*** [RD 3] Bengals Select ~ JERMAINE BURTON, WR ***

[|High School Harry|]

2 hours ago, Le Tigre said:

Good stuff @alleycat. 
 

I anticipated the full-throated defense of this “single act”, and yours was the best so far..albeit the “blame the victim” stuff was a bit over-hyped. 
 

There is smoke, and then there is fire. As I said way back: whatever stuff he pulls between the lines, I could not care less about (although his hot dog-run-around-with-my-helmet-off-look-at-me crap might cost a penalty sometime). I suppose—in deference to Mr Weston’s observation that he is going to soon be a millionaire—I don’t really care if he becomes the newest clubbing dude in Cincinnati, or tools around in new Maserati’s each week.
 

Come to think of it: why should anyone give a rat’s arse what kind of person he is upstairs? He is what they all are: well-paid entertainers. Nobody cares if St Joseph puffs on stogies in the locker room—just as hot-doggish—why should anyone object to whatever this heretofore unknown 3rd rounder does? Get those 15-yarders across the middle on a consistent basis and all is right with the world.
 

Just an observation that all might not be right with this fellow. 

Since I would assume I'm the one who started this... my memes were pretty much in jest.

Some people look for reasons to be offended...

Knocking a phone out of some fool's hands and smacking some (probably) drunken coed up side the head

is not the wisest thing to do but at least he did not cold cock her and knock her unconscious.

I still go with Mixon is out of here for reasons only known by The Powers That Be in the inner sanctum of the Bengal ivory tower.

BTW... his sis who took the rap for shooting the kid in the foot got probation.

Other stuff attributed to Burton... immaturity or whatever... nothing really said.

I do look for him to be Tee's replacement and for a blue light special price because of his reputation, deserved or not.

As long as he is not an overt asshole in the community and plays under control (ie no taunting penalties or hissy fits to the ref

when he can't catch a ball).... fine and dandy.

I am pulling for him... he is a colorful character, already.

We'll see and wait and see.

[|High School Harry|]

And on the positive side... nice interview.

And he has a great future in politics with the explanation of himself as a football player.

Or a coach doing a post game interview.

 

 

[dex]

19 hours ago, T-Dub said:

 

It's about the opportunity cost isnt it... This dude may become a model citizen, the injured guys may never miss a game.

 

The point is that there were prospects available to them that were healthy, that didn't act like complete jackasses while hopping from one school to the next. Were these questionable picks so much better than everyone else still on the board when they made them, enough so to justify ignoring the red flags? Doubtful.

I'm not trying to make hopping from school to school as a positive, it isn't. Honestly I'm not. But...

 

I'm amazed at how Burton hopped from high profile place to high profile place in HS, began his college career at Georgia before hopping to Alabama - yet somehow managed to pick up  new offensive systems so quickly that he was able to jump in front of other very talented players with much more experience in that particular system...how can he do that so easily? I'm sure Burton pissed off every emotionally mature 5-star WR he quickly passed on the depth chart. It isn't easy to go from getting tons of snaps at Georgia while making key plays in big games then to transfer to Alabama where he gets tons of snaps while making big plays in big games, while all the while the coaches are grumbling about how emotionally immature  he is.

 

Just based on his background and remarkable adaptability, I have no doubt that Burton will pick up Cincinnati's ever-changing offensive system quickly enough to immediately get tons of regular season snaps where he will do what he's known for...stretching the defenses and catching every ball he gets his hands on while still making big plays in big games. That apparently is just what he does, and it will be the same old same old on gameday.. 

[|High School Harry|]

14 minutes ago, dex said:

I'm trying to make hopping from school to school as a positive, it isn't. Honestly I'm not. But...

 

I'm amazed at how Burton hopped from high profile place to high profile place in HS, began his college career at Georgia before hopping to Alabama - yet somehow managed to pick up  new offensive systems so quickly that he was able to jump in front of other very talented players with much more experience in that particular system...how can he do that so easily? I'm sure Burton pissed off every emotionally mature 5-star WR he quickly passed on the depth chart. It isn't easy to go from getting tons of snaps at Georgia while making key plays in big games then to transfer to Alabama where he gets tons of snaps while making big plays in big games, while all the while the coaches are grumbling about how emotionally immature  he is.

 

Just based on his background and remarkable adaptability, I have no doubt that Burton will pick up Cincinnati's ever-changing offensive system quickly enough to immediately get tons of regular season snaps where he will do what he's known for...stretching the defenses and catching every ball he gets his hands on while still making big plays in big games. That apparently is just what he does, and it will be the same old same old on gameday.. 

"He went to IMG Academy (for high school)"

This is a boarding school and jock factory.

 

[Jamie_B]

10 hours ago, alleycat said:

What a bunch of virtue-signaling horseshit. 

 

How many of you have watched the grainy video of him running to the locker room after that Tennessee game? Actually watched it?

 

How many of you watched Joe Mixon knock out a woman in a fast food restaurant, was it? How many of you wretched about Joe Mixon joining this team, and then became his fans and defenders once he was a Bengal and (mostly) kept himself out of trouble (despite the odd backyard shootout)? No, that wasn't you? You hated Joe Mixon outwardly, vocally, verbally this last many years no matter how many touchdowns he scored, no matter how many games he helped us win?

 

Child please. 

 

In one video, a KID who just lost a game is running through a mob back to his locker room and some overzealous fan (a female), runs in front of him, stops, squats in his face, and clearly says some shit as she passes, and the throws out an arm as she passes. Slap is probably the right word. Swipe might work. Punch? Are you fucking kidding me? Want to see a punch? Watch what Joe Mixon did to some young woman in a fast food restaurant. That's a punch. 

 

Neither are commendable. Both are objectionable . One is clearly different than the other, and I would argue that one is reprehensible, the other simply condemnable. 

 

But are we in the place in the world now where, because of one grainy God's-eye camera angle (that would never have existed previously), some brush up with someone in an extremely heightened moment when someone did in fact aggressively put herself in the face of another human being, and that person reacts, however inappropriately, is now cause for all of this high and mighty moral bullshit? Really? 

 

We have had hotheads on this team who have cost us in big games. You know the last hot-headed play that cost us a major game, even a birth to the Super Bowl? It was Joseph Ossai, arguably one of the most high-character, level-headed players on the team, who, in a highly emotional moment made a bad decision. So yeah, don't talk to me about Vontaze Burfict.

 

Football is a violent game full of highly competitive MF's who put their health and well-being on the line every play for our gratification. It's a brutal sport that results in MANY of these guys having jello for brains - and turning into socio/psychopaths as s result = for YOUR enjoyment. And you want to sit around and moralize about how they should be model citizens and reflect back onto you some kind of picture of how you want to see yourselves? 

 

Child please. 

 

Especially for the 80th pick in the draft, count me in with Zac, who, in the few words he said to this kid when he called to draft him, said "we believe in you." Maybe I'm old fashioned. Maybe I'm so Old fashioned you can lump me in with the Browns who believe in second chances. But I'm definitely old enough that I cannot support this idea of writing someone off forever because of some dumb shit they did as a kid. When you create a team, it's not all angels. It can't be. You need redemption songs. You need the old and washed out guys who weren't given a chance but found new life here. You need other players who were never given a chance, respect...whatever.  It's called a family. 

 

And it's what Zac has created here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah I kept watching that video thinking this is really not that bad, he didn't really full on swing at anyone.

 

I'm still trying to understand what the "off the field" stuff is, because this it really tame.

 

Does he have a hard time being coachable?

[dex]

6 minutes ago, High School Harry said:

"He went to IMG Academy (for high school)"

This is a boarding school and jock factory.

 

He attended 4 different schools in 4 years, only one of which was IMG Academy. Dude moved around a ton:

 

He attended Hapeville Charter for his freshman year of high school. As a sophomore, he went to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. For his junior year, he moved out West and spent a year at Calabasas High School in California. As a senior, he moved back home to Marietta, Georgia.

[dex]

Burrow sent a text to Burton, wanting to let him know when he was in town to get in some work. Burrow signed off on the Burton selection:

 

"We all were aware of him. A top, top player," says offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher. "We think he has ability to impact us right away. We'll coach him hard and try to put him in spots to let him go do what he naturally is able to do and that's play receiver at a high level. Joe has been looped into the process the whole way. His opinion was sought out on a number of different things."

[texbengal]

28 minutes ago, dex said:

Burrow sent a text to Burton, wanting to let him know when he was in town to get in some work. Burrow signed off on the Burton selection:

 

"We all were aware of him. A top, top player," says offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher. "We think he has ability to impact us right away. We'll coach him hard and try to put him in spots to let him go do what he naturally is able to do and that's play receiver at a high level. Joe has been looped into the process the whole way. His opinion was sought out on a number of different things."

 

I have no doubt they asked Joe for his thoughts. There's no question Burton can play, he's super talented and his tape against high-level competition shows that. 

 

Whatever "baggage" that may accompany him... the scouts and coaches did their due diligence, just like they did with Mixon... and other than a few (relatively) minor incidents, he was a great teammate and team leader. 

 

Burton is a really competitive kid that wants to contribute, and I think the emotion fuels him. You want guys like that... guys with an edge. You just want him to channel it, and not do stuff that hurts others, or himself/the team. He seems like an intelligent kid, so hopefully he's learned from any past mistakes and is moving forward more positively. I'm excited to see how he does. 

 

[Homer_Rice]

"Bad Boy, Bad Boy

Whatcha gonna do,

Whatcha gonna do

When Joe won't throw to you?"

[|High School Harry|]

1 hour ago, dex said:

He attended 4 different schools in 4 years, only one of which was IMG Academy. Dude moved around a ton:

 

He attended Hapeville Charter for his freshman year of high school. As a sophomore, he went to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. For his junior year, he moved out West and spent a year at Calabasas High School in California. As a senior, he moved back home to Marietta, Georgia.

That in itself is a bad sign... why didn't or couldn't he stay at one or two schools for four years of high school.

Anyway... really not judging (like it seems I am) and I'm out of it taking a wait and see approach.

[|BlackJesus|]

His many chances at different schools also speaks to the obvious talent he has. Multiple championship teams were glad to have him and he transferred into Alabama and was their leading WR last year right away. 

 

The only way Duke and Co draft him with so many other "safer WR" options on the board is if they think he's head and above the rest and it's not even close. I would guess deep down Zac thinks Burton is at least as good as Tee, perhaps even better (we will see).

 

Burrow hasn't really had a 'deep ball' specialist since he's been here - even though Chase is great at it. So this has the potential to really open up the passing game. 

[JC]

 

[sparky151]

Chase is Burrow's deep ball specialist. It's just that since 2021 teams we play are mostly in cover 2. And we can't run the ball well enough to force them to bring a safety up.

 

The postgame incident at Tennessee in 2022 isn't a big deal. An Alabama lineman ran over some girl on his way to the locker room and at one point the local DA in Knoxville was threatening charges against the lineman. Saban shut that down pretty quickly and the SEC fined Tennessee for storming the field. The most serious injuries in that crowd weren't from Bama players, they were from other fans plus a guy who tore his ACL and had to be stretchered off. 

[-GoBengals-]

On 4/26/2024 at 8:53 PM, T-Dub said:

 

 

Whats the injury that had him limited at his pro day & kept him out of some drills at the Combine?

 

 

Don't like the sound of that.

 

Ability is there but may need Chase & the other guys to help keep him in line.  Be nice to bring in another vet so it's not all on him if Higgins throws a fit.

 

the schools thing doesnt bother me, my kid prolly has 1% the talent this kid does, but we discussed school changes all 4 years of high school, including out of state, and IMG academy, especially in florida jumping schools and academies is normal and in your best interests, competition is strong, new staff or boosters bring in favoritism instead of competition, so THAT part doesnt bother me.

 

Swinging on the chick on the field also doesnt bother me, i dont condone hitting women in general, but when women wanna do man shit they get to be treated like a man, whose to say what she said to him, but the dumbass chick slowed to talk shit to his face while storming the field, not the most mature reaction, but with emotion and frustration and adrenalin going in that moment you can see how those events transpired, and i dont see much indication that they will be repeated. biggest problem being, that reputation tends to CAUSE those situations, see Pacman, where bitches will fuck with you TRYING to get you to act up. so he will need to mature even more than he likely already has.

 

 

[dex]

Burton's 4 years in college. Take notice of the spectacular quarterback rating when Burton was targeted in his final 3 seasons. Talk about making the most of his opportunities:

 

Choosing to stay close to home, Burton joined the University of Georgia. As a freshman in 2020, he saw action in 10 games for the Bulldogs, making 27 receptions for 404 yards, averaging 15.0 yards per reception, with 3 touchdowns. However, his impact on the game was still developing, as indicated by a quarterback rating of 57.4 when targeted.

In 2021, Burton's sophomore year at Georgia, he was part of a competitive receiver group and didn't receive as many targets as anticipated. He played in 14 games, recording 26 catches for 497 yards, averaging an impressive 19.1 yards per catch, with 5 touchdowns. His quarterback rating when targeted improved significantly to 144.4. Following this season, Burton transferred to Alabama, seeking a more prominent role and the opportunity to work with quarterback Bryce Young.

At Alabama, Burton showcased his skills. In his first season with the Tide, he played 12 games, making 37 catches for 590 yards, averaging 15.9 yards per catch, with 6 touchdowns, and achieving an elite quarterback rating of 139.1 when targeted. In 2023, Burton continued to impress, playing 11 games with 35 catches for 777 yards, averaging a remarkable 22.2 yards per catch, with 8 touchdowns, and maintaining an elite quarterback rating of 125.8 when targeted.
 

[T-Dub]

1 hour ago, GoBengals said:

 

the schools thing doesnt bother me, my kid prolly has 1% the talent this kid does, but we discussed school changes all 4 years of high school, including out of state, and IMG academy, especially in florida jumping schools and academies is normal and in your best interests, competition is strong, new staff or boosters bring in favoritism instead of competition, so THAT part doesnt bother me.

 

Swinging on the chick on the field also doesnt bother me, i dont condone hitting women in general, but when women wanna do man shit they get to be treated like a man, whose to say what she said to him, but the dumbass chick slowed to talk shit to his face while storming the field, not the most mature reaction, but with emotion and frustration and adrenalin going in that moment you can see how those events transpired, and i dont see much indication that they will be repeated. biggest problem being, that reputation tends to CAUSE those situations, see Pacman, where bitches will fuck with you TRYING to get you to act up. so he will need to mature even more than he likely already has.

 

 

 

I don't think he's some violent criminal or anything like that.  I mean shit if Cleveland can have a serial rapist as their QB this guy should be golden.

 

It's not the TN fan incident in itself either, more that all of this taken as a whole demonstrates a pattern of behavior.  Like Pacman, there may be an inability to control his temper.  After all that time & trouble, Pac was still spitting at cops while getting dragged out of casinos drunk off his ass.  Sure, people were testing him because of his rep, but he consistently failed that test over and over again. That immaturity made him a liability on & off the field.  Great talent, probably not a bad person, but still prone to flying off the handle & hurting the team at the worst possible moment.

 

So, if I'm looking at a draft board and trying to decide between one prospect or the next, I'm going with the guy that didn't do all the dumb shit.  Doesn't mean the dumb shit was all that terrible or even remarkable.  It means that I have the choice to avoid a player with these problems entirely.  No different than drafting a guy that didn't have recent back surgery instead of the one that did.  Is his back fully healed? Maybe, IDK, but I'm trying to build a championship football team, not provide health care or correct someone's emotional issues. Certainly those are noble things, and if I had millions of dollars to my name I could go out today and create a charity organization to do nothing but mentor troubled young men.

 

However, we're talking about making NFL draft picks to help the Cincinnati Bengals win football game.  With that in mind, why would I choose a player with these red flags over one without them?

[|BlackJesus|]

10 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

why would I choose a player with these red flags over one without them?

 

If you think there's a big gap in talent. So for instance, I would take DJ Metcalf and his drama over Trent Irwin and his good behavior. 

[T-Dub]

1 minute ago, BlackJesus said:

 

If you think there's a big gap in talent. So for instance, I would take DJ Metcalf and his drama over Trent Irwin and his good behavior. 

 

Right, and I definitely do not know any of the players well enough to say if that was the case here.  I'd like to give the team's experts the benefit of the doubt, but their recent drafting has been pretty hit & miss while some are "experts" by virtue of heredity. I don't have quite that much faith in them.

 

Regardless, pick is in, Burton is a Bengal. Hopefully dude grows up & acts like a pro from here on out.

[|BlackJesus|]

Zac pounded his chair out of excitement when taking Burton and look at the hug he gives Pitcher ... So he must have a vision of how to use him.

 

[SmoothD]

10 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

Zac pounded his chair out of excitement when taking Burton and look at the hug he gives Pitcher ... So he must have a vision of how to use him.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think Zac Taylor has ever been more excited for any pick since he has been here.

EVER.

[Sea Ray]

20 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

His many chances at different schools also speaks to the obvious talent he has. Multiple championship teams were glad to have him and he transferred into Alabama and was their leading WR last year right away. 

 

The only way Duke and Co draft him with so many other "safer WR" options on the board is if they think he's head and above the rest and it's not even close. I would guess deep down Zac thinks Burton is at least as good as Tee, perhaps even better (we will see).

 

Burrow hasn't really had a 'deep ball' specialist since he's been here - even though Chase is great at it. So this has the potential to really open up the passing game. 

Burrow's problem with the deep ball has primarily been in the OL. He rarely has the time to throw the deep ball

[I_C_Deadpeople]

18 minutes ago, Sea Ray said:

Burrow's problem with the deep ball has primarily been in the OL. He rarely has the time to throw the deep ball

Yup. Too mnay times "OL" for the Bengals was Oh-Lay and not Offensive Line.

[|BlackJesus|]

[|BlackJesus|]

[|High School Harry|]

First the Bengals put that boring B in the center of the new field

then they give this guy number 81 rather than 3.

They can be such a buzz kill sometimes.  I expected more from the Pumpkinettes.