Have the Bengals Improved?

[Derrick]

(03-15-2016, 05:33 PM)Millhouse Wrote: No. Interior o-line run blocking is a big issue to help this team get over the top, and will probably roll with the same 3 again. Unless Zampese designs plays better than Hue did for the run game, I dont see much if any improvement over the average run game we say last year. (fyi it killed us in that first half against Pitt in the monsoon, an unspoken reason as to why they lost that game)

Marvy is still the HC so I vote NO.

[BengalChris]

I think it's way too early to try and state whether the Bengals have improved or not.

Yes, our second most productive receiver is gone, but look at all the teams who have lost players at this point and haven't replaced them yet. The off season is a long process and you really can't judge it until we get closer to the end of it.

As long as the Bengals don't talk themselves into drafting some projects we should see a good draft. A talented player is going to fall to us at 24 and I expect the same to happen in the second round.

I wasn't all that happy with the Fisher selection last year and given that he wasn't able to beat out Winston as the first offensive lineman off the bench (not to mention he failed to take playing time away from a so-so Andre Smith), I'm really hoping the Bengals skip the whole "project" thing in this year's draft.

Also, don't forget the late off season signings that tend to come. There always seems to be players who have fallen out of favor with their old teams, yet have ability and something to prove. The Bengals are better than average at finding these types of guys and developing them.

5 seasons ago we signed Gilberry two weeks into the season and he ended up being a nice role player who helped our DL and we just might resign him. We brought in Adam Jones off the scrape heap and he's become that shutdown corner every team covets. Winston was a good signing a few years ago and was a relief over the underachiever Rolland. We don't need super stars from free agency, but we do need guys who contribute and get do a certain job well. CB Nate Clements was not signed until Aug of 2011 and he eased the blow of JJoe's departure some.

The Bengals have also signed their fair share of dudes in free agency and the team needs to avoid doing desperation type signings.

I'm not sure we're going to find a 1 for 1 replacement for Marvin Jones in free agency, so maybe we can replace Sanu with a lower tier guy and pickup speed in the draft.

[Millhouse]

(03-16-2016, 09:00 PM)Derrick Wrote: Marvy is still the HC so I vote NO.

No doubt...add that to what I said plus losing the players we lost..last year was as good as will get

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Of course they haven't improved but it could of been a lot worse than it was.

The Bengals were smart and got back their 2 best FA talents. They offered MLJ a big contract but he
wanted to be a #1. Not their bad. Sanu was overpaid. They offered Reggie a 2 year contract and he has
yet to sign elsewhere so hopefully he is back.

They didn't need to improve in FA this year, they just needed to keep some of the band together and be
able to draft to improve. They are still in that position unlike two other teams in the AFCN.

[grampahol]

They haven't regressed at all. There's a reason they had built so much depth and it will really show come FA time..Wait, that time is now.. Plenty of teams really fall apart when their big FA's leave for the big contracts because they don't have the depth behind them, this team has the depth. WR isn't all that tough to replace like many other positions. It depends on speed and catching the ball, not exactly rocket science.
Even if we lose Nelson we still have Williams, but WR's ain't that tough to find. It's a young man's position.

[wolfkaosaun]

It all comes down to the draft.

We lost Jones and Sanu, that hurts. But, personally, I could see a guy like Docston being an upgrade over Jones/Sanu. Then, of course, you need another WR. I'd view Tyler Boyd, Pharoh, and Shepard as nice replacements.

We haven't necessarily lost Nelson yet, although I think losing him would hurt our secondary more than some like to believe.

There's chances they can improve through the draft, because there are some quality players in it.

[Millhouse]

The draft wont mean squat for this upcoming season. Rarely does a rookie step in and produce on the level that is needed outside of RB. That is the one position that requires the least amount of thinking involved when it comes down to it, and is why rookie rbs tend to be the most successful over all the other positions overall. It will be a miracle if they draft a WR after the first round that will step right in and produce like a vet would. And there arent even any good vets to sign to begin with. Lafell isnt an upgrade over Jones no matter how its spun. If signed he will be a filler til someone else takes over the 2 spot.

I am taking the negative train here, because this team will be lucky to get back to 12-4 record. If they get there, they will need teams like the Ravens to be injury plagued like last year.

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2016, 03:23 PM)Millhouse Wrote: I am taking the negative train here, because this team will be lucky to get back to 12-4 record. If they get there, they will need teams like the Ravens to be injury plagued like last year.

[wolfkaosaun]

(03-17-2016, 03:23 PM)Millhouse Wrote: I am taking the negative train here, because this team will be lucky to get back to 12-4 record. If they get there, they will need teams like the Ravens to be injury plagued like last year.

The Ravens went 0-3 while they were still pretty healthy. They ended up going 2-6 before losing Steve Smith for the season. The Ravens were a bad team overall last year, even before they were riddled with injuries. They actually went 3-5 once they lost Steve Smith. Went 2-5 without Flacco.

The Ravens were just a bad team last year. Injuries played a part down the line, but they were bad before all of that happened.

The only bright spot to last year really was them finding out Aiken is a pretty good player.

[Atomic Orange]

No they haven't improved but neither has the competition. Stoolers lost their Jones and w/out cheap shots and pocket refs we should compete with them, Ravens may have improved and i expect a split. Clowns are dead.

[*jason*]

Hell yes they've improved. 

Addition by subtraction baby...