Feel Any Better About The Wideout Situation?

[CageTheBengal]

Lafell, Core and Boyd really seemed to find their place without AJ on the field. Hopefully next season everyone can be utilized to their max potential.

Core and Boyd really look like up and comers.

[treee]

WR is not a need at all this year imo. If one falls into our lap in FA or the draft, then fine. Otherwise we should be good to go.

[SunsetBengal]

'Cage, I'm glad that you posted this thread, as I have made a couple of similar posts in recent draft related threads. WR is actually one of the few position groups on the Bengals, where I don't see a need for an outsider to be brought in via draft, or free agency, in order to have a competitive unit heading into next season.

I'd like to see the team reach terms with LaFell for another year or two, as he more than fulfilled my expectations of what he would bring to the team. As for Boyd and Core, I think they will be just fine, with Core emerging as a deep threat next season. Those three already mentioned, along with a healthy AJ Green, throw in Erickson and Wright for additional depth, this position group is just fine.

[CJD]

How people are reacting to Core reminds me of how we reacted to James Wright in 2014.

Hopefully, i'm wrong, but a lot of Core's yards in these past few games seemed to come from broken coverages (or CB slips) and quick passes on heavy blitzes.

He doesn't make me comfortable at all at WR.

Boyd is good, but does seem to struggle to break away from CBs and Lafell is getting old.

I think we still need another high end receiver in this draft in order for me to actually feel good about this WR corp.

[sonofstat]

Yeah, but I'd feel a whole better if we can get Eifert on the field for a full season. The receivers other than Green need to be complementary if we have Eifert and I think we mostly have that with LaFell, Boyd and Core...

the only gap may be a flat out burner. Though i do not want to see one drafted in first 3 rounds.

have a lot of respect for LaFell. I was thinking it could go a bit Coles/Antonio Bryant but he was rock solid for us

[Benton]

Even if we don't keep Lafell, I'm good. I like what we've seen Core and Boyd. I'd like to see more of Jake "The Condor" Kumerow (yeah, I'm hoping the name sticks but I know it won't). No, we haven't seen anything from him, but he's 6'4" and had some decent speed. Coach the kid on whatever he needs (routes, catching, I really don't know) and make him a red zone threat.

[CageTheBengal]

Is it just me or does Core remind anyone else of Chris Henry a little bit?

[J24]

I dont think we're bad at the position but I still think it's a need.

[motoarch]

I never felt bad about it. Doth jones and sanu were easily replaced for way less money then took plus we added core who looked pretty good. Jones got by on potential he never play d up to and sanu wasn't that good to begin with.

Lots of people got worked up about this and it was a non issue all season.

[kevin]

(01-07-2017, 05:52 PM)CageTheBengal Wrote: Lafell, Core and Boyd really seemed to find their place without AJ on the field. Hopefully next season everyone can be utilized to their max potential.

Core and Boyd really look like up and comers.

I won't feel good about anything until I see Mike Brown and Family re-sign our top players...We lost many top players 12 months ago and if we lose many more in that short of time, we are going backwards, not forwards. ....So I won't like or be happy with anything until we sign and keep these key players. ....Plus we just had a 6 win season, so this whole team from Mike Brown to water boy needs to find the fire and the hunger to put winning first and everything else second. .........but I did like how Boyd and Core developed and Wright is good and the kick returner Erickson has some game at WR, but I also liked LaFell A LOT....I would love to see us be able to line up with AJ Green, LaFell, Boyd, Core in a 4 WR set....Plus Eifert in TE formations....and depth for injuries...Boyd and Core came on as rookies, but that is no reason not to keep LaFell. If we want to win play-off games and go Super Bowl, you keep him also.  He may be even better than Green at getting his feet down in bounds. If we have too many pass catchers to cover, my how Green will eat defenses alive.

[Burma]

I'm Ok with what we have.  A few minor tweeks, of course, could not hurt.

If Mike Williams is there at 9 I have a feeling he might be our guy.  He's already being proclaimed the next Megatron. 

As to a free agent pick up, I think Robert Woods could be a solid addition.

[*wildcats forever*]

I'm just fine with who we have under contract, but would like to keep LaFell for a couple of years more. The last thing I'd want is to spend any draft pick for a WR this year. Too many needs elsewhere.

[*bfine32*]

I feel better that all out x-coordinators took the 3 WRs before us in the first round. I'd take Boyd over Doctson and Fuller. WTS, Coleman is the type we are missing. I was hoping Mario Alford would fill that role, but that looks more and more unlikely.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Still need another receiver to stretch the field. Boyd doesn't seem to get consistent separation, I haven't seen enough of Core yet (17 catches isn't enough to say he's an answer), and LaFell is going to be 31 next season and is a FA. He finished strong (because AJ was gone), but LaFell still had under 40 yards in 50% of the games he played in. That is vanishing way too much.

Plus assuming LaFell is gone, that just leaves you with a really shallow WR group again.

Still need to pick up a WR, round 3-5, who has speed.

[SunsetBengal]

(01-07-2017, 11:05 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Still need another receiver to stretch the field. Boyd doesn't seem to get consistent separation, I haven't seen enough of Core yet (17 catches isn't enough to say he's an answer), and LaFell is going to be 31 next season and is a FA. He finished strong (because AJ was gone), but LaFell still had under 40 yards in 50% of the games he played in. That is vanishing way too much.

Plus assuming LaFell is gone, that just leaves you with a really shallow WR group again.

Still need to pick up a WR, round 3-5, who has speed.

If you extrapolate 17 catches in two games, over the course of a 16 game season, that would be 136 catches. 

[Burma]

(01-07-2017, 11:05 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Still need another receiver to stretch the field. Boyd doesn't seem to get consistent separation, I haven't seen enough of Core yet (17 catches isn't enough to say he's an answer), and LaFell is going to be 31 next season and is a FA. He finished strong (because AJ was gone), but LaFell still had under 40 yards in 50% of the games he played in. That is vanishing way too much.

Plus assuming LaFell is gone, that just leaves you with a really shallow WR group again.

Still need to pick up a WR, round 3-5, who has speed.

Marquise Goodwin is a free agent. 26 years old, ran an official timed 4.33 at the combine (4.27 unofficial).  Young, fast, played with a bad QB so stats are down, but importantly... will be cheap!

Obligatory testimonial of goodliness

Quote:Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis learned something last night: Bills receiver Marquise Goodwin is a track star.

Goodwin got behind Revis for an 84-yard catch-and-run touchdown on the first throw of the night from Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. After the game, Revis was asked about Goodwin’s speed.
“He’s fast. He’s definitely fast,” Revis told reporters. “He’s just a fast receiver. I don’t know if he’s a track star, but he’s just a fast receiver.”
Asked if he’d be surprised to learn Goodwin was a member of the USA’s track and field team at the London Olympics in 2012, Revis said, “No, I wouldn’t be surprised. I definitely wouldn’t.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/09/16/darrelle-revis-didnt-know-marquise-goodwin-was-a-track-star-he-does-now/

His college scouting report looks very good for what we need in a field stretcher.

Quote:STRENGTHS


 Pure speed offers Goodwin the ability to beat defenders to and around the corner. Frequently sent in motion, gives a moving start or free release. Continues to hand fight downfield while blocking, gets into it with his opposition. Not afraid to hands catch over the middle, between linebacker and safety, and has speed to burn and break away if hit in stride. Utilizes head fakes on routes, animated movements. Protects body after the catch after slant, goes down to the ground to absorb contact. Makes defenders miss with lateral moves on kick return. Runs with shoulders over toes when expecting contact.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/profiles/marquise-goodwin?id=2539964

[samhain]

It's better than expected. I think Sanu was more easily replaced than some thought he might be. I still think we need a burner.

I'd also like to see Erickson used a bit more in the passing game.

[motoarch]

(01-07-2017, 11:29 PM)samhain Wrote: It's better than expected.  I think Sanu was more easily replaced than some thought he might be.  I still think we need a burner.  

I'd also like to see Erickson used a bit more in the passing game.

a trash can on wheels could have replaced sanu.  ive been saying that from day one

[*wildcats forever*]

(01-07-2017, 11:29 PM)samhain Wrote: It's better than expected.  I think Sanu was more easily replaced than some thought he might be.  I still think we need a burner.  

I'd also like to see Erickson used a bit more in the passing game.

Erickson might turn out to be the Rex Burkhead of the WR group. Similar kind of grit and determination. I'm hoping Urban works some magic there.

[CJD]

(01-07-2017, 11:29 PM)samhain Wrote: It's better than expected.  I think Sanu was more easily replaced than some thought he might be.  I still think we need a burner.  

I'd also like to see Erickson used a bit more in the passing game.

I don't think anyone was worried about replacing Sanu.

It was Jones that we needed to replace badly. And it showed throughout the year.

I know people are having a bit of a kumbaya moment with Lafell, but you need to remember that, he was invisible for the 0-3-1 string that officially killed our season. 87 total yards in 4 straight games.  

He came on well at the end when nothing mattered, but there were significant stretches of time when he was not around.

He'd be a good re-sign because he has experience in a pre-dominantly young WR corp. But we cannot go into the season with the same receiving corp as this year and expect to actually compete. Green was carrying this team hard at the beginning of the season, but he needs a second option to take the double coverage off of him on occasion.

I don't think Boyd will attract double coverage in his second year. He's not explosive at all, so he is a single coverage guy. And Core, while fast...I dunno. I think he had a few fluky games at the end of the year and expecting anything out of him in his second year would be foolish.

We need a 1st or 2nd round WR that can threaten the long ball. We threw, essentially, zero deep balls all year and that was because Green was always covered by a safety and none of our other receivers are anywhere near fast enough to beat 1 on 1 coverage, except for maybe Core (but you can't expect him to become an every day player because of 2 games).

If Williams is there at 9, I hope we take him. Unless, of course, a prospect like Myles, Allen or Barnett is available. Then it'd be a tough choice.