T-Dub

Here's another fun stat: the last time the Bengals weren't top 5 in pass attempt % they went to the Super Bowl. As I've said before a few times myself, he's been expected to hard-carry the offense with a plodder of a RB whose biggest contribution to the team was smiles. We'll see how they call games without him.

What versatility? He blocks OK, certainly not dominant but serviceable. That's about it. Every year they bring in some FA TE to actually go do TE stuff. He's a 2nd round bust they refuse to give up on. Even with Irv Smith giving us absolutely nothing last year Sample was on the field for a little less than half the time (not sure if ST snaps count & are inflating that number). Just seems like another example of a marginal player that the team is unwilling to move on from because of the initial investment.

That was last year when they'd lost the starting QB and were forced to run the ball more. In the 2 years where Joe survived the entire season he was the most-sacked QB over that span.

its kayfabe all the way down

They arent all giving up the most sacks allowed. That's objectively the worst. Every other team is blocking better than the Bengals. I know the running excuse is "everyone has trouble finding OL" but the Bengals are still the worst at it. It doesn't mean it's easy, it means that literally every other team in the NFL is better at it I have to think that leaves some room for improvement, right?

Kinda crazy Gesicki and Sample's 3 career TD's will be earning the same salary this year. Still say there's no chance they would've offered him that extension if he was a UFA instead of a 2nd round pick. Sunk cost all the way.

"How to have the worst OL in the league consistently"

Why even run the play? Spot the ball at the 30 and be done with it. At this point it's only an excuse to air 2-3 extra ad breaks while they sort out their latest goof shit.

Think the big difference is experience, that same CB coming from Auburn is probably more ready for the pro game. How big a deal that is to the team depends on how much they trust their coaches. If they think the OL coach has made a 4th round pick into a starting LG, maybe they don't feel pressed to take that OT in the first 2 rounds. If on the other hand they think he's made Pro Bowl vets look like 4th round picks, well,. that's a bigger problem when he's also your only dedicated OL scout and keeps mumbling to himself about wide zones and ketchup. To put it bluntly I'm going to be both a little surprised and more than a little relieved if they do manage to draft a good long-term RT. At this point I have to hope they're due for one at random, not so much by being more capable.

Right, if it's a TD they'll call it an honest mistake but if Kermit throws an INT they can whistle the play dead. No change there.

Ah, so they can still let them run plays after the clock expires.

It would be hard to top Jonah's 12 sacks allowed from 2022, but he did give up 7 last year. I doubt 7 sacks is average but yes, more to the point, why are they still trying to blow smoke up everyone's ass after that performance? I guess the "gas up underperforming player" part of the Bengals offseason arrives a little early this year

Im sure they will use the clock review consistently and not as another means to hand teams do-overs when they don't like the outcome of a play.

And iirc you could count his missed starts on your fingers

Almost.

Probably the smart move when your draft room is one big bowl of questionable coleslaw away from also serving as your family reunion.

He's managed one full season in the past 5 years. Based on his average availability it works out to about half a mil per start. Until I know who will be playing RT the 2nd half of the season I'm gonna have to pump the brakes on all that backslapping just a bit.

Was anyone really impressed with OB Jr last year? For all the yap he seemed pretty average to me. I guess the party line is to blame Volson but I'm not convinced. Maybe its those "wide zone concepts" that seem to mean shuffling your feet while looking confused & not actually blocking anyone.

I agree last year was last this year and this year they are less last year for next year. Last year they are this year starting next year's last year better.

Always a few guys at each position that end up being good in the pros but aren't really on the media radar, usually because they're not at one of the football factory schools. Unfortunately for us they tend to get scooped up by teams with good scouting departments.

& then when handed this generational talent they let the likes of Jonah Williams play out of position to save $6-8M on the way to letting their franchise QB be the most-sacked QB in the NFL (for the 2 seasons he's managed to stay on the field.) Kinda like being handed a gold mine and building an outhouse over the mine shaft. I think the younger generation of ownership may have learned something from their past but the fact remains they're only in that ownership position due to a genetic lottery.

Good thing he's going to the modern NFL where holding isn't really a concern most of the time.

Have to figure he was a 4th round pick for a reason. If teams thought he was ready to start he would've gone higher.

This is the sort of thing that has me down on Pollack despite only having late-round picks to work with.* His OL very clearly does not like to employ wide zone concepts. They suck at wide zone concepts. Wide zone concepts send the QB to IR. Wide zone concepts can't run the ball effectively. Who gives a shit what the coaches like? A concept never blocked a blitzing LB. The system needs to fit the players they have, not some ideal roster in their heads.. Guessing this also tilts their draft board, overvaluing guys who fit this pet scheme instead of being flexible enough to take the BPA and adjust. He's gone after these smaller "athletic" linemen in the past that get absolutely ragdolled by AFCN DL's. Ditto Zac as our OC to an extent. At time he seems to be calling plays that only looked good on paper & don't seem to be playing to their strengths. Starting with the OL's inability to execute them, assuming as a group they do have strengths to play to hidden somewhere. *Carman is a notable exception as a 2nd round pick but the Bengals are not a good fit for a young player lacking motivation. This is a franchise where players can just show up and smile a lot or whatever & know they're going to play out their contracts. The coaches aren't scaring anybody because they're in that same boat no one seems willing to rock. Talked about it before, it's a cultural problem that I think stems from the nepotism. Regardless of why, lazy players & ineffective coaches both seem to feel comfortable here & Carman is only the latest example.

Because I doubt they want to tag Higgins a second time and there's not anyone else like him on the roster waiting to take his place. The 2 they drafted last year were both late round picks & neither are that type of player. I don't think they necessarily need to use the first pick to replace that, but they might. Again if it's a choice between the 3rd or 4th best WR in the class or the 7-8th best OT it follows that the WR is probably the better overall value. I don't have to like it but I can't deny their board could easily work out that way. When you're drafting in the bottom of the round it's about taking the best of whoever is left, they're probably not going to be looking at a dozen A-grade prospects.