spicoli

Need to start thinking about bringing in a young stud corner next year, IMO. Picking in the middle of the round should be a good place to make that happen.

Jesus, Akili should have NEVER have been drafted in the first rd, period. There were SOOOO many red flags that they just flat out ignored. They got what they deserved in the end....fuck em.

Joe Burrow's Year 1 impact Bucky Brooks NFL.com Analyst A look at why Joe Burrow could have the Bengals back in contention sooner than you think ... It's quite difficult for a rookie quarterback to immediately engineer a dramatic turnaround, but Joe Burrow could help the Cincinnati Bengals re-emerge as a competitive team in the AFC quicker than many anticipate. I'm not proclaiming the reigning Heisman Trophy winner is an overnight savior, but he's stepping into a program that is undergoing a cultural change while retaining enough weapons to significantly smooth a rookie quarterback's transition to the NFL. I know, I know: The Bengals just went 2-14, which is why they were in position to draft Burrow at No. 1 overall in the first place. It's difficult to envision such a franchise being a group on the rise. But trust me: This isn't your typical top-pick-holding team. It's uncommon for a two-win organization to have a blue-chip running back (Joe Mixon) and a pair of top-tier pass catchers (A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd) already in the fold. Not to mention, Cincy spent the first pick of the second round on Clemson WR Tee Higgins, a big-bodied vertical playmaker who's excellent on 50-50 balls. That's plenty of firepower at the skill positions. On the line, the Bengals essentially add another first-round pick in Jonah Williams, the 11th overall pick from the 2019 NFL Draft who missed all of last season after injuring his shoulder during team activities in June. Williams, who was the first offensive lineman selected in last year's draft, slots in at left tackle. Although questions persist about the Alabama product's ability to emerge as a five-star blind-side protector, given his less-than-ideal physical tools, the Bengals are betting on Williams' polished technique and competitiveness to enable him to hold his own against superior athletes on the edge. If Williams develops into a blue-chip bookend, the Bengals can check off two of the boxes on the "3 Ps" formula (play caller, playmakers and protection) that enables young quarterbacks to enjoy early success in the league. This leaves second-year head coach Zac Taylor as the critical factor to Burrow's success. Taylor's still acclimating to calling plays in the NFL while overseeing the entire operation, but when I spoke to him at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine, he told me that he was getting more comfortable in his role and felt better prepared to handle all of the responsibilities on his plate. I believe we will see a more confident and composed play caller in 2020. With a year under his belt, Taylor will be able to build better game plans for his quarterback. And I loved what I heard from Burrow on a recent RapSheet + Friends podcast, where the rookie signal-caller talked about how Taylor is fully soliciting his input on the playbook. "I think the direction that they're heading is going to fit me even more. They're going to do things that I'm comfortable with, and that's a great sign," Burrow said to my colleague Ian Rapoport. "They had me put down my top 10 plays that I had and send it to them, so they can study them and see if they [can] have them in the offense, if they don't [already] have them in the offense." The collaboration between Taylor and Burrow is essential to building a championship-caliber offense. Moreover, the trust developed between the head coach and his new franchise face is part of creating a culture that fosters a turnaround. Urban Meyer joined the "Move The Sticks" podcast earlier this week and discussed Burrow, who spent his first three years of college with the coach at Ohio State before transferring to LSU. "He's at the Cincinnati Bengals now and they were 2-14 last year," Meyer said. "Do you want to help Joe become great? Surround him with a great culture with great leadership and some great players. If you do that, he'll be great. If not, he won't." Meyer's points regarding culture shouldn't be ignored. Young players need to be nurtured in the right environment to maximize individual and collective potential. Taylor is attempting to transform the Bengals' culture by bringing in players who understand and embrace a championship standard. "We're not just trying to win games -- we're trying to win championships," Taylor told reporters shortly after the draft. "Ultimately, you have to think long term with that championship mindset. People that are willing to work harder than any team in the league. We feel like we've added the right people. Not for one second did we compromise talent with the guys we added. "Sometimes you can say someone is a high-character guy, but you maybe have to research to find out if the talent is good enough. Our staff did an excellent job of finding the right guys with combinations of both things -- character and talent. That's going to make us a better team." Many coaches believe in taking players from winning programs, particularly championship programs, because that signals that they're willing to do the little things required to win at a high level. From their work ethic and discipline to their competitive spirit, the best players on championship teams are also the hardest workers. That's why the Bengals signed six defensive free agents that were on playoff teams and drafted six players who were team captains. The addition of the captains, in particular, is important due to their proven leadership skills. Captains understand how to carry out the head coach's message and hold their teammates accountable. "When you say a guy with an edge, that's a guy who's not afraid to hold his teammates to a higher standard," Taylor told reporters. "They have a killer instinct on the field playing against an opponent, but at the same time, that's not where most of your time is spent. Most of your time is spent in meeting rooms, on practice fields or doing individual stuff. We're going to get to where we want to go if not just the coaches hold the players to a high standard, but the players hold themselves to that standard." The Bengals aren't likely to make a worst-to-first turnaround in this AFC North with a rookie quarterback at the helm, but Burrow's arrival coincides with a culture change that could result in the team forging a quicker-than-expected climb up the charts. https://www.nfl.com/news/joe-burrow-s-year-1-impact-isaiah-simmons-role-and-much-more

Remember Jonah? Bengals Do As They Line Up Two No. 1s https://www.bengals.com/news/remember-jonah-bengals-do-as-they-line-up-two-no-1s

Bengals O-Line Overhaul Looks To Finish https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-o-line-overhaul-looks-to-finish

Why does that matter? Is there a league mandate that says you can’t be a team leader until you’ve started X amount of games?

Ruiz is listed as a RG on the depth chart and every piece of information I've found on the subject says that he's going to be a RG....but ok. There's plenty of teams out there that are moving these guys around, it's not like it's some Cincinnati thing. Interior players are absolutely interchangeable, that's my opinion.

Pretty much every team in the league does the same thing....Saints drafted Ruiz and moved him to RG and kicked out Warford. It's a pretty common occurrence. Those guys should absolutely be interchangeable.

I guess it depends on how much stock you put into PFF grades. And a interior lineman is a interior lineman, IMO. They should all be interchangeable. Look, Warford is a beast in the run game but in the passing game...not so much. Pass.

The unequivocal leader of that group is Trey Hopkins by a landslide....which is a good thing. I know it's hard to grasp that the Bengals could build a fine leader within their organization but....that's what happened. Low and behold.

Never missed a snap in college then threw up 225 bench 23 times at the combine and went through every drill with no issues whatsoever.. I know everyone is shell shocked...but...Jonah Williams is a MUCH better prospect than Ced Ogb or Jake Fisher ever thought about being. He'll be fine.

I thought the goal was to protect Burrow? Su’a Filo graded out much higher as a pass blocker than Warford did.

Lol it's not like the guy had his arm ripped off in a farming accident and then reattached. What is it that's got you so worried...that he'll be a bust or that he can't come back from injury?

I'm going to say 6-10...but...if you can win 6 you can just as easily win 10. It's just a matter of a few breaks going your way. Most rookie QB's don't get to start with the amount of talent the Bengals can put around Burrow as far as skill positions. Every bit of it comes down to the OL. Gonna be fun to watch, no doubt about it.

But yet you blame Dalton...go figure.

I think you leave Michael Jordan at LG and don’t look back. I believe he going to lock down that spot for the next 5 years. He started off rough last year and got benched but when he came back you could tell the lightbulb came on for him and he started showing out. They’re in a good spot left to center, IMO.

I likey. Thanks Go

Tyler Eifert will stay healthy, start every game and catch 15 tds..

I did the same. Wishing them nothing but the best. They will surely be missed in this city.

Bungholio! Welcome back!

Hubbard?

Especially with an entire season plus off-season now. He should be way ahead of the curve at this point. HUGE upgrade over Andre Smith on the blindside!

I definitely get that but, in this one instance, this is one article that is absolutely worth everyone’s time to read. Much much respect to that family.

Love it!