a lot invested in him.

That's an interesting point that you bring up. It's very ironic that this offseason Burrow wasn't leveraging the team for better protection, but rather to keep his weapons together. Not sure if that was a smart move in the long run, but just one thing to keep an eye on.

[FormerlyBengalRugby]

(9 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: That's an interesting point that you bring up. It's very ironic that this offseason Burrow wasn't leveraging the team for better protection, but rather to keep his weapons together. Not sure if that was a smart move in the long run, but just one thing to keep an eye on.

Excellent point.

Does he need elite receiver talent for mental security?

Is he helping out his boys?
 
Is the IOL good enough in his eyes and he is going to the mattresses for receiving talent over protection?

Is he being a team player, getting his boys under contract, if he does not complain about being beat up?

Messed up ideas, but valid.

[Storer50]

We need at least one guard. A Hendrickson trade would open up the option of picking 2.

[BrownAssClown]

(9 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: That's an interesting point that you bring up. It's very ironic that this offseason Burrow wasn't leveraging the team for better protection, but rather to keep his weapons together. Not sure if that was a smart move in the long run, but just one thing to keep an eye on.

Burrow is a regular Houdini with his scrambling and extending plays. I don't know, maybe he thrives in that environment but no one wants a replay of that Washington game his rookie season.

[BenZoo2]

Yes. It would be a shame to watch burrow get injured again and our multi million dollar race car drivers devalued because the front office is too cheap to pony a little more cash to shore up an obvious hole in the lineup

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Yes. We need at least 1 starter level guard. And I'd say 2 (1 draft, 1 FA).

as for Peters' comments, he has to say something nice about someone who is under contract. But NE stunk last year. He cannot turn water into wine.

[Frank Booth]

I think Mike Brown hacked into your account

[BFritz21]

(9 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: That's an interesting point that you bring up. It's very ironic that this offseason Burrow wasn't leveraging the team for better protection, but rather to keep his weapons together. Not sure if that was a smart move in the long run, but just one thing to keep an eye on.

Honestly, I thought then and still do that Burrow was just trying to keep him happy as a friend.

I think Burrow can make anyone a star opposite of Chase.

Higgins is good but Burrow should have said "listen, I'll help you, but I gotta make sure I live through next season first."

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(10 hours ago)BFritz21 Wrote: We made the Super Bowl and AFC Championship game and we barely missed the playoffs last year, all with horrible offensive lines.

Burrow killed it behind bad offensive lines, so I've been wanting us to sell out to protect Burrow because we can even outscore teams with a bad defense, but we can't do anything if we can't move the ball and score.

I see sites saying that we need help in the IOL, but some mock drafts have us ignoring the IOL early or all together.

Will Peters be able to coach our guards enough to be serviceable?

Will we draft a guard early?

Will we find any in free agency after cuts start happening?

Is my fear about our guard play justified?

You build great teams from the inside out. The Eagles just proved it once again and so did the Chiefs 2 years in a row before that. I know 
the Tackles for the Chiefs weren't very good but they had a great interior OL.

Your fear is definitely justified and it is baffling why there is a Guard out there named Dalton Risner who is healthy and said he would love to
play for the Bengals and he isn't signed as insurance. I like Lucas Patrick more than most on here, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy.

You never want to go into a Draft needing to add a position because it is a crap shoot and rookies rarely play as good as vets right off the bat.

Amarius Mims was a rare pick for us, very rare. Sure you can find Guards that can play immediately after the first round, but you just don't 
want to put yourself into a corner as far as picking position instead of talent early in a Draft, ever.

[NATI BENGALS]

I don’t think so. I think we would make the playoffs with two of Volson, Ford, and Patrick starting.

But Volson and Patrick are both free agents after this year and behind those three we are sparse.

Would love an upgrade and future solution. But it’s not a make or break imo

[phil413]

(7 hours ago)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Yes. We need at least 1 starter level guard. And I'd say 2 (1 draft, 1 FA).

as for Peters' comments, he has to say something nice about someone who is under contract. But NE stunk last year. He cannot turn water into wine.

Pretty much this. The guard fears are warranted and the only debate vs taking guard "early" is how bad the defense was for 2/3 of the year and there not likely being a BPA Guard/converted T at 17.

So, unless a slam dunk defensive BPA is there they should look to deal down a few for an extra 3rd.  BPA will still likely be DE with the depth of that group, and you should end up with at least 1 guard in your first 4 picks in the top 3 rds.  Then, go get that free agent guard you speak of.  Depending on how well they do at LB or S you may have extra money to spend. 

Lastly, don't underestimate the value of the time gap from rd 3 to 4.  They can get on the phones and shop a day 3 pick for a below average to average starter grade vet that's now available from their team drafting a young guard and trying to save money.