IMPACTFUL

A-

only because no chance for Downs (which there probably wasn't anyway)

so I am for sure still sexy for dexy, but just not an A+... lol

Imagine the amount of Copium that Raven's fans are huffing right now to think this 😂

He's definitely better than any player the Bengals could've drafted at #10 for this season, which is more the point for me. For example, if we were really lucky, Bain would be on his level 2-3 years from now. Ditto anyone in the draft.

We're not trying to wait 2-3 more years, so that's a big A+

I have been liberal in the amount of feces I have heaped on Mike and Katie...

The truth is that the missing key to our Defense is the NT. I have been saying it for two years, Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson didn't suddenly just suck - They looked better than they should have when Reader was drawing doubles, and worse than they should have when Myles Murphy was getting his ass handed to him by a TE while Wilson and Pratt got road graded by the Guards. Knight and Carter just got a LOT better.

It's like pawn play in Chess... People are often too quick to dismiss those pieces, and every grandmaster knows that control of the center of the board is the key to winning.

You have to clog the middle to stop the run. You have to stop the run to make them pass. You have to stop the pass to keep them from scoring.

That 's not a checklist, it is a flow chart.

No offense, but if they can run for 4 yards a clip - Caleb Downs can't do anything for you. We don't NEED a better Geno Stone. We need a front 4 that makes Geno Stone less important. There's a reason FS is a less valued position. He's the "OH shit" guy, and really you're better off investing in having fewer "OH shit" moments.

Instead of getting excited about Caleb Downs being able to tackle Derek Henry, I'm more excited about Henry not knowing the name of our starting FS. I want Bryan Cook and King Henry to remain strangers.

I asked the AI to summarize the offseason moves: "This all-in approach is a departure from the Bengals' traditional reputation, signaling a clear intent to compete for a Super Bowl in the immediate future."

Hell yes brother. It's all I was ever asking for. And IMHO - there is not a single move that would have made our defense better. In a DOWN year this guy was still better than anyone on our roster. Kris Jenkins just got better. He gets to move to that three tech. And Dexy is an elite run game wrecker in the smash mouth NFC North.

To Mike, Katie and Duke - Thank you.

33 minutes ago, LostInDaJungle said:

I have been liberal in the amount of feces I have heaped on Mike and Katie...

The truth is that the missing key to our Defense is the NT. I have been saying it for two years, Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson didn't suddenly just suck - They looked better than they should have when Reader was drawing doubles, and worse than they should have when Myles Murphy was getting his ass handed to him by a TE while Wilson and Pratt got road graded by the Guards. Knight and Carter just got a LOT better.

It's like pawn play in Chess... People are often too quick to dismiss those pieces, and every grandmaster knows that control of the center of the board is the key to winning.

You have to clog the middle to stop the run. You have to stop the run to make them pass. You have to stop the pass to keep them from scoring.

That 's not a checklist, it is a flow chart.

No offense, but if they can run for 4 yards a clip - Caleb Downs can't do anything for you. We don't NEED a better Geno Stone. We need a front 4 that makes Geno Stone less important. There's a reason FS is a less valued position. He's the "OH shit" guy, and really you're better off investing in having fewer "OH shit" moments.

Instead of getting excited about Caleb Downs being able to tackle Derek Henry, I'm more excited about Henry not knowing the name of our starting FS. I want Bryan Cook and King Henry to remain strangers.

I asked the AI to summarize the offseason moves: "This all-in approach is a departure from the Bengals' traditional reputation, signaling a clear intent to compete for a Super Bowl in the immediate future."

Hell yes brother. It's all I was ever asking for. And IMHO - there is not a single move that would have made our defense better. In a DOWN year this guy was still better than anyone on our roster. Kris Jenkins just got better. He gets to move to that three tech. And Dexy is an elite run game wrecker in the smash mouth NFC North.

To Mike, Katie and Duke - Thank you.

well said

43 minutes ago, LostInDaJungle said:

I have been liberal in the amount of feces I have heaped on Mike and Katie...

The truth is that the missing key to our Defense is the NT. I have been saying it for two years, Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson didn't suddenly just suck - They looked better than they should have when Reader was drawing doubles, and worse than they should have when Myles Murphy was getting his ass handed to him by a TE while Wilson and Pratt got road graded by the Guards. Knight and Carter just got a LOT better.

It's like pawn play in Chess... People are often too quick to dismiss those pieces, and every grandmaster knows that control of the center of the board is the key to winning.

You have to clog the middle to stop the run. You have to stop the run to make them pass. You have to stop the pass to keep them from scoring.

That 's not a checklist, it is a flow chart.

No offense, but if they can run for 4 yards a clip - Caleb Downs can't do anything for you. We don't NEED a better Geno Stone. We need a front 4 that makes Geno Stone less important. There's a reason FS is a less valued position. He's the "OH shit" guy, and really you're better off investing in having fewer "OH shit" moments.

Instead of getting excited about Caleb Downs being able to tackle Derek Henry, I'm more excited about Henry not knowing the name of our starting FS. I want Bryan Cook and King Henry to remain strangers.

I asked the AI to summarize the offseason moves: "This all-in approach is a departure from the Bengals' traditional reputation, signaling a clear intent to compete for a Super Bowl in the immediate future."

Hell yes brother. It's all I was ever asking for. And IMHO - there is not a single move that would have made our defense better. In a DOWN year this guy was still better than anyone on our roster. Kris Jenkins just got better. He gets to move to that three tech. And Dexy is an elite run game wrecker in the smash mouth NFC North.

To Mike, Katie and Duke - Thank you.

No "Thank You" for Troy? He held Katie's purse during the whole deal.

🥷

46 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

He's definitely better than any player the Bengals could've drafted at #10 for this season, which is more the point for me. For example, if we were really lucky, Bain would be on his level 2-3 years from now. Ditto anyone in the draft.

We're not trying to wait 2-3 more years, so that's a big A+

Definitely true although there are impact rookies every year. Even this organization hits on some from time to time. And it’s not always top 5 picks like Burrow, Chase, and AJ Green. Higgins and Wilson both started and played well as rookies. So did Bates. CTB probably played the best ball of his career as a rookie replacing Awuzie. Some times circumstances dictate a rookie having to play and some players adapt quicker than others.

Just now, Inigo Montoya said:

Definitely true although there are impact rookies every year. Even this organization hits one some from time to time. And it’s not always top 5 picks like Burrow, Chase, and AJ Green. Higgins and Wilson both started and played well as rookies. So did Bates. CTB probably played the best ball of his career as a rookie replacing Awuzie. Some times circumstances dictate a rookie having to play and some players adapt quicker than others.

No question that it's possible to find a HoF-level QB in the 6th round but even the #10 pick doesn't come with any guarantees. A solid, day one starter on the DL is about as rare as Brady. Maybe they'd be more likely to hit on one of those if they had a normal scouting department? For where this team is at right now I'd rather have the proven player.

I gave it a B+ based solely on the fact a first round draft pick you get for 4 to 5 years, we have Lawerence for 3. That's really my only complaint.

4 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

No question that it's possible to find a HoF-level QB in the 6th round but even the #10 pick doesn't come with any guarantees. A solid, day one starter on the DL is about as rare as Brady. Maybe they'd be more likely to hit on one of those if they had a normal scouting department? For where this team is at right now I'd rather have the proven player.

Well the Rams found two immediate starters at DL in 2024 with Verse and Fiske so it can be done.

It looks like last year was a disaster across the board, not just here. There were 10 DT or edge players taken in round one and maybe a couple of them had good seasons.

2 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

I gave it a B+ based solely on the fact a first round draft pick you get for 4 to 5 years, we have Lawerence for 3. That's really my only complaint.

How long do we have the Big 3 locked up? :)

This is really the number. It functions as a deadline. A player that is NFL ready? And elite? Right now that is a lot more valuable than another Kris Jenkins or Mic Jackson. A guy who will maybe be figuring it out when Joe Burrow in in his contract year. Even the best take a little seasoning. Sure you get them for an extra year - but that's the year they cut their baby teeth.

You also really don't want money tied up in Dex when that day comes. 4 years might be a problem. Instead, you have the option to resign a 31 year old DT or not. How could this deal be more Mike and Katie friendly??

6 minutes ago, Inigo Montoya said:

Well the Rams found two immediate starters at DL in 2024 with Verse and Fiske so it can be done.

It looks like last year was a disaster across the board, not just here. There were 10 DT or edge players taken in round one and maybe a couple of them had good seasons.

Think fans just expect too much out of them in general. Stewart was obviously a project and leaving Knight out there with no real veteran help was setting him up for failure. Much better for everyone if they have to earn their playing time instead of being penciled in as starters before they even get a jersey # assigned.

2 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

no if he does that as a bengal it will be roughing the passer..

This Aussie? Bengals fan perfectly describes how many in the national media will shit on whatever the Bengals do ...

Meanwhile, Mandingo Mike pulling into Paycor Monday morning ...

7 minutes ago, BlackJesus said:

This Aussie? Bengals fan perfectly describes how many in the national media will shit on whatever the Bengals do ...

She makes a couple of excellent points there. A pair, you might say. Very compelling.

3 hours ago, fluhartz said:

I am for sure still sexy for dexy

Sexy-Natti?

😂

Baltimore let Linderbaum go to Vegas, and now they have this frieght train coming right at their new center 😳