Next Man up draft logic

[MichaelWeston]

When looking at draft needs I think we draft for today (holes at WR, DT, LB?), to replace tomorrows Free Agents (CB?, RG?, RB?) but I think another way to look at it is if starter X went down would you feel adequate with the backup. This seems to make DE a higher need despite the quality of the starters. I think there is an argument here to sign a veteran safety and G as depth. 

QB-McCarron

RB-Hill or Bernard

WR-NO

TE-Kroft

C-Boling

G-Whitworth or Fisher

T-Fisher

DT-NO

DE-NO

LB-Rey

S-NO

CB-Dennard, Shaw

QB	Dalton 2020	McCarron 2017	Wenning 2016
RB	Hill 2017	Bernard 2016	Burkhead 2016	Peerman 2016	Hill 2016
HB	Hewitt 2016
WR	Green 2019	Wright 2017	Bennett 2016
WR	LaFell 2016	Tate 2016
WR	Alford 2018	Kumerow 2016
TE	Eifert 2016	Kroft 2018	Uzomah 2018	Lengel 2016	Peters 2016
LT	Whitworth 2016	Fisher 2018
LG	Boling 2019	Hopkins 2016
C	Bodine 2017	Johnson 2016
RG	Zeitler 2016
RT	Ogbouehi 2018	Winston 2016	Baldwin 2016
K	Nugent 2016	Hocker 2016
P	Huber 2017
LS	Harris 2017
LE	Dunlap 2018	Hunt 2016
LT	Peko 2016	Sims 2016	Thompson 2016
RT	Atkins 2018	Hardison 2018	Williams 2017
RE	Johnson 2018	Clarke 2017	Johnson 2016
SLB	Dansby 2016	Mays 2016	Dimanche 2106
MLB	Maualuga 2017	Rey 2018	Dawson 2018	Roach 2017	Luc 2016
WLB	Burfict 2017	Hawk 2016	Flowers 2017
SS	Iloka 2020	Smith 2018
FS	Williams 2016	Raven 2016
CB	Jones 2018	Dennard 2017	Brown 2016
CB	Kirkpatrick 2016	Shaw 2018	Lewis-Harris 2015

[happyrid]

Tough question to answer without knowing how the rookies progressed and how the Bengals view some of those guys. 

Like at Safety, it seems like they like Derron Smith a lot and might be just fine with him as a backup. Sounds like Shaw is going to be a backup at both CB and S and could possibly step is as a starter as well if Willams or Iloka went down. Both those guys are probably going to be ahead of a mid-round rookie in 2016 anyway. 

AT D Line, Hardison seems to be a guy they like. But it's hard to say if they view him as a strong #3 DT who could step in if a guy ahead of him went down or not quite at that level.

On the OL, I'm not sure what to make of Fisher. They obviously loved him in the draft and he played guard and OT in camp last year. I'd guess he's probably the next man up at both OG and OT, but again I'm not sure if they feel great about him as the super-sub or if they want a better backup at OG. 

But it's definitely a good point that a lot of your immediate impact from rookies won't be obvious on paper right after the draft, but ends up coming mid-season when starters go down with injury and they need somebody to step up. We saw that last year with Shaw getting a bunch of snaps when injuries hit the DBs hard. 

[MichaelWeston]

Tough question to answer without knowing how the rookies progressed and how the Bengals view some of those guys. 

Like at Safety, it seems like they like Derron Smith a lot and might be just fine with him as a backup. Sounds like Shaw is going to be a backup at both CB and S and could possibly step is as a starter as well if Willams or Iloka went down. Both those guys are probably going to be ahead of a mid-round rookie in 2016 anyway. 

AT D Line, Hardison seems to be a guy they like. But it's hard to say if they view him as a strong #3 DT who could step in if a guy ahead of him went down or not quite at that level.

On the OL, I'm not sure what to make of Fisher. They obviously loved him in the draft and he played guard and OT in camp last year. I'd guess he's probably the next man up at both OG and OT, but again I'm not sure if they feel great about him as the super-sub or if they want a better backup at OG. 

But it's definitely a good point that a lot of your immediate impact from rookies won't be obvious on paper right after the draft, but ends up coming mid-season when starters go down with injury and they need somebody to step up. We saw that last year with Shaw getting a bunch of snaps when injuries hit the DBs hard. 

Great points about safety and Hardison. We are aggressively thin at end.