Pratt wants out.

[UncleEarl]

https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1889748376394088493

[Griever]

 

 

[Griever]

 

 

[Griever]

 

 

[Griever]

 

 

[Griever]

So if Pratt is dealt or eventually cut, where does that leave us...Wilson, A.D.G., Bachie, Njongmeta, Hayward? Need to get better here.

[UncleEarl]

I remember a few years ago Pratt was unhappy because he wanted to be a 3 down LB and was getting taken out on passing downs.  With the return of Golden maybe he doesn't think he'll be given that opportunity.  That's fine.  Get some picks.

[UncleEarl]

1 minute ago, Griever said:

So if Pratt is dealt or eventually cut, where does that leave us...Wilson, A.D.G., Bachie, Njongmeta, Hayward? Need to get better here.

 

Everyone thought Davis-Gaether would be gone, but maybe not.

[I_C_Deadpeople]

ADG is a FA I believe but Golden was instrumental in drafting him so maybe we sign him and cut Pratt.

[Griever]

 

 

[|BlackJesus|]

Lou can give a 5th rd pick if he wants him. I wouldn't take less. 

[T-Dub]

That did not look like a defense that could afford to lose their leading tackler. Or anyone that tackles, at all 

[Jamie_B]

kind of wild that he took a hometown discount to win a SB when we resigned him. I'm a little surprised by this TBH, I would have thought he would have liked to work with Golden again so he could get back to how good he was the year we went to the SB
 

[sparky151]

Bengals don't have a 7th round pick, trading it to the Bears for Herbert for some reason last year. I'd take a 7th for Pratt from Indy. 

 

ADG and Bachie are free agents. Isiah Simmons is a free agent and should be cheap. He'd be a good replacement for ADG. We should draft a LB at some point to replace Pratt. Stutsman or Simon or Bassa on day 3 would be fine. 

[UncleEarl]

1 hour ago, Jamie_B said:

kind of wild that he took a hometown discount to win a SB when we resigned him. I'm a little surprised by this TBH, I would have thought he would have liked to work with Golden again so he could get back to how good he was the year we went to the SB
 

 

I think he was being substituted a fair bit on passing downs back then. 

[texbengal]

His best year was the year before he got a new deal. Since then, meh... and last year, I thought he sucked. LB is a need, no doubt, but I don't care that he comes back. He made a lot of tackles but he missed a lot, too, to my eyes. He stunk on pass defense, too. 

Wilson is due for a bounce-back year and I like what Shaka Heyward can bring. He needs to play more. Bachie is solid as depth. ADG isn't starter quality, IMO, but he's a solid depth player also, and he's good on 3rd down.  Maema has a knack, but he doesn't run well... so not sure what role he has... but I wouldn't bet against him. They need another starter and the draft isn't great (I like Carson Schwesinger from UCLA, Cory Simon and Jeffrey Bassa from Oregon) but they can find someone. I just don't think losing Pratt is a huge deal, if he goes. 

That said, he played his best under Golden so I'd think he'd be interested in staying. He didn't seem to have much of a market the last time he was a FA, so not sure how much value he has around the league. 

[|Montana Bengal|]

Weird that Joe didn't say that Pratt should get a raise.  Pratt is probably a little hurt....

 

 

 

 

[LostInDaJungle]

Sounds like someone got asked to take a pay cut.

I'm sure that Pratt would rather be traded and keep his current deal. He knows that there is no other way he's going to get paid $5.6M next season.

He also has no leverage. I'm not sure many other teams want him, period. Add on his cap hit? Do you want to sign him again after this year? He doesn't understand he's past his sell-by date. A 30 year old LB is about as valuable as a dead rat in a tampon factory. A last resort if you really have to plug a hole.

MLB is even a position you can take in the 3rd round. 

[T-Dub]

22 minutes ago, LostInDaJungle said:

Sounds like someone got asked to take a pay cut.

I'm sure that Pratt would rather be traded and keep his current deal. He knows that there is no other way he's going to get paid $5.6M next season.

He also has no leverage. I'm not sure many other teams want him, period. Add on his cap hit? Do you want to sign him again after this year? He doesn't understand he's past his sell-by date. A 30 year old LB is about as valuable as a dead rat in a tampon factory. A last resort if you really have to plug a hole.

MLB is even a position you can take in the 3rd round. 

 

 

Hell, they could get a solid MLB in the 7th round, or as a UDFA.   They probably won't, but they could. 

 

The more starters they try to draft for next year the more games they're going to lose.  Getting even 2 picks that are ready to start immediately would be a pretty good draft class.   This team has not drafted anything like well enough lately to support this "just get one in round whatever" talk.  Reminds me of the talk when Reader got hurt a couple years ago.  Just get another one, no problem.

 

Not an endorsement of Pratt here so much as persistent doubt at their ability to easily replace him. 

 

 

[sparky151]

We need a starting caliber LB to play next to Wilson and replace Pratt. Plus replacements for ADG/Bachie if they don't return. And someone who won't screw the pooch if we play 3 at a time vs good running teams. Njongmeta seems physical enough but he's slow so maybe he can be the run stopper. 

 

I'd resign Bachie for teams, ADG if he's cheap or Simmons as his replacement, and Dre Greenlaw as the Pratt replacement. He's coming back from an achilles injury in the Super Bowl last year and only played a couple games last season. So we should be open to drafting a longer term solution. It's been 5 years since we drafted a LB. 

 

They wouldn't be top of my wish list but Jalon Walker or Jihaad Campbell at 17 would be acceptable. Or we can wait until round 4 or 5 and get Danny Stutsman, Cody Simon, or Jeff Bassa. 

[T-Dub]

17 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

We need a starting caliber LB to play next to Wilson and replace Pratt. Plus replacements for ADG/Bachie if they don't return. And someone who won't screw the pooch if we play 3 at a time vs good running teams.

 

 

Probably need a DT or 2 unless we think Jackson & Jenkins are going to take 90% of the snaps instead of in rotation.   Need a better DE opposite Hendrickson, they shouldn't count on Hubbard or Murphy. A vet in the secondary that's not completely washed would be good.

 

So that's at least 4-5 players on defense.

 

We've got Volson and Cappa playing guard.  Nobody we want even filling in for a couple of games at OT.  Probably need a 3rd down back.  Another TE, even if Gesicki stays, like one that can both block and catch.  Then of course there's both starting WRs in contract limbo, maybe a 3rd option that's not Jermaine Burton would be a good idea, just in case.  Yoshi's alright but he seems more suited for the role we've seen him in already.

 

So another 4-5 we're going to be counting on to play, if not start.

 

Uhh..  How many draft picks do we get?

[-GoBengals-]

lol id say the feeling is pretty mutual. letting him save face by asking out? or just a batter look if he asks out?

 

seemed OBVIOUS Golden wasnt interested in pratt anymore during a few interviews, almost going out of his way to ignore pratt being part of the defense. 

[sparky151]

40 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

 

Probably need a DT or 2 unless we think Jackson & Jenkins are going to take 90% of the snaps instead of in rotation.   Need a better DE opposite Hendrickson, they shouldn't count on Hubbard or Murphy. A vet in the secondary that's not completely washed would be good.

 

So that's at least 4-5 players on defense.

 

We've got Volson and Cappa playing guard.  Nobody we want even filling in for a couple of games at OT.  Probably need a 3rd down back.  Another TE, even if Gesicki stays, like one that can both block and catch.  Then of course there's both starting WRs in contract limbo, maybe a 3rd option that's not Jermaine Burton would be a good idea, just in case.  Yoshi's alright but he seems more suited for the role we've seen him in already.

 

So another 4-5 we're going to be counting on to play, if not start.

 

Uhh..  How many draft picks do we get?

 

We have 6 picks. The good (?) thing is that we can get guys in rounds 5 and 6 who will make the roster and can help with depth. We can also cover several needs at moderate prices in free agency. We have lots of cap space and keeping Burrow's big 4 is very doable. In addition we can add a couple of guard upgrades, some depth for the O-line and several D-linemen before the draft. We don't need to pay up for outside free agents like Josh Sweat or Chase Young or Milton Williams or DJ Reed or Justin Reid. Those guys will get 16 mil per year or more. Use at least 4 of the picks on defense plus an RB and maybe an O-lineman. If Golden is much of a DC, we should see considerable improvement defensively while upgrading the offense to fearsome. 

[T-Dub]

22 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

 

We have 6 picks. The good (?) thing is that we can get guys in rounds 5 and 6 who will make the roster and can help with depth. We can also cover several needs at moderate prices in free agency. We have lots of cap space and keeping Burrow's big 4 is very doable. In addition we can add a couple of guard upgrades, some depth for the O-line and several D-linemen before the draft. We don't need to pay up for outside free agents like Josh Sweat or Chase Young or Milton Williams or DJ Reed or Justin Reid. Those guys will get 16 mil per year or more.

 

They need to pay up for some kind of free agents, whether it's this "Big 4" or from outside the organization.  There's a 3rd option where they do neither of those things, and I'm less than certain that's not their favored option when they seem to be polishing up the excuses for it already.

 

Quote

Use at least 4 of the picks on defense plus an RB and maybe an O-lineman.

 

 

I'm saying 3 solid NFL starters is a pretty good draft class, that's A grade if we're being realistic. I don't know how we expect anything better than that given their recent track record.  Hopefully Golden can help but if the goal is replacing that many starters?  If they pull that off I will leave Tobin alone and resist comparing Troy Blackburn to this guy rollerblading around the stadium and calling Mike "Daddy"

 

[claptonrocks]

5 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

Lou can give a 5th rd pick if he wants him. I wouldn't take less. 

5th for a 28 yr old vet under Lous system would be fair on both sides 

Make it happen