OU_Stripes

I live in Athens as an OU grad student, and it’s remarkable. Joe Burrow is everywhere here, in store windows, on pub signs, on the campus graffiti wall, and in the grocery store. And you can be certain many of these people were Bengals fans already.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28726662/joe-burrow-says-bengals-no-1-draft-pick-leverage Shut this bullshit down.

I mean, if Burrow literally does mean "leverage" in reference to playing or not playing for the Bengals, then I'd have to question his basic understanding of the draft process. Because there is no such leverage.

I want to extract the rest of the quote from the PFT thing just so what minimal context we're given is readily visible. https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/02/17/former-no-1-overall-pick-advises-joe-burrow-to-pull-an-eli-manning/ The word "leverage" here does not have to be about Burrow's desire or non-desire to play in Cincinnati. That is just not in this quote. It can be inferred if someone wants to reach for that inference by force (as sports media like PFT are obviously going to do), but it's not even strongly implied. Burrow is being bombarded constantly with two narratives, both of which must annoy the piss out of him: 1) You're the guaranteed, no-doubt, obvious, #1 overall pick. He doesn't know this to be true, and it would probably feel premature and foolish to just jump in with that assumption. He is still working to be the best he can be for next year. He has the leverage to use his current position ("unique spot") to his greatest advantage by doing the work necessary to best prepare himself. And if after that work, they pick me, then they pick me. Until that moment, no assumption a good assumption. 2) You clearly don't want to play for the BENGALS do you??? What is he even supposed to do with this bullshit? He has pooh-poohed it, he has ignored it, he has deflected from it. He has even overtly stated that he would be happy to play for whoever is willing to pay him money. Nothing Joe Burrow says will shut this shit up, and he has probably realized that by now.

I don’t see anything referencing the bold content in the article. I understand why you might be inclined to assume this, but I don’t think that’s the only possible explanation. “Leverage” can refer to a lot of things, especially when it’s blurted by a draft prospect being asked a question about “leverage”. Burrow referenced his tape as leverage that “he doesn’t have to prove himself” at scouting days or the combine. That’s not about the Bengals. Maybe the question he was asked, which I don’t see clearly stated unless I missed it, was about the Bengals. But he mentioned pre-draft events with regard to his need to show himself as a #1 overall candidate. If they pick me they pick me. *If the Bengals feel I am worthy of the selection, they will make the selection.* Presuming the choice with that enthusiasm you demand is a display of hubris, and it’s probably contrary to agent advice (and possibly even gray area with league rules about tampering et al).

The article puts no actual context to those words. Why is this ominous?

Queen to the Queen City.

I don't think any of that is unreasonable. I'd be surprised if Burrow gives a poop about whatever pressure is manufactured by fan hype -- it comes with the territory for any #1 pick going to any shit team. Still, he's [ideally] the biggest jigsaw piece in a puzzle that obviously does contain other pieces too. I don't figure anyone here is keen on the Bengals doing nothing with the offensive line and then relying on Burrow to save it on his own. Is there potential that his skillset could to some extent offset the poor play of the line? Sure, that's plausible. I don't think that acknowledging such a thing amounts to "we're not worried about upgrading a bad line to support our franchise player". This franchise put Andy Dalton in a great position over a 3-5 year window. It didn't work out our way in the end, but if they can perform comparably with a player of Burrow's [potential] caliber, then the sky is the limit. That's the whole point, right?

Right. Not all #1 overall QBs are created equal. Some of them are a bigger deal, a la Andrew Luck. Burrow sure appears to be in that class, which is why the media hates the thought of him going to forgotten small market Cincinnati. The media wasn't so awful about this with Carson Palmer despite the franchise being in much worse shape in April 2003. That's because he was a good QB prospect, not a top-of-the-decade QB prospect.

I think a lot of pundits are just groupthinking on two points: 1.) If Tua was healthy, he'd be at Burrow's level. 2.) Burrow is the #1 pick, but Chase Young is the #1 prospect. I think both of those things are wrong. Any team in the top five (including NYG and WAS with their recent first round QBs) who would pass on Burrow given the opportunity would be very foolish.

Burrow --> Jackson --> Gaither-Davis I decided to ignore the "other" options even when I might really favor them. The prevailing Burrow --> Queen --> Wilson trio would also be fantastic.

Moore would be amazing. Finley is not an NFL QB, so no thanks. Gimme a vet. I hope to see a Dalton trade, but if he sticks around he’d be the best backup in the league (and probably highest paid).

The Bengals won zero playoff games from 1968-1980. Then they went to the Super Bowl. They won zero playoff games again until 1988. When they went to the Super Bowl. They won a playoff game in 1990 and did not get to the Super Bowl. Who cares? Nobody even remembers that Oilers game except for our fanbase, because in our infinite misery we ascribe unique meaning to it. Playoff wins don’t really represent “progress”. They are preferable to playoff losses, no shit. I would love to see the Divisional round. Ultimately though, in the broader light of being a sports fan: who gives a crap about where the postseason ends if not in the Super Bowl? Everything else is forgotten, or otherwise remembered ruefully. I guess we could sit around and take pride in all those AFC Championship Games we’ve lost in Bizarro World. Who does that?

The Bengals were one or two mistakes short of a playoff win in January 2016. They blew it. Does that reflect Jeremy Hill being a doofus? Does it reflect Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones being idiots? Or does it reflect the entire organization, top to bottom, being an inept clown show with no equal? Remember: this arbitrary “playoff win” standard rests right there. If you answer with the latter, I question your objectivity.

I mean, I said myself that it's a flawed operation with plenty of room for improvement. I don't think anyone is refuting that. I complain about this franchise as much as anyone else. What's bullshit though is this 20-years outdated mentality that the Bengals are incapable of doing anything right whatsoever.