Bengals to host Dalton Risner on a FA visit

[*ochocincos*]

(Yesterday, 09:59 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: The fact that they told Stone to take a pay cut this off-season because they know he stinks and he took it is still funny to me. 

Like, we know this guy is bad and is overpaid, so we are going to ask him to take a pay cut but not do anything to actually improve the position lol 

It blows my mind that the Bengals (Golden?) chose to draft TWO off-ball LBs instead of adding a safety in the draft given the two starters look to be mid at best in Stone and Battle. They could have just kept Pratt for his final year and drafted one LB and used the other draft pick for safety competition.
But they needed/wanted to save all that cap space for...?

[WeezyBengal]

(Yesterday, 10:17 AM)ochocincos Wrote: It blows my mind that the Bengals (Golden?) chose to draft TWO off-ball LBs instead of adding a safety in the draft given the two starters look to be mid at best in Stone and Battle. They could have just kept Pratt for his final year and drafted one LB and used the other draft pick for safety competition.
But they needed/wanted to save all that cap space for...?

Trey...oh wait... 

[Soonerpeace]

(Yesterday, 10:17 AM)ochocincos Wrote: It blows my mind that the Bengals (Golden?) chose to draft TWO off-ball LBs instead of adding a safety in the draft given the two starters look to be mid at best in Stone and Battle. They could have just kept Pratt for his final year and drafted one LB and used the other draft pick for safety competition.
But they needed/wanted to save all that cap space for...?

Well besides Carter & Knight they signed Burks. I’m totally on board with you. But it’s pretty obvious that there was disconnect with Pratt. Was it his loyalty for Lou? Was their discord with Al previously? I keep singing this song … the ‘22-23 drafts and recent FA has brought us Battle,Stone,Murphy, Volson,Lael Collin’s,Nick Scott, Irv Smith & Sheldon Rankins. Nobody bats 1000. In 22-23 we drafted Murphy & Dax #1. Have they matched that expectation? D J Turner & CTB #2 those years? They’ve come closer but aren’t they average at best? Battle & Zachary Carter?

Lou may have had a hand in the draft of defensive players and poor development of rookies but the roster on defense in the draft & free agency is our issue. We are slowly digging out but it’s going to take one more year.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(Yesterday, 10:17 AM)ochocincos Wrote: It blows my mind that the Bengals (Golden?) chose to draft TWO off-ball LBs instead of adding a safety in the draft given the two starters look to be mid at best in Stone and Battle. They could have just kept Pratt for his final year and drafted one LB and used the other draft pick for safety competition.
But they needed/wanted to save all that cap space for...?

I was surprised we did not do anything in the secondary, for sure. It is the only spot we did not even make a minor addition. Check that, OT.

QB: Ridder brought in.
RB: FA Perine, drafted Brooks. 
WR: Higgins re-signed, Tinsley future's. 
TE: FA Fant, Gesicki & Hudson re-signed. 
OT: nada, perhaps Rivers counts some. 
OG: Drafted Fairchild & Rivers, FA Patrick
C: UDFA McLaughlin, signed Raym 
DE: Drafted Stewart, re-signed Ossai & Sample
DT: Re-signrd Hill, signed Bryan 
LB: Drafted Knight & Carter; FA Burks + Giles-Harris
CB: Re-signed M. Wilson
S: nada 
LS: UDFA Wagner

[M.W.]

(08-21-2025, 10:52 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: True, but Burrow works both ends of the standard deviation from the norm.

When things go smoothly, on most plays, he is out even quicker. But when things aren't open on the first/2nd reads, he holds the ball a LONG time trying to make a play. That skews the average upwards. He rarely throws it away early.

I think knowing when to simply throw the ball away is a weakness for Joe, perhaps he knows but simply refuses to do it.  Does he extend some plays and create magic sometimes, absolutely!  Often times he gets sacked, often time for huge losses, rather than throwing the ball away.  Every time I see him running toward his own endzone I fear the worst and figure on at least a 15 yard loss. 
Sooner or later, this won't simply be a large yardage loss but also an injury as often times it is more than one man brining him down. This decision isn't always the OLs fault but they do need to get better. 

[THE PISTONS]

(Yesterday, 11:01 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Well besides Carter & Knight they signed Burks. I’m totally on board with you. But it’s pretty obvious that there was disconnect with Pratt. Was it his loyalty for Lou? Was their discord with Al previously? I keep singing this song … the ‘22-23 drafts and recent FA has brought us Battle,Stone,Murphy, Volson,Lael Collin’s,Nick Scott, Irv Smith & Sheldon Rankins. Nobody bats 1000. In 22-23 we drafted Murphy & Dax #1. Have they matched that expectation? D J Turner & CTB #2 those years? They’ve come closer but aren’t they average at best? Battle & Zachary Carter?

Lou may have had a hand in the draft of defensive players and poor development of rookies but the roster on defense in the draft & free agency is our issue. We are slowly digging out but it’s going to take one more year.

I agree that the defense lacks talent. But, absent like Stewart being amazing. Or some of these other guys showing something. I don't think we are digging ourselves out.

We have made some changes.

[*ochocincos*]

(Yesterday, 11:25 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I agree that the defense lacks talent. But, absent like Stewart being amazing. Or some of these other guys showing something. I don't think we are digging ourselves out.

We have made some changes.

Yea...multiple positions on defense are pretty poor outlook overall.

DE is really just Hendrickson, and a hope Ossai will be this entire year like he was in December last year, and a hope with 1st round pick Stewart that his lack of college production was an anomaly and he'll be productive in the NFL. Murphy has fallen off a cliff. Sample is meh at best. Ossai may end up leaving next offseason, especially if he does well and commands good $$. Next year potentially being Murphy and Stewart as the starters is scary.

DT I want to see if Jenkins can become an actual pass rushing threat. He did have 3 sacks but only 11 total pressures last year on 260 pass rush snaps. For comparison, BJ Hill had 33 pressures last year on 430 pass rush snaps. Milton Williams had 40 total pressures last year on just 302 pass rush snaps.
Even though BJ Hill is a Bengal for 3 more years and TJ Slaton for 2 more years, they'll still need to rotate out with Jenkins (and Jackson?), so Jenkins needs to be able to provide a pass rush.


LBs as a whole have looked terrible through Preseason. Will be interested to see how much impact Burks, Knight, and Carter have over the next couple years.

Bengals don't really have a stud DB, but they do have a handful of guys with some good attributes.
Dax Hill may finally be in his right role, but he needs to stay healthy.
CTB needs to have a bounce back year.
Turner needs to find a role.

For safety, I have never been impressed with Stone. He is not a cover FS.
Battle just hasn't taken the next step after 2 years.
Don't care for Anthony, and Anderson hasn't been able to stay healthy.
Safety is probably the worst group of the bunch on defense when looking at both starters and depth.

I don't personally see any Top 10 guys at their position aside from Hendrickson, maybe Logan Wilson if he gets back to form.
Hill and Stewart probably have the most "hope" right now for other guys outside of Hendrickson and Wilson.

[Soonerpeace]

(Yesterday, 11:46 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Yea...multiple positions on defense are pretty poor outlook overall.

DE is really just Hendrickson, and a hope Ossai will be this entire year like he was in December last year, and a hope with 1st round pick Stewart that his lack of college production was an anomaly and he'll be productive in the NFL. Murphy has fallen off a cliff. Sample is meh at best. Ossai may end up leaving next offseason, especially if he does well and commands good $$. Next year potentially being Murphy and Stewart as the starters is scary.

DT I want to see if Jenkins can become an actual pass rushing threat. He did have 3 sacks but only 11 total pressures last year on 260 pass rush snaps. For comparison, BJ Hill had 33 pressures last year on 430 pass rush snaps. Milton Williams had 40 total pressures last year on just 302 pass rush snaps.
Even though BJ Hill is a Bengal for 3 more years and TJ Slaton for 2 more years, they'll still need to rotate out with Jenkins (and Jackson?), so Jenkins needs to be able to provide a pass rush.


LBs as a whole have looked terrible through Preseason. Will be interested to see how much impact Burks, Knight, and Carter have over the next couple years.

Bengals don't really have a stud DB, but they do have a handful of guys with some good attributes.
Dax Hill may finally be in his right role, but he needs to stay healthy.
CTB needs to have a bounce back year.
Turner needs to find a role.

For safety, I have never been impressed with Stone. He is not a cover FS.
Battle just hasn't taken the next step after 2 years.
Don't care for Anthony, and Anderson hasn't been able to stay healthy.
Safety is probably the worst group of the bunch on defense when looking at both starters and depth.

I don't personally see any Top 10 guys at their position aside from Hendrickson, maybe Logan Wilson if he gets back to form.
Hill and Stewart probably have the most "hope" right now for other guys outside of Hendrickson and Wilson.

The last 2 drafts have been better. But the previous drafts have produced JAGS as starters or busts. When some hits there is no need for repair through free agency. Not keeping Bates was a huge mistake.

[THE PISTONS]

(Yesterday, 11:59 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: The last 2 drafts have been better. But the previous drafts have produced JAGS as starters or busts. When some hits there is no need for repair through free agency. Not keeping Bates was a huge mistake.

The board almost always thinks we had a good draft, until time passes and we realize we didn't.

[Soonerpeace]

(Yesterday, 12:47 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The board almost always thinks we had a good draft, until time passes and we realize we didn't.

But you’d agree it takes a few years. But I heard they weren’t pleased with Lou’s slow development. But I also think he influenced some draft picks. I do think they do better 4-6 than 1-3. 1-3 has to provide immediate help on at least 2 and 1 immediate starter minimum. Not making the playoffs with Joe’s amazing year is about a lot of things but roster was the major one and not quickly fixed. I like the last 2 drafts. Since ‘21 draft we’ve not drafted a player remotely sniffing All Pro votes or mention. Think about that. And… Free Agent signings ? ‘23 Orlando Brown, Nick Scott, Sidney Jones & ‘24 Sheldon Rankins, Mike Gesicki, Zach Moss, Geno Stone. Some hit some not at all. Now granted with players to resign they had less money recently. But the roster has slipped plain and simple. The offense outside guard hasn’t. They’ve hit in FA with Hurst, Gesicki, and the draft with Mims, Chase Brown, Fairchild (seems) and the blooming Isovias. They’ve also re-signed their stars.

We’ll see but Golden is going to be better than Lou IMHO at guiding Duke in FA & Radecevic.

[*ochocincos*]

(Yesterday, 11:59 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: The last 2 drafts have been better. But the previous drafts have produced JAGS as starters or busts. When some hits there is no need for repair through free agency. Not keeping Bates was a huge mistake.

I actually really disliked this past draft aside from Fairchild and Brooks.

[Soonerpeace]

(Yesterday, 02:23 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I actually really disliked this past draft aside from Fairchild and Brooks.

Well it’s early. But I certainly feel better about Stewart than I did Murphy or Dax Hill after preseason. Carter I think will be good but rather seen a safety. Knight if he starts as a rookie will better than most of our #2 picks of late.

[Essex Johnson]

(Yesterday, 11:59 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: The last 2 drafts have been better. But the previous drafts have produced JAGS as starters or busts. When some hits there is no need for repair through free agency. Not keeping Bates was a huge mistake.

Well some forget Bates was a debated resign since he was coming off 2 less productive years, many on board and nfl analyst debated the resign and even with him last year the defense would still have struggled. 

[Soonerpeace]

(10 hours ago)Essex Johnson Wrote: Well some forget Bates was a debated resign since he was coming off 2 less productive years, many on board and nfl analyst debated the resign and even with him last year the defense would still have struggled. 

That’s all true but losing both safeties hurt. Bates was the younger one. Which SB caliber teams let both safeties go at once?

[NUGDUKWE]

(Yesterday, 03:18 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Well it’s early. But I certainly feel better about Stewart than I did Murphy or Dax Hill after preseason. Carter I think will be good but rather seen a safety. Knight if he starts as a rookie will better than most of our #2 picks of late.

Dax Hill had some excitement coming out of his first preseason. Definitely flashed the athleticism to close on the ball in the air and get his hands on it.

[Soonerpeace]

(9 hours ago)NUGDUKWE Wrote: Dax Hill had some excitement coming out of his first preseason. Definitely flashed the athleticism to close on the ball in the air and get his hands on it.

Well I could have remembered wrong

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(Yesterday, 02:23 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I actually really disliked this past draft aside from Fairchild and Brooks.

Me, too. I gave it a D. 

Hated the Stewart pick. Thought Knight was a reach and we should have traded back & still got him. Did not like another LB after Knight and Burks in FA, and Giles-Harris. Thought Rivers was a guard and wanted a FA guard instead. 

I hope I an dead wrong. Fairchild looks really good. Brooks perfectly fine. Carter good. Rivers OK at guard, not so hot at tackle. Knight looks bad. Strewart OK to poor but with some flashes.

[J24]

(10 hours ago)Essex Johnson Wrote: Well some forget Bates was a debated resign since he was coming off 2 less productive years, many on board and nfl analyst debated the resign and even with him last year the defense would still have struggled. 

That's one way to look at it.