BlackJesus

I think AJ is by far the most important to re-sign of the two. In fact, I'd extend him now, and then I'd make Boyd play out this season and prove it again, as Ross may flourish under this new system as well, and become the WR2. Boyd played great last season and was a 3rd and 4th down machine, but I think he may want a salary that is larger than what he's proven he's worth. As a general rule, I'd say only go over 10 mill a year for proven Pro Bowl type talent. Plus Ross already is making top 10 pick salary, so how much of a % can one team devote just to the WR position if they pay AJ, Boyd, and Ross (for at least the next 2-3 seasons)?

The helmets should never be changed. They are the best in all of football (pro, college, etc). But the uniforms should be adjusted with even more emphasis on stripes. I wish the NFL would make an exception that the Bengals instead of white and black -- can have orange jerseys and pants (with black stripes on them) for both home and away games (essentially not having a white or black jersey) --- since those are the colors of an actual tiger and would match the helmet which is orange with black stripes. This way the Bengals would play in the same uniform for both home and away (just have 2 sets of the same one). I would also have the pants fully striped, not a band along the side ...

I oddly feel like the Bengals might be the front runner at this point. Bengals have 22 million in cap room, vs Carolina with only 9 ... and those are the next two most interested.

My prediction would be 7-9 All sizzle ... no steak.

Adam 'Pacman' Jones retiring after 12 seasons By Herbie Teope Published: May 24, 2019 at 12:33 p.m. Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones has called it a career. Jones used social media Thursday to announce his retirement in an Instagram story, which now consists of Jones posting congratulatory messages on his career. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo has since confirmed Jones has retired. Jones entered the league in 2005 as a first-round pick out of West Virginia with the Tennessee Titans and became an immediate contributor on defense and special teams, starting 28 games over his first two seasons in Tennessee. He went on to play for Titans, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos in 12 seasons, earning an All-Pro selection in 2014 as a returner and making the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2015 while with the Bengals. Despite his talent, Jones was also known for off-field incidents, including a well-documented offseason occurrence in 2007 at Las Vegas gentleman's club during NBA All-Star Weekend. Jones received a suspension for the entire 2007 season, and then did not play in 2009. Jones, who played in seven games for the Broncos in 2018, finishes his playing career appearing in 146 games with 104 starts, totaling 522 tackles, 17 interceptions and 97 passes defensed. As a specialist, Jones amassed 1,944 yards and five touchdowns on 192 punt returns and 3,232 yards on 125 kickoff returns. Jones released the following statement through his longtime agent Peter Schaffer: "How do I start my next chapter? Well, I start by first turning the page and closing out one of the most thrilling chapters of my life. A chapter that started as just a dream from a kid from Boat Rock. A dream that became a reality with the blessings of God Almighty, hard work, the dedication to not give up and a village of prayer warriors surrounding me. "I stand tall and proud as I announce that this beautiful life-changing ride that I have been on in the National Football League has come to an end, I'm officially hanging my cleats up, with no regrets! "How can I not be proud, 13 years in the game man, hell, I sometimes can't believe it, but it's real. I will forever be grateful for having the opportunity to do what I love for so many years. We climbed through the mud to get here, we broke barriers, we cried, we laughed, we broke cycles, we broke records, we fell, but got the f--- back up, we lost some and double down and won the rest, we did what they said couldn't be done, and I say we because with my family, my supporters and my Almighty, we built this chapter of the story together. "I will forever love this game, and it's a blessing to know the game loved me, real s---. I appreciate and thank everyone who played a role in my career. Every organization and coach I was blessed to play for, I am forever grateful for the opportunities and memories. My teammates, my brothers, I thank you, we had an absolute ball. It was a honor to take the field with you all, we left our stain out there together. To every coach that played a part in molding me into the athlete that I am, you'll never be forgotten. Coach Allen, Coach Gibby, Coach Fisher, Zim, Hugh, PG it was a honor to play for some of the best to do it. "Prime Time, thank you for your love and knowledge, brother. Jerry Jones, thank you for teaching me the business side of this game. Dave, my brother, you know what it is for life. "Coach Lewis and Mr. Brown there will never be enough words to express how much love I got for you guys. Each of you got to know the real me, you allowed me to be me, on my good days and bad, you had my back. You all showed me and my family, that love and loyalty does exist in this business. I wasn't just a number, people don't understand how much that means to a player and a person. It meant the world to me! "Peter, my friend, my brother, we are locked in for life. We worked our ass off man. We showed the game what a powerful partnership and friendship looks like! We got it done our way! I thank you for all, Schaffer! "Baby, my Tish, I hope you know how much I love you and thank God for you every day. You've been my rock, my partner through all, you have kept me lifted when times got hard as hell, through every injury, every lost and victory, you have kept our family centered with peace and always with a smile when doing it all, thank you baby for your strength and unconditional love! "Mama, those genetics is a monster baby! Thank you for those strong ass legs and quick ass feet you gave me baby! You gave up your dream to have me and passed the baton to me, I hope I made you proud. I love you Mama! "Zaniyah, Triniti and Jr, thank you for cheering Daddy on, thank you for understanding on the days Daddy couldn't be there, you all are my world, and now it's time for me to pass the baton and cheer you on, cause y'all up next, no cap! "To my city, Cincinnati, I love you, they say home is where the heart is, you will forever have my heart. Thank you for all the love & support! "And to all my fans, I totally love you all for life! Y'all filled the stands, wrote the letters, stood in lines, cried for me and with me, celebrated and embraced the victories with me, y'all stayed down with your boy and I am forever grateful for the love. "I left my blood, sweat and tears out on that field, and it was amazing! I hope you all enjoyed the show. Blessed, humbled, thankful and content, that's a great way to end a remarkable chapter!" http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001031882/article/adam-pacman-jones-retiring-after-12-seasons

Perhaps. At that time he was probably the best or 2nd best WR in the NFL, younger, and no injuries ... now he is older, been injured more, and a top 5 WR ... but not usually universally seen as being in the top 3. The highest salaries on a yearly basis for WR 1. Odell Beckham Jr.: $18 million 2. Antonio Brown: $17 million 3. Mike Evans: $16.5 million 4. DeAndre Hopkins: $16.2 million 5. Brandin Cooks: $16.2 million 6. Sammy Watkins: $16 million 7. Jarvis Landry: $15.98 million 8. A.J. Green: $15 million I mean I wouldn't be against giving him 17 a year or maybe even 18 (which would make him the highest paid in the NFL), but I think all things considered 15-16 is more market value.

Just cut this bum. He sucks.

McCoy and Atkins would give the Bengals the best interior D line in the NFL. I'd throw the bank at him. He'd instantly be the 3rd best player on the team after AJ & Geno.

The big hurdle is going to be AJ's contract. As he will be 31 to start the Season ... but has at least 4 good years left in him. So I'd give AJ a 4 year 60 million extension (15 per).

Since he's in the last year of a deal and not making much, the Bengals have a good deal of leverage. Because of that I'd favor going for more upfront money but less of a yearly rate. Also with an age of 24, I'd favor a 6 year deal - as 4 is too short. So something along the lines of 6 year 48 million (8 per, rather than 10). He could of course turn that down ... but one torn ACL this season and he puts everything in jeopardy.

Because of Cincy's market size and dark decade of irrelevance the only solution is to win playoff games and give the league no other choice than to give them respect and pay attention. It would be interesting to see how the league would react if the Bengals won the Super Bowl. Could they still ignore them? Would they be forced to pretend to care? Or would the band wagon fill up and all of the sudden everyone would become a Bengals fan?

I hope Mixon doesn't run the ball a single time in the Pre-season. There's no need. He doesn't need practice reps where he can be injured on plays that don't even count.

For me it's about the DRAFT One of the biggest mistakes I think was in 2004 and trading down from pick #17 to #24 (they later went down again to #26) and drafting Chris Perry (Mr. Glass), when if the Bengals had stayed put with their original #17 pick they could have drafted DT Vince Wilfork (who went #21) -- a hall of fame talent in the middle and the Bengals biggest need was DT. Another was the 2010 draft, when the Bengals drafted the first TE Jermaine Gresham at pick #21, and the next TE went 21 picks later at #42, Rob Gronkowski. Many thought the Bengals should have went for Gronk instead, and imagine if they had. You could make the argument that the Patriots dynasty was aided by the Bengals draft passes maybe more than any other team with those 2 guys.* (*They even threw in Corey Dillon for a Patriot rental and 2004 Superbowl champ as well.)

I have no doubt that the Squeelers traded one pick ahead of the Bengals as they thought the Bengals were taking Devin Bush. But the question becomes why did they think this? Did they have actual information or just going by the 'conventional draft wisdom' of team needs. From What Zac Taylor has said, it isn't clear to me that Devin Bush was even the target to begin with and that Jonah may have been the pick regardless. From the draft picks that Taylor made, it looks like he places more emphasis on physical size (height / weight) than maybe some others do, and that he likes high bench press #s' Pratt had 24 reps compared to Bush's 21, so not much of a big gap, though Pratt is 3 inches taller and much more muscular. It's also clear from the Sample pick that maybe Taylor thought the offensive running game was the biggest need that needed fixing, and not the defense as many fans believed. Ultimately, I was not a huge fan of Devin Bush, as I saw him closer to a glorified SS, rather than LB. I think he will make a range of 'splash highlight plays' but also that he will get engulfed by OL a lot and that won't be noticed by the fans. As for being a solid pro, I think Jonah has a better chance to be a solid 10 year starter, though I admit it is close. When you consider that the Squeelers gave up a 2nd round this year and a 3rd round next year -- 2 potential starters, to move up those 10 spots, I think they likely overpaid for a player the Bengals may not have even wanted, or would not have been better than Jonah anyway.

2019 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ryan Finley Ryan Finley Scouting Report By Charlie Campbell Strengths: Accurate passer Ball placement Protects the football Makes good decisions Moves his eyes Works through his progression Can throw receivers open Doesn't miss open receivers Shows good timing Anticipation Able to loft in touch passes Has more mobility than many realize Will use his feet Sneaky ability to pick up yards on the ground Quality mechanics Good fit in a West Coast offense blockquote { font-size: 12px; border-left: none; } blockquote a, .noclass, blockquote a:hover, .noclass:hover { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; } blockquote a:visited, .noclass { color: #551A8B; text-decoration: underline; } td { vertical-align: top; } a:visited { color: #551A8B; } .content-block { padding-left: 15px; } Weaknesses: More of a game manager than a play-maker Arm strength is adequate, but not special Limited passer Not a dual-threat weapon Summary: Finley started out his collegiate career at Boise State. In 2015, he won the competition to be the Broncos' starting quarterback, but after two starts, he broke an ankle and was out for the season. Brett Rypien excelled in his place, taking and keeping the starting quarterback job. That led to Finley transferring to N.C. State to be reunited with his Boise State quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz. In 2016 for the Wolfpack, Finley completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,055 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. During a 9-4 2017 season, a lot of attention was paid to N.C. State. Part of that was because the Wolfpack had a NFL defensive line with perhaps the best defender in college football with end Bradley Chubb, but going under the radar was a potent offense that consistently produced big point totals. In fact, the Wolfpack had only four games during the entire season in which they didn't score 30 points or more. Finley was the steady commander of that offense, guiding the team up and down the field. He completed 65 percent of his passes on the season for 3,518 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. In 2018, Finley completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,928 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was an accurate game-manager for N.C. State, doing a good job of protecting the football and leading an efficient passing offense. There is a lot to like about Finley translating to the NFL. The most important trait for any quarterback is accuracy, which Finley has. Consistently, he demonstrates good ball placement to complete passes and keep the ball away from the defense. Finley makes good decisions and shows impressive ball security. He is adept at avoiding interceptions and rarely makes mistakes from being overly aggressive. Finley is very good at throwing slants, digs and crosses - the staple routes of a West Coast offense. With his timing and precision, Finley has very good ball placement to help throw his receivers open. He would be an excellent fit for a NFL West Coast offense. Finley improved his deep-ball passing as a junior and made some beautiful throws downfield. With loft underneath a lot of his passes, Finley throws a very catchable ball, and his timing can be excellent to hit receivers in stride to lead them to yards after the catch. Finley has a quality arm that should be adequate for the NFL. It does not jump out as an elite cannon or rare arm strength, but in the right system, Finley's arm should not be a liability. While Finley is not a true running threat, he does have some athleticism and a sneaky ability to pick up yards on the ground. Finley caught defenses by surprise on a lot of zone-read runs, as he is not expected to be a danger with his feet, but he has more quickness and agility than one would think. In the NFL, Finley's running ability will be reduced because of the speed of the defenders. However, he is capable of picking up a yards with his feet when nothing is open, and it will help him to avoid some sacks. Finley was a good college quarterback, but he is more of a game manager than a play-maker. He is not a dynamic thrower of the football. His arm strength and skill set lead to him having some limitations as a player. Thus, Finley could become a starter in the NFL, but he does not have a special skill set to be a top-10 starting quarterback as a pro. Because of Finley's strengths and weaknesses, he is more of a second-day pick for the 2019 NFL Draft. He may not become an elite starter, but he should at least be a good backup quarterback. Player Comparison: Alex Smith. During the 2018 season, Finley repeatedly reminded me of a less athletic version of Smith. Finley does not have Smith's athleticism and running ability, but they have a similar style of play as passers. In the NFL, I could see Finley being a quarterback like Smith who is a slightly above-average starter, but not elite or special. NFL Matches: New York Giants, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Denver, Cincinnati, Miami, Washington, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Obviously, free agency will have a big impact on the quarterback market because some teams will acquire veterans and won't consider taking a signal-caller with a first-round pick. The first quarterback-needy team selecting in Round 1 is the New York Giants. They have an aging and declining Eli Manning, but passed on a potential franchise quarterback last year. If they do that again in the first round, New York could consider Finley on Day 2. The Jaguars could move on from the inept Blake Bortles and get a new franchise quarterback this offseason. They could sign a veteran in free agency and draft a quarterback like Finley on Day 2 or in the mid-rounds to serve as a backup. Staying in the state of Florida, Tampa Bay could take Finley as a backup to Jameis Winston. If Winston isn't re-signed, Finley could be an in-house replacement option for the Buccaneers. Denver needs a quarterback of the future due to Case Keenum just being a stop-gap veteran. If the Broncos address a different need in Round 1, they could look at Finley later on. Cincinnati could decide to move on or bring in competition for Andy Dalton with its new head coach. Ditto for Miami with Ryan Tannehill. Thus, Finley could be in play for the Bengals or the Dolphins on Day 2 or in the mid-rounds. The Redskins could consider taking a quarterback because Alex Smith may miss the 2019 season due to his leg injury. Even if he comes back, he is aging and limited, so Washington could easily select a quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft. Finley could be a fit for one of the Redskins' three selections on Day 2. The Steelers, Chargers and Patriots are all teams that could consider a quarterback as their aging signal-callers have a limited number of years left. https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2019rfinley.php

I'd go ... LT - LG - C - RG - RT Glenn - Boling - Price - Miller - Williams (Hart back up both T) (Jordan back up both G) (Hopkins back up C)

I'm not that high on Tua. I think he will basically be what Mariota is. However, Trevor Lawrence who can't be drafted for 2 more years I think will be the best QB in the NFL. He would have been the #1 pick this draft as a true freshman if allowed. Many teams are going to "Tank for Trevor" in 2020

Think about it, you're hired as a new NFL head coach. It's your first off season. You have a QB who has never won a playoff game on the roster with only 2 years left on his deal and the going rate is 35 mil a year now. You have all the college QB's to interview and look into ... and you invite 1 single top QB to visit your stadium - Ryan Finley. You put all your eggs in his basket as you're so impressed with him from his visit. He's the smartest QB in the draft and teaches your coverages back to you. And it just so happens that he's very similar to the last QB you coached and won the NFL job with (Jared Goff) same height, similar playing style .... and then you trade up and give up 2 extra picks to ensure you draft him. If you believe this looks like someone just grabbing a backup arm in case of injury, then you're not seeing the full picture. I don't care how many times they say in the media that this is "Andy's team"... that's temporary. It's Finley's future.