|High School Harry| Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 Williams: Super Bowl talk overshadows unsettled nature of Cincinnati Bengals Jason Williams... Cincinnati Enquirer The Cincinnati Bengals should be in cruise control heading toward Labor Day, fine-tuning what some think is a Super Bowl-contending team. Instead, as they wrapped up training camp on Thursday, they’re unsettled. You probably didn’t notice the full list of issues. Super Bowl talk tends to overshadow things. No. 1 on the list: When is Joe Burrow coming back? It’s been a month since the franchise-saving quarterback injured his leg in practice, and there’s been no timetable for his return released publicly. No need for a red alert, not yet anyway. Everything on the list could be moot when Burrow returns. For the Bengals, though, that can’t come soon enough. The backup quarterback position is an unmitigated disaster. The Bengals have given no reason to believe the running game is going to be any better than it was last year, when they were one of the worst teams in the NFL in rushing. And running back Joe Mixon last weekend picked an unnecessary fight with some reporters who cover the team, a bad look for a locker room that prides itself on a positive, team-first culture. Meantime, Burrow still doesn’t have a contract extension. Neither does wide receiver Tee Higgins. The backup quarterback position is an unmitigated disaster. The Bengals have given no reason to believe the running game is going to be any better than it was last year, when they were one of the worst teams in the NFL in rushing. And running back Joe Mixon last weekend picked an unnecessary fight with some reporters who cover the team, a bad look for a locker room that prides itself on a positive, team-first culture. Meantime, Burrow still doesn’t have a contract extension. Neither does wide receiver Tee Higgins. Burrow’s absence punctuates his value and should raise concerns the Bengals could be trouble if the calf injury nags – or if he goes down at any point in the season. Even if he’s back for the Sept. 10 opener in Cleveland, how long will it take him to get back to full Joe Burrow mode? This is where a solid backup QB and decent running game would help. The Bengals could’ve avoided these being problems – or at least made more effort in the offseason to try to fix things. They let veteran backup QB Brandon Allen go in free agency after three seasons in Cincinnati. Allen signed with the Bengals in 2020, the same year Burrow was drafted. They had a good rapport. Allen knew coach Zac Taylor’s offense. Allen signed a one-year deal worth $1.2 million with San Francisco, with $200,000 guaranteed. The Bengals signed veteran Trevor Siemian to a one-year, $1.3 million deal, with $152,500 guaranteed. So the Bengals saved a whopping $47,500 in guaranteed money by signing Siemian, who’s been “one of the least productive players in the Bengals training camp,” according to a recent report by The Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith. It’d be less of a concern if the quarterback, whoever he is, could hand the ball off to a reliable running back. But the Bengals decided to stick with Mixon, one of the least-productive starting running backs in the NFL last year. The team could’ve saved $10 million by cutting Mixon over the summer. Cincinnati could’ve gotten a more productive veteran free agent for a good deal, such as pro bowler Dalvin Cook, who signed a one-year, $8.6 million contract with the New York Jets. Mixon, entering his seventh NFL season, had no choice but to take a pay cut to stay in Cincinnati (and possibly in the league). But his 2022 season points toward him being on the downside of his career, as is the case for many running backs who wear down after 5-6 seasons in the league. Mixon also had a disastrous offseason, ultimately causing him to miss a week of training camp. He was absent from practices last week while on trial for a menacing charge, stemming from an alleged road-rage incident in January. Mixon was found not guilty. In a separate legal matter, he’s facing a civil lawsuit stemming from a teenager being shot in Mixon’s backyard by his sister’s boyfriend. Mixon then had to cause drama in the locker room last Sunday, when he singled out four beat reporters whom he said disrespected him. He reportedly didn’t elaborate. But I read all those reporters closely. They've all been fair, principled and professional in their coverage of Mixon. Does this sound like a guy poised for a bounce-back season? It hasn’t helped matters that backup running back Trayveon Williams has been sidelined all camp with an ankle injury. And don’t forget, the Bengals let their most productive and best-blocking back, Semaje Perine, leave in free agency. He signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal with Denver. Imagine what the Bengals could’ve done with the $10 million saved by cutting Mixon, who had a season-low 19 yards rushing in the AFC Championship game vs. Kansas City. Fortunately for the Bengals, the contract situations for Burrow and Higgins haven’t been a distraction. Credit both players for being true professionals and not allowing their contract status to be a locker-room distraction. The Bengals could’ve avoided any potential drama. Burrow’s extension should’ve been done by the start of training camp. Most other top quarterbacks from the 2020 draft class have signed extensions. The Bengals treat contract negotiations like a CIA operation, so no one on the outside knows exactly what’s holding up the deal. The Bengals’ window to win it all is this season. They can’t do anything about Burrow’s injury. But they better hope some of these avoidable issues don’t snowball − or the window could close quickly. 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Le Tigre Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 34 minutes ago, High School Harry said: The backup quarterback position is an unmitigated disaster. So bad…that he says it twice in the article 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dautcom08 Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 Well, someone had to replace and continue to carry Daugherty's torch. What a pathetic media outlet. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted August 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 39 minutes ago, Le Tigre said: So bad…that he says it twice in the article 28 minutes ago, Dautcom08 said: Well, someone had to replace and continue to carry Daugherty's torch. What a pathetic media outlet. Thanks for not shooting the messenger. This guy has been a swine for quite awhile, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saphead Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 Nice fauxhawk bro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatternMaster Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 What clown, he wants Mixon to add him to his list of banned reporters so badly it's laughable. He doesn't even try to hide it. 31 minutes ago, saphead said: Nice fauxhawk bro He's the bad boy of the Cincy sports reporters....he's J Dog from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|BlackJesus| Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|BlackJesus| Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 Quote unsettled nature of Cincinnati The Bengals could’ve avoided any potential drama. ... This chin-less spikey-hair from a 1999 Hollister ad motherfucker can suck a fuck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|BlackJesus| Posted August 25, 2023 Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 The team takes longer on contract extensions because they get amazing deals like with Pratt and Wilson. Does this pasty sack of cum want Katie to just throw out Cleveland Browns 5 year guaranteed contracts to everyone, with no concern for the financial future of the team? I can't wait to read his article when the team sits at 6-0 on the bye week, entitled "Why the undefeated Bengals should be worried" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted August 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2023 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEarl Posted August 26, 2023 Report Share Posted August 26, 2023 This guy is one of those "stir the pot" sports journalists. They are annoying as hell. I'm sure the over done negativity gets plenty of clicks on their website/twitter page, whatever. He is to be ignored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted August 26, 2023 Report Share Posted August 26, 2023 14 hours ago, BlackJesus said: ... This chin-less spikey-hair from a 1999 Hollister ad motherfucker can suck a fuck. What teams have a backup QB that's worth a shit? Cleveland, possibly Dallas.. Probably a couple of others, maybe an unknown that will surprise everyone when they finally take the field.. For the most part though if a starting QB goes down they're taking the season with them. Our current backups do seem particularly bad but in the end the difference between 7-10 and 4-13 is pretty meaningless. This team is going exactly as far as JB takes them, same as it was with Allen. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-GoBengals- Posted August 26, 2023 Report Share Posted August 26, 2023 i hope he gets a sun burn, like one where its on your neck and shoulders and no matter what shirt you wear it hurts like hell. and early male pattern baldness 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryker57 Posted August 26, 2023 Report Share Posted August 26, 2023 another fantasy football Madden video game type reporter that thinks everything running on stats and numbers. In real life people and players make decisions for their own reasons that dont match algorithms Maybe Allen didnt want to be here stuck at #2 and SF with all their hurt QBs looked like a better chance to start. maybe they did upgrade the running game signing Orlando Brown personally , i am just as tired of people saying we could cut so and so and save X million as i was of the bengals always saying the team did not have any cap space. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted August 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2023 On 8/25/2023 at 10:18 AM, saphead said: Nice fauxhawk bro James Buchanan. America's 15th President 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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