The Big 28

[JBandJoeyV]

I made a post about this in some thread a few months ago, but lost it. 

 

My main point of this is I think there are essentially 14 starters or major contributors on each side of the ball (not including STs). I am including on this list all 28 guys that are currently signed that would likely fill each of these positions. Ten in Red I put the guys that I think we most need to upgrade. In green are guys that we could upgrade early in the draft, but dont necessarily have to. In black are guys that I think are solid and definitely dont need to upgrade. From there I hope we focus our first 3 or 4 picks on Red guys and then green guys, hopefully not the guys in black writing. It will make sense when you see it below.

Would love to hear your thoughts...(by the way its in no particular order of importance)

 

OFFENSE

1. QB- Andy Dalton

2. WR- AJ Green

3. WR- Marvin Jones (I consider WR2 outside WR2, even though it doesnt mean he is the 2nd WR)

4. Slot WR- Mohammed Sanu

5. TE- Jermaine Gresham

6. TE- Orson Charles

7. RB- BJGE 

8. RB- Scott/Peerman

9. LT-Whit

10. LG-Boling

11. C- Robinson/Cook

12. RG-Zeitler

13. RT-Collins

14. FB- Pressley

 

Defense

1. DE- MJ

2. DE- Dunlap

3. DE- Gillbery/Geathers

4. DT-Peko

5. DT-Atkins

6. DT-Still/Thompson

7. SLB- Harrison

8. MLB- Rey

9. WLB- Burfict

10. CB- Hall

11. CB- Jones

12. CB- Newman/Kirkpatrick

13. FS-Nelson

14. SS-Mays

 

 

So outside of those guys, maybe a few guys get some PT here an there (ie 4th CB, 4th WR) but Id say this is the core of the team.

 

I think what this shows, to me anyways, is there are really only two positions we have to upgrade, SS and RB2. Outside of that there are several positions we could potential draft as BPA. 

 

D i think the only positions we will really try to upgrade (besides depth in late rounds) is S and LB. 

Offense I think we have a lot more flexibility on how to make this offense better. We can make it better by adding talent at skill positions like WR, RB and TE or upgrade it by firming up the offensive line. Or maybe a little bit of both.

 

The less red the better though and I think it is good at this point we only have 2 "red spots".

 

What do you guys think?

[Bengals1181]

nice idea.  I'll play, though lay it out a little different:

 

Starters

 

Keepers:

 

QB Andy Dalton

WR AJ Green

LT Andrew Whitworth

C Kyle Cook

OG Kevin Zeitler

TE Jermaine Gresham

FB Chris Pressley

DE Carlos Dunlap

DT Domata Peko

DT Geno Atkins

DE Michael Johnson

WLB Vontaze Burfict

CB Leon Hall

S Reggie Nelson

K Shayne Graham

P Kevin Huber

LS Clark Harris

PR Adam Jones

 

Wouldn't hurt to upgrade:

 

OT Anthony Collins*

WR Mohamed Sanu

MLB Rey Maualuga

SLB James Harrison (primarily due to age)

CB Terence Newman

RB Benjarvus Green-Ellis

OG Clint Boling

KR Brandon Tate

 

Need to immediately upgrade:

 

S Taylor Mays/George Iloka

 

 

 

Backups

 

 

Keepers:

 

WR Marvin Jones

WR Andrew Hawkins

QB John Skelton

OL Travelle Wharton

OL Trevor Robinson

TE Orson Charles

RB Cedric Peerman (as a #3)

DE Robert Geathers

DE Wallace Gilberry

DT Devon Still

DT Brandon Thompson

WLB Emmanuel Lamur (more for what coaches think of him than actual results)

CB Dre Kirkpatrick

CB Adam Jones

 

 

Wouldn't Hurt To Upgrade:

 

OL Mike Pollak (mainly because I don't know much about him)

OL Dennis Roland

TE Alex Smith 

QB Josh Johnson

FB John Connor

RB Bernard Scott

RB Dan Herron

SLB Aaron Maybin

SLB Dontay Moch

WLB Vincent Rey

CB Shaun Prater

CB Chris Lewis-Harris

S Taylor Mays

S George Iloka

S Robert Sands

S Jeromy Miles

CB Brandon Ghee

CB Taveon Rogers

LS Bryce Davis

 

 

Need Immediate Upgrade:

 

WR Brandon Tate

WR Ryan Whalen

WR Dane Sanzenbacher

WR Justin Hilton

TE Richard Quinn

OL Dan Knapp

QB Zac Robinson  (due to no longer being practice squad eligible)

FB Jourdan Brooks

DE Jamaal Anderson

DE DeQuin Evans

SLB Brandon Joiner   (due to lack of info about his ability)

MLB JK Schaffer

S Tony Dye

[Bengals1181]

mostly plays out like the draft needs.  Desperately need a starting from day one safety.  More quality depth at WR, RB and LB with guys who could potentially start. Longterm CB depth if some guys don't pan out. Potential longterm OT starter if Andre Smith doesn't re-sign.

[|Harley|]

Still & Thompson have yet to get a full season to dress and we already need to upgrade them? Rookie expectations are out of whack. Good thing we didn't think this way about Geno.

Since QB is the most important position on the field, shouldn't Dalton technically be in green?

[JBandJoeyV]

Still & Thompson have yet to get a full season to dress and we already need to upgrade them? Rookie expectations are out of whack. Good thing we didn't think this way about Geno.

Since QB is the most important position on the field, shouldn't Dalton technically be in green?

 

First of all, only the Red ones NEED to be upgraded. So because I have still and thompson in Green it means they could be upgraded but not that they need to. 

I highly doubt they go DT, but if a stud DT is sitting their at say 37 or something and we think he could potentially come in and start right away, it wouldnt shock me if they drafted one even if it wasnt a need.

Thats kind of my point, with very few needs, it allows you to upgrade positions that arent really of need.

Dalton techinically could be green, but lets be honest, they arent upgrading him so why even pretend.

 

Now to put it in order that I would prefer to upgrade first:

 

1. SS- Mays

2. RB- Peerman/Scott

3. RT- Collins

4. MLB- Rey

5. WR- Marvin Jones

 

Thats about it. Not saying I dont have faith in a guy like Marvin Jones, just that if you could upgrade him easily I wouldnt be against it.

 

Thats why my dream scenario is to sign Andre before the draft and go Vaccaro/Elam/Reid/Cyprien, Arthur Brown, Gio Bernard/Jon Franklin, and a WR in the first 3 rounds.

[scharm]

I like the view of the big 28.    Sidenote analysis a few years back the percentage of player that composed the "big 28" was approx 40-50%  players acquired from other teams rosters.

 

Pending the pieces you use above that number is down to 25% and we probably have a better team vs. 2009.   

[JBandJoeyV]

I like the view of the big 28.    Sidenote analysis a few years back the percentage of player that composed the "big 28" was approx 40-50%  players acquired from other teams rosters.
 
Pending the pieces you use above that number is down to 25% and we probably have a better team vs. 2009.   

Yeah I think that shows we are drafting better then we did early on in Marvin's tenure. Also drafting guys that play not as many reaches.

If we have a solid draft and maye resign smith we can replace the reds with blacks and a few greens as well.

Also of those 28, only 4 of them are on the last year of their contract I believer (Dunlap, mj, geno, Collins). Get Andre signed and you could potentially go into next season just needing to resign the dlinemen, maybe extending aj and ad, and filling in any gaps.

[JBandJoeyV]

I made a post about this in some thread a few months ago, but lost it. 

 

My main point of this is I think there are essentially 14 starters or major contributors on each side of the ball (not including STs). I am including on this list all 28 guys that are currently signed that would likely fill each of these positions. Ten in Red I put the guys that I think we most need to upgrade. In green are guys that we could upgrade early in the draft, but dont necessarily have to. In black are guys that I think are solid and definitely dont need to upgrade. From there I hope we focus our first 3 or 4 picks on Red guys and then green guys, hopefully not the guys in black writing. It will make sense when you see it below.

Would love to hear your thoughts...(by the way its in no particular order of importance)

 

OFFENSE

1. QB- Andy Dalton

2. WR- AJ Green

3. WR- Marvin Jones (I consider WR2 outside WR2, even though it doesnt mean he is the 2nd WR)

4. Slot WR- Mohammed Sanu

5. TE- Jermaine Gresham

6. TE- Orson Charles

7. RB- BJGE 

8. RB- Scott/Peerman

9. LT-Whit

10. LG-Boling

11. C- Robinson/Cook

12. RG-Zeitler

13. RT-Collins

14. FB- Pressley

 

Defense

1. DE- MJ

2. DE- Dunlap

3. DE- Gillbery/Geathers

4. DT-Peko

5. DT-Atkins

6. DT-Still/Thompson

7. SLB- Harrison

8. MLB- Rey

9. WLB- Burfict

10. CB- Hall

11. CB- Jones

12. CB- Newman/Kirkpatrick

13. FS-Nelson

14. SS-Mays

 

 

So outside of those guys, maybe a few guys get some PT here an there (ie 4th CB, 4th WR) but Id say this is the core of the team.

 

I think what this shows, to me anyways, is there are really only two positions we have to upgrade, SS and RB2. Outside of that there are several positions we could potential draft as BPA. 

 

D i think the only positions we will really try to upgrade (besides depth in late rounds) is S and LB. 

Offense I think we have a lot more flexibility on how to make this offense better. We can make it better by adding talent at skill positions like WR, RB and TE or upgrade it by firming up the offensive line. Or maybe a little bit of both.

 

The less red the better though and I think it is good at this point we only have 2 "red spots".

 

What do you guys think?

 

FWIW, with our four picks we upgraded the two "reds", 1 of the "greens" and then Hunt was a luxury pick that didnt upgrade a "need" but an extra tool to add. I dont think anyone we draft on Saturday is going to replace a "green" guy, but maybe can compete with them. So maybe a WR, OL, or LB. Also, almost guarantee we take another DB, either S or CB.

[Bengals1181]

 

FWIW, with our four picks we upgraded the two "reds", 1 of the "greens" and then Hunt was a luxury pick that didnt upgrade a "need" but an extra tool to add. I dont think anyone we draft on Saturday is going to replace a "green" guy, but maybe can compete with them. So maybe a WR, OL, or LB. Also, almost guarantee we take another DB, either S or CB.

 

 

I like Marvin Jones, but I think there are certainly a number of receivers still left who could push him.  Da'Rick Rogers, Tavarres King, Cobi Hamilton, Chris Harper and Quinton Patton to name a few. At the very least they upgrade Tate or Whalen.