2025 Offseason, just the right time and not too early addition

[texbengal]

2 hours ago, Randle P McMurphy said:

 

Pitcher is nothing more than Zac's puppet.  

 

 

 

Vrabel isn't taking a coordinator job.  He'll be the next HC in Las Vegas.  I'd bet Brady has already been in "bowl cut's," head about it! 

 

I think Pitcher should be the play caller... I think he's really, really good. They've done a lot with this offense... moving Chase around, more motion, using the TE more and more creatively. I don't think Zac is a great play caller, but he won't give it up. 

I don't see Zac going anywhere... position coaches? Could see some turnover there - Pollack, maybe Walters (not for performance... he wants to be an OC and may get a shot somewhere), and on D, I think they're all vulnerable... although not sure how much they'll change. I've gotta believe that these draft picks on D aren't all stiffs... some of it has to be coaching, or scheme, or both.

Would love to see Saleh but he'll command big $ and Mike and crew won't pay that. I think for whatever reason, Lou's message isn't resonating with enough of the young guys so a fresh voice is needed. 

[|BlackJesus|]

25 minutes ago, gupps said:

 

 

 

... His rant from 2:50 to 6:25 is worth listening to. 

[Le Tigre]

1 hour ago, BlackJesus said:

I would extend Tee and Ja'Marr and keep both. 

I approve this message. 

[|BlackJesus|]

Just now, Le Tigre said:

I approve this message. 

 

We already made the mistake with Bates. 

 

As soon as the Bengals let Tee walk, he will go for 1,500 yards, 15 TDs a year, and no longer have any hamstring issues. 

 

If you draft top talent, you should be paying them their 2nd contracts. This team has lots of scrubs we can cut to pay Tee.

 

And Burrow was quoted last night as essentially saying that Tee is the closest teammate he has ever had (presumably even more than Ja'Marr). So need to get both deals done. 

[Le Tigre]

2 minutes ago, BlackJesus said:

 

We already made the mistake with Bates. 

 

As soon as the Bengals let Tee walk, he will go for 1,500 yards, 15 TDs a year, and no longer have any hamstring issues. 

 

If you draft top talent, you should be paying them their 2nd contracts. This team has lots of scrubs we can cut to pay Tee.

 

And Burrow was quoted last night as essentially saying that Tee is the closest teammate he has ever had (presumably even more than Ja'Marr). So need to get both deals done. 

As logical as this is…there will never “be enough money for 2 #1 receivers”. 
 

Or so I read all the time 

[IKOTA]

Cutting McPherson saves 5mil/yr. Add that to Tees current salary and make it happen long term. 

[T-Dub]

21 hours ago, Le Tigre said:

As logical as this is…there will never “be enough money for 2 #1 receivers”. 
 

Or so I read all the time 

 

 

They need to throw that money at the defense instead but as that seems unlikely, may as well pay for two WR's.

 

Of course they will instead Hobson Math and declare they are somehow 17 cents under the cap.

[BengalFanInTO]

I keep laughing when I read people lamenting about Jessie Bates. No one was saying anything when he left other than he was monumentally overpaid by ATL for his production and position. Now everyone apparently misses him and it's the biggest mistake the Bengals have ever made since Paul Brown crawled on top of Mrs. Brown and made Mikey. Good grief.

 

From a net gain position on salary cap, these players would provide the best opportunities to gain space with losing minimal production:

Sheldon Rankins (+$10.5 Million)

Sam Hubbard ($9.6 Million)

Alex Cappa (+8.0 Million)

Geno Stone ($6.475 Million)

Ted Karras ($4.8 Million)

Zack Moss ($3.475 Million)

 

They won't all be cut but, that "extra" money could do a lot.

 

They're going to have to figure out what the plan is with Trey Hendrickson and make Ja'Marr Chase the highest paid WR in history. And, they'll need to deal with what I can only assume is the departure of BJ Hill and Tee Higgins.

 

The team needs starters, upgraded starters or significant back ups at almost every position. That's scary. As mentioned, considerable failures in the draft and free agency over the past 3 to 4 years has put them in a very tough spot. Some of the league's premiere players surrounded by a bunch lukewarm to below average players is the whole reason the Bengals are in this position. It's also hard to believe that Zac Taylor isn't a huge issue. Even Burrow seems to be "out" on him.

 

Focus would have to be on OG, DT, DE, C, WR, CB and S. Big time help required for both lines. Let's hope that they can get this thing back on track.   

[MichaelWeston]

Karras just signed an extension. Hes also the 2nd best pass blocking Center according to PFF

[|BlackJesus|]

Karras is a gold C team captain, and locker room leader, he isn't getting benched. He also isn't the problem.

 

He's making line calls for an offense putting up 35 points a game ... not his fault the defense then allows 36. 

[claptonrocks]

22 hours ago, BengalFanInTO said:

I keep laughing when I read people lamenting about Jessie Bates. No one was saying anything when he left other than he was monumentally overpaid by ATL for his production and position. Now everyone apparently misses him and it's the biggest mistake the Bengals have ever made since Paul Brown crawled on top of Mrs. Brown and made Mikey. Good grief.

 

From a net gain position on salary cap, these players would provide the best opportunities to gain space with losing minimal production:

Sheldon Rankins (+$10.5 Million)

Sam Hubbard ($9.6 Million)

Alex Cappa (+8.0 Million)

Geno Stone ($6.475 Million)

Ted Karras ($4.8 Million)

Zack Moss ($3.475 Million)

 

They won't all be cut but, that "extra" money could do a lot.

 

They're going to have to figure out what the plan is with Trey Hendrickson and make Ja'Marr Chase the highest paid WR in history. And, they'll need to deal with what I can only assume is the departure of BJ Hill and Tee Higgins.

 

The team needs starters, upgraded starters or significant back ups at almost every position. That's scary. As mentioned, considerable failures in the draft and free agency over the past 3 to 4 years has put them in a very tough spot. Some of the league's premiere players surrounded by a bunch lukewarm to below average players is the whole reason the Bengals are in this position. It's also hard to believe that Zac Taylor isn't a huge issue. Even Burrow seems to be "out" on him.

 

Focus would have to be on OG, DT, DE, C, WR, CB and S. Big time help required for both lines. Let's hope that they can get this thing back on track.   

I approve this message.

Nailed it .

[claptonrocks]

21 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

Karras is a gold C team captain, and locker room leader, he isn't getting benched. He also isn't the problem.

 

He's making line calls for an offense putting up 35 points a game ... not his fault the defense then allows 36. 

He's play has gone downhill this season 

He's not the sole reason why the interior sucks part he's part of it now.

50  hits to JB since week 5.

This team is going nowhere with that interior that is going to get JB

punished every week.

 

 

 

 

[MichaelWeston]

Young Bucks I'd like to see them start rolling out over the next 7 games (in some cases just more). In order from most important to least

 

1-3: Murphy, Jenkins, Jackson: Along with Hendrickson, this is half of an 8-man rotation. They are all starting to see more time, but I'd like to see Hubbard and Tufele see less and less. I hope that Hubbard is IRed soon.

 

4: Fig Newton: He may win and settle for a starting CB job over the next 2 months. If that's the case you feel much better about one of Hill-CTB and Turner being able to man the other. He is been in the slot for 47 of his 123 snaps so it's not out of the question that he wins that spot either. 

 

5: Matt Lee: He is in a weird spot because Karras is a very capable starter but Lee might be one of our top 5 linemen. At 295 he's likely a C only, Karras started at LG for NE in 2021 I think you have to at least see if he can play LG. Lee is probably your starting C in 2026, but could that happen more quickly?

 

6-7: Yoshi and Burton: These two are inching up in snaps but not making the impact you would want for a WR to be able to count on them to start in 2025. Yoshi has been given a chance and has separated but doesn't seem to have Burrow's trust. Burton is a wildcard that would be hard to trust even if he had more than 4 catches (on 14 targets) on the year. 

 

8: Battle: This is similar to Newton. Can Battle secure one safety spot for 2025? He's been splitting with Bell.   

 

That's 8 players that you could reasonably see starting or at least in the rotation when it comes to the DL. Obviously, they won't all hit, but that's not the point. The point will be to see which ones hit over the next 2 months. 

 

The next group is a group that I'd love to see get a chance 

 

9: Tashawn Manning: Guard play has been so bad that I'm looking for anything here and Manning is more than anything. On Ravens practice squad all of last year. I don't think it could hurt to try him at RG for a bit. Pull him up off practice squad and let him rotate. 

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tashawn-manning/32004d41-4e53-5860-59be-4412044bbfb5

https://x.com/DraftGuyJared/status/1633905447273938951

 

10: Anderson: He is a pro bowl level gunner and it's time to see what he can do on defense. We know he can tackle

 

11: Anthony: He's played 3 defensive snaps since week 2. How does that happen? Need to see him play more

 

12: Ced Johnson: CJ flashed in the preseason but he's barely played. 13 defensive snaps since week 4. For a team looking for some pass rush, it's time. IR Hubbard and move him up

 

13: Cam Grandy moved up to the 53-man roster just this week and has seemingly been above McClachlan. He isn't going to be flashy but might be the backup to Sample who can blend blocking with beating the zone. 

 

14: Isaiah Williams might be the most interesting guy on the list. A recent addition from the Lions, and the team values him. No one is claiming WR snaps so why not Williams?

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/isaiah-williams/32005749-4c31-9263-c2fd-331ed4ebd1b7

 

15: Khalil Herbert: This one seems obvious but I am very high on Herbert. I'm not sure he's the pass protector we would like back there but I do think he is a solid back in a rotation. He will be a free agent after this season so it's time to see what he has. 

 

16: DJ Ivey: I am excited to see him get time as he was solid last year. He has the athletic traits to have a big upside. 

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/d-j-ivey/32004956-4562-9691-16d3-245f6e1ba939

 

17-18: Njongmeta and Heyward: I don't expect to see much of them. Both seem in line to be on the 53 next year regardless of how they show. 

 

19: McCLachlan: I love McClachlan but his age and injury this year seem odd. I have heard that an injury left him behind so this is a redshirt year...if he is injured he should be on IR. If he is healthy he should be getting some snaps

 

20-23: Raymond Johnson, Micah Abraham, Justin Rogers: We all loved Johnson from his preseason stint in 2023, Abraham was a Colts draft pick this year and Rogers is a the big NT we covet. They all seem so far down the pecking order that we won't have any idea what we have here until next training camp. 

 

24-25: Burgess and Jules: Solid athletes with big play upsides that aren't ready to be counted on. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[claptonrocks]

On 11/18/2024 at 6:28 PM, Le Tigre said:

As logical as this is…there will never “be enough money for 2 #1 receivers”. 
 

Or so I read all the time 

Hill and Waddle plus they paid Tua.

I still like the Dolphins..

 

[UncleEarl]

On 11/19/2024 at 3:37 PM, BengalFanInTO said:

I keep laughing when I read people lamenting about Jessie Bates. No one was saying anything when he left other than he was monumentally overpaid by ATL for his production and position. Now everyone apparently misses him and it's the biggest mistake the Bengals have ever made since Paul Brown crawled on top of Mrs. Brown and made Mikey. Good grief.

 

I was one of those guys who thought Bates was asking too much and agreed the Bengals should let him go.

 

When you see the aftermath it's OK to admit you were wrong.  The Bengals safety play and overall defensive play has plummeted since his departure.  Bates play has been excellent.

 

Looking back there were little signs that the guy was more than his on field production.  To this day the Bengals can't seem to consistently get guys in the right places on defense.  Young safeties, vet safeties, it doesn't matter.  When Mike Hilton, a guy who came here from a winning organization, walks to the microphone and says "Pay Jesse Bates!", maybe there is a reason? 

 

 

[|High School Harry|]

10 hours ago, MichaelWeston said:

Young Bucks I'd like to see them start rolling out over the next 7 games (in some cases just more). In order from most important to least

 

1-3: Murphy, Jenkins, Jackson: Along with Hendrickson, this is half of an 8-man rotation. They are all starting to see more time, but I'd like to see Hubbard and Tufele see less and less. I hope that Hubbard is IRed soon.

 

For whatever reason, I'm not all that high on Murphy esp since he is a first round pick.

Something seems to be... missing.  Dunno... 

[|BlackJesus|]

26 minutes ago, High School Harry said:

For whatever reason, I'm not all that high on Murphy esp since he is a first round pick.

Something seems to be... missing.

 

What's missing is Murphy is not good at playing DE. He's soft. 

 

A waste of a draft pick when their gut told them to take TE LaPorta (what they should have done). 

[|High School Harry|]

1 hour ago, BlackJesus said:

 

What's missing is Murphy is not good at playing DE. He's soft. 

 

A waste of a draft pick when their gut told them to take TE LaPorta (what they should have done). 

Agree... Then the anguish of seeing who we passed over to take him.

no 

[sparky151]

On 11/18/2024 at 5:09 PM, BlackJesus said:

To me the 5 biggest holes are LE, FS, SS, OG, DT. 

 

* I would extend Tee and Ja'Marr and keep both. 

 

Then target these spots in free agency and the draft. 

 

Instead of paying Tee 26-28 mil per year, I'd rather pay a top tier defender that much. Tag and trade Tee for whatever we can get that is better than a late 3rd rounder in 2026.

[Jamie_B]

 

[I_C_Deadpeople]

17 hours ago, sparky151 said:

 

Instead of paying Tee 26-28 mil per year, I'd rather pay a top tier defender that much. Tag and trade Tee for whatever we can get that is better than a late 3rd rounder in 2026.

We could get 2 very good IOL for that price

[HavePityPlease]

1 hour ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

We could get 2 very good IOL for that price

 

"The return on investment of interior offensive lineman is well established, and I believe I know a little more about the subject than some anonymous intertube commentator!  I shan't countenance this insolent display from the duplicitous rogue 'I_C_Deadpeople' (a most chilling and grotesque nomenclature, to be sure)!  Coach Pollack assures me that Mr. Volson is well on his way to a Pro Bowl future, and I call that "value".  Put that in your pipe and smoke it!  In addition, Mr. Cappa reminds me of me, and Mr. Karras - whilst capricious and somewhat disquieting - is a fine man and a dependable salesman.  That's two roles for the price of one!  So who's the expert on "price" here, and who's the aspirant?  Sit down, son, lest I have you removed from the intertubes forthwith!"

[T-Dub]

On 11/21/2024 at 8:04 AM, BlackJesus said:

 

What's missing is Murphy is not good at playing DE. He's soft. 

 

 

 

Whole defense is soft. Even the good players.  Not built for the division they're in & they don't hit. Just yap yap yap and cry to the refs.

 

That's coaching.

[claptonrocks]

17 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

Interesting and good enlightening.

Tks for a great clip .

 

[dex]

On 11/21/2024 at 9:24 AM, UncleEarl said:

 

I was one of those guys who thought Bates was asking too much and agreed the Bengals should let him go.

 

When you see the aftermath it's OK to admit you were wrong.  The Bengals safety play and overall defensive play has plummeted since his departure.  Bates play has been excellent.

 

Looking back there were little signs that the guy was more than his on field production.  To this day the Bengals can't seem to consistently get guys in the right places on defense.  Young safeties, vet safeties, it doesn't matter.  When Mike Hilton, a guy who came here from a winning organization, walks to the microphone and says "Pay Jesse Bates!", maybe there is a reason? 

 

 

Bates wanted to stay in Cincinnati, and if the front office had acted quickly they could have signed him for less than what Atlanta is paying him now. But they have never considered safety a premium position. Well-run organizations like the Chiefs and Ravens would not have let a homegrown young player like Bates reach free agency. Not when he wanted to stay and would have signed for a reasonable amount before the tag was even available.  Just a costly miscalculation by the Bengals brain trust.