snarkster

If they extend Jackson & extend/tag Green, that $36M is pretty much spent & maybe a little more, but not sure what there cap counts would be though.

Don't know to he's a surefire star at LT, but going into camp I think you have to stick him in there and hope. One slight ray of sunshine, Johnson didn't look bad at LT toward the end of the season. Also, i think they really need find a RT in the 2nd or 3rd round who might be able to swing to the left side in a pinch and if Cordy is still around at guard, you can slide him out there in injury emergencies. Not ideal, but beats having to stick Miller, Jerry or Sugar Tits out on an edge. For buckeye fans, does Isaiah Prince from tOSU have any potential as a backup or position versatility or is he just PS fodder?

Jackson MUST step up and be a #1 CB or we're in trouble. I'd like to have Queze back as the 3rd/Slot CB and have no problem with Phillips as the 4th. I would not shed a tear if they part ways with Dre, BUT...only if they can come up with a #2 CB in the draft or FA. Unfortunately, if not, I think you have to at least go to camp with him and live with his intermittent stupidity.

My 2nd, 3rd & 4th picks are in large part determined by FA success. IMO, the Bengals need OL and LB signing that are no more than half a step down from the market's elite at those positions. If they can head into the draft with say, an OG (Schreff or Glasgow) and a LB (Littleton/Schobert/Martinez) in their pocket, it blows the draft wide open. In that scenario my top position priorities would be CB & OL (an OG if they sign an OT, OT if they sign an OG). I know, I know, BPA! BPA! In this draft though I think there will be a good case to be made for a CB or OL as a BPA in the 2nd or 3rd round. I'd probably look hard at CB, because the earlier you can get them in the draft the better. With a deep class, you should be able to find a pretty solid OG or RT at the the top of the 3rd. I'd really like to see them enter the raft with an extra 3rd rounder too to take a DT, Edge or LB as well.

Can't see them not re-upping AJ, tagging him or trying a sign & trade deal at the very least. Id he is extended, there is no reason to replace him, if he's traded for a premium pick, I more or less use that pick to replace him. If he is tagged, I wait and use a 1st or 2nd in 2021 to select his replacement. If I keep were to tag him and it doesn't look like the playoffs are in the cards I look to deal him at the deadline, then I look for a contender whose Super Bowl chances can be boosted by adding a top 5 WR and try to leverage that for a premium pick.

Recently heard someone say that 7th rounders are worthless so why even bother trading a vet for on instead of just cutting them an be done with them. While, I can see that argument to a certain extent. An extra last round pick could allow you to move up a spot or two in the 6th to get a guy you like. Seventh rounders also allow you to secure a guy who might otherwise end up a UDFA instead of having to bid/recruit against other teams for them. Granted, a UDFA isn't a huge issue, but every year at least a handful end up on the roster at some point.

There are two position groups I'd be of going light (or ignoring outright) in the draft - one on each side of the ball. On offense, TE. Everyone would love to have a stud all-around TE to help Burrow, but I'd be actually return Sample & Uzomah at two of the 3 or 4 roster slots and Schreck or Carter in reserve. I also think there are times when you can utilize Tata in kind of a flex TE role. If you can get it done a a reasonable $$$ amount with Eifert, I'd be OK with a middle-late round or even a UDFA or two addition while putting a top addition off a year and centering resources elsewhere. If Eifert's not an option, I think there are journeyman-type guys out there that can stopgap times for a season. On defense, LB. Up until recently I believed that a premium round LB draft pick would be a must. Now, a weak LB class and a reduced emphasis for the position league-wide changed my mind. If you do go light in the draft though, I believe at least one top young LB FA is a must though. I see them carrying no more than six LB's though (and wouldn't shock me to see them count Lawson against the six instead as an all-around backer). Pratt is fine at one starting spot, a FA like Littleton, Schobert, Martinez , etc. needs to be another starter, I'd be OK with re-upping Vigil as a situational guy if possible (but not as a starter and not for starter money). If Vigil doesn't return, a solid lower-tier FA LB could actually be a bit of an upgrade. Not enthusiastic about any other returnees. Top FA, Pratt & Vigil + Lawson gives you 4 of 6. The other two & depth? One similarity between TE & LB is their roster priority on each side of the ball has been reduced of late in the NFL. Another? You can more easily find a serviceable candidate on the wavier wire or in mid-late Rd draft picks & UDFAs. At LB, I'd invest a 5-7 rounder, scour other team's cuts and go strong in the UFDA class with an emphasis on mobility and special teams versatility. A journeyman vet who can fill all three spots and a young special teams ace would be perfect for those slots, IMO. Another way to answer the LB need would be to re-up Dennard &/or find another DB who is also a solid tackler to replace a LB in one of the many passing packages.

I believe the odds of Glenn being there in camp when it opens is higher than many believe. I've always wondered though if he is, why isn't he mentioned more as RT instead of guard. If healthy, he certainly has the size for RT and he's probably more mobile than many. In my mind , Hopkins & Williams are pretty much lock at two starting berths. I see Jordan as a lock for an inside berth and Fred Johnson's late performance probably was good enough to secure him a 3rd or 4th tackle spot at the very least. While we're talking reserves, not sure Price is a starter candidate without a huge camp, but his former 1st starter probably keeps in around another season as an interior reserve. As for the other three starting berths? I think they must go outside the draft and the current roster to fill one position. Would love for them to sack up and grab one of the very best FA tackles or Thunes at guard, but don't see it. I think it's almost a must for them to try their best (and then some) to step up for an interior guy like Scherrf or Glasgow. The other two spots depending on Glenn (if he returns), I believe he's a better RT option than Bobbie Hart. Hart though seems to have become almost a fetish object for this organization and I expect him to start game one at RT. If that is the case then, I would make Glenn the leader at LG next to Williams and I would still spend a 2nd or 3rd rounder for one of the deep class of tackles in this draft to push and ultimately replace Hart on the right edge. That would leave us with: Starters: OC Hopkins RG FA (Scherff/Glasgow/???) LG Glenn RT Hart LT Williams Reserves: Jordan Johnson (2nd/3rd Rd. OT pick) (Price/Miller/Jerry/Redmond/Prince/Dugas/Vet Pickup/2nd Draft Pick/UDFA) I'd still scour the wire for upgrades with particular scrutiny of veteran pre-camp cuts from other teams. A 36-38 year veteran isn't going to be a long-term fix at any spot, but chances of finding long-term answers at all five spots Such pickups (as well as Glenn at guard) can really help stabilize a spot or provide quality depth in case of injury allowing them to allow a youngster to develop another year or let them push using another premium draft pick a year or two down the road. I see some people say you can't fix everything this year, so you don't have to draft a guy in the 2nd or 3rd or Jordan & or Hart will be fine starting for now. I disagree. I don't want Hart at RT, because he might not have been quite the steaming sack of suck he was in years past. B-F'n-S! Jordan may be ready to shine at guard, but OL's tend to take 3 or more seasons to grade out at top performance levels. I don't chance it. If he takes the job, you've got a quality veteran backup or trade chip. I believe OLine needs to still be THE Top Priority by wide margin. Burrow stands to be potentially one of the very most important talent acquisitions in this organization's history. Subjecting him to the levels of abuse Dalton has seen, is not acceptable. Additionally, put a solid wall in front of Jeaux and I'm really intrigued with thoughts of him throwing to Green, Boyd and Ross with a bit more time to find the. I agree that you draft the BPA instead of need. I believe there's a good chance that with this class, an OT may be one of the BPA's in both the 2nd & 3rd rounds. Nothing wrong with taking a guy who is arguably a top talent AND addresses a position of need. BTW, i Stenberg lasts until the top of the 4th round, it could be a great pick.

Considering the Bengals recent history with number ones, maybe they should hang onto Dalton as the starting QB and take the overall #1 pick in 2021 to help with Burrow's debut in the '21 opener after spending the entire '20 season on the injury shelf.

There are about 7 or 8 WR's I wouldn't hate at 33, but agree they must score in FA to justify it. I know Mikey doesn't like spending big in FA and doesn't like jeopardizing precious comp picks, but wonder if he might take a page out of Castellini's book with the Reds and go stronger than normal with a coupla three of decent signings to throw a bone to the base? Not talking about the 1st day of FA cream of the top tier, but there are both OL's and LB's a step down (and a step above Hart, Jerry, Miller, Brown, etc.)

there's one school of thought that NFL RB has become somewhat of a fungible position and you don't give out a large 2nd contract. I like Mixon, he seems pretty durable and he seems to like it with the Bengals, so I wouldn't be opposed to re-upping him (within reason). Would anyone here shop him instead of spending big dollars on a position that on average doesn't have the longest lifespan?

1. Joe Burrow (QB) LSU (Easy) 2. Kenneth Murray (LB) Oklahoma (Sombody's gonna drop out of Rd. 1 - hoping it's Murray) 3. Prince Tega Wonogho (OT) Auburn (Raw, but a beast. Will probably move up at combine). * Hoping they can find a way to trade into another pick in the first three rounds * I bring back green via re-up or tag and worry about WR in 2021 * I look at dealing Dalton, Glenn, Kirkpatrick and maybe one or two others. The deals need to work right though and Dalton is the only one that definitely won't be back.

Listened to a podcast on another site the other day and they mentioned DET OG Graham Glasgow (brother of Bengal DT Ryan) as a possibility. Played 876 snaps without allowing a sack this year. The guessed he could be had for 3 or 4 years @ about $10-12M per. I believe they said he shares the same agent as Ryan.

1. Trade Dalton if you can get a 3rd Rd pick or better (or decent NFL player) for him & sign a decent vet to push Burrow or back him. up (Bridgewater would be nice, if unlikely). 2. Keep Dalton as a mentor/backup and let him walk for (hopefully) a comp pick. Finley is no NFL QB, let him go. Keep Dolegala as a 3rd QB for his potential (maybe the main backup by 2021).

I look at the Bengals LB core and at the very least (after Pratt), they need a decent journeyman FA LB, a 2nd or 3rd Rd. draft pick, a later-Rd. draft pick, a holdover - maybe Vigil if the price is not to high and he's not just given a starting job. After that? They need 2 or 3 "finds" (waiver pickups, UDFAs, etc.) for depth. It would be nice to find a Vinnie Rey-type (solid if not spectacular, able to fill multiple spots, a teams ace). Coming up with a strong blitzer/pass-rusher somewhere along the line wouldn't hurt either.