Discuss

5 hours ago, Jason said:

Discuss

Run stoping will improve.

Pass rushing who knows.

LB room looks really weak by NFL standards.

Outside corners solid .

Slot corner .Davis...??

Safties. Improved alot....solid .

Overall mid of pack ...

Good enough if Burrow and Co.

play as projected..

I'm

I think top 20. Anything more at this point… you’re counting on a lot of things to go better. A lot of new faces that have to mesh, too.

• Lawrence rebounding from an off year ((for him)

• Allen rebounding from an off year, and may just be declining

• BJ Hill - age?

• Will Murphy continue his ascent from late last year?

• Will Shemar Stewart amount to anything?

• Will Boye Mafe show up as a productive, 3-down DE?

• Will young LBs improve and assuming yes, how much?

• Can Jalen Davis be a reliable, full time nickel?

• Will rookies (Howell, Davis) show anything?

• What about depth in key spots -LB, CB, S?

Just a lot of moving parts and a lot of new blood. Encouraging the infusion of talent via FA and the draft but how/will that translate under Golden?

11 hours ago, texbengal said:

I think top 20. Anything more at this point… you’re counting on a lot of things to go better. A lot of new faces that have to mesh, too.

• Lawrence rebounding from an off year ((for him)

• Allen rebounding from an off year, and may just be declining

• BJ Hill - age?

• Will Murphy continue his ascent from late last year?

• Will Shemar Stewart amount to anything?

• Will Boye Mafe show up as a productive, 3-down DE?

• Will young LBs improve and assuming yes, how much?

• Can Jalen Davis be a reliable, full time nickel?

• Will rookies (Howell, Davis) show anything?

• What about depth in key spots -LB, CB, S?

Just a lot of moving parts and a lot of new blood. Encouraging the infusion of talent via FA and the draft but how/will that translate under Golden?

I would expect they will still cost a few games early on but could end up being about average. Could make the postseason if they don't dig themselves into a hole again but probably not championship caliber, yet.

Fact is they could have the worst defense in the NFL and still be a lot better than last year.

The Athletic:

Shemar Stewart, edge, Cincinnati Bengals

Stewart is another first-rounder who went down with an injury midyear, but it really wasn’t a surprise that he had a limited impact as a rookie. Stewart was a one-year starter in college who was raw and light on production. Athletically, he remains a mutant, at 6-5, 280, with nearly 35-inch arms and the ability to move like a 240-pounder.

As expected, Stewart was up and down last season, especially against the run. However, even after tearing a PCL in Week 9, Stewart was able to get on the field for the last two weeks of the season — he picked up a combined five pressures.

Every rep he gets is extremely important, so Stewart entering his second camp healthy is a great sign. If his health cooperates, there’s a good chance this pick will look a lot better by the end of 2026. We have to see some major growth here, though, as Stewart was still an inconsistent technician as a rookie.

6 hours ago, dex said:

The Athletic:

Shemar Stewart, edge, Cincinnati Bengals

Stewart is another first-rounder who went down with an injury midyear, but it really wasn’t a surprise that he had a limited impact as a rookie. Stewart was a one-year starter in college who was raw and light on production. Athletically, he remains a mutant, at 6-5, 280, with nearly 35-inch arms and the ability to move like a 240-pounder.

As expected, Stewart was up and down last season, especially against the run. However, even after tearing a PCL in Week 9, Stewart was able to get on the field for the last two weeks of the season — he picked up a combined five pressures.

Every rep he gets is extremely important, so Stewart entering his second camp healthy is a great sign. If his health cooperates, there’s a good chance this pick will look a lot better by the end of 2026. We have to see some major growth here, though, as Stewart was still an inconsistent technician as a rookie.

"Inconsistent technician" is an interesting way to describe the football equivalent of watching someone try to program a computer by hitting it with a rock.

4 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

"Inconsistent technician" is an interesting way to describe the football equivalent of watching someone try to program a computer by hitting it with a rock.

A rookie....

Made mistakes

Correcting them under his Oline coach.

He's adjusted after a year .

1 hour ago, claptonrocks said:

A rookie....

Made mistakes

Correcting them under his Oline coach.

He's adjusted after a year .

His attitude seems to be much better. His inexperienced agent did him no favors last year...

Shemar has elite physical tools, I just hope he can take coaching.

i wouldnt be shocked if they ended up top 10, but i wouldnt predict it.. on paper they probably should be.

even if you get the worst possible outcome of a healthy Dexter Lawrence, its a HUGE win. Just isolating that one move, you are going to get one of two things out of that deal.

1. A great player commanding double teams and still being effective

2. a player distracting the offense, OR not requiring double teams and his life is easier and effective.

i think there is too much talent and athleticism around him to not have some full 180 success from that group. Howell is primed to do some interesting things on this defense, and not just in the pass rush realm.

DB's were either already good or were replaced with good players so no real concerns there..

Linebackera re auxilary help players in todays NFL. you still need good ones, but a great one doesnt really move th eneedle as much as it did 20 years ago.

if the DL is forcing proper gaps and the linebackers are ready theyll be in those gaps. teh DL not hitting or holding gaps reall helped fuck the linebackers who were already a half step slow learning last year.... expecting anything short of big leaps from those two probably isnt based on realistic information.

like most, the defense is a house of cards, a few select injuries and we got problems, but if remotely healthy it should be a fun, well improved group.

How good will the defense be?

First tell me which version of Dexter Lawrence we are going to get. For years he was considered unblockable even against double teams. But in 2024 he became only semi-unblockable.

Then last spring he missed most of OTAs. He wanted some clarity about his contract situation, which in his mind he never received. There were whispers that he was out of shape leading into the actual season. He suffered an elbow injury of some sort. He became…blockable. Even against very ordinary interior off linemen. He took some criticism for his lackluster performance (by his own previous unworldly standards).

So the question is why he suddenly became less dominant than he once was. Was it the elbow injury? Was he just out of football shape? Nose tackle is probably the most thankless position in football. You get hammered by multiple blockers on every play in order to free up other defenders to make a play. Did he just get tired of sacrificing his body in losing efforts? What happened?

Too early to tell what kind of player we will get from Lawrence on Sundays. We probably won’t have any kind of answer until week 1 against Tampa Bay. The only thing we can say at this point is that he seems to be having a very different offseason than last year’s. He has attended every OTA and has taken on an obvious leadership role with the younger players. He has been all over Cincinnati since the trade, attending all sorts of events with his new teammates.

But still…does that necessarily mean he will return to being the player he once was?

5 hours ago, dex said:

How good will the defense be?

First tell me which version of Dexter Lawrence we are going to get. For years he was considered unblockable even against double teams. But in 2024 he became only semi-unblockable.

Then last spring he missed most of OTAs. He wanted some clarity about his contract situation, which in his mind he never received. There were whispers that he was out of shape leading into the actual season. He suffered an elbow injury of some sort. He became…blockable. Even against very ordinary interior off linemen. He took some criticism for his lackluster performance (by his own previous unworldly standards).

So the question is why he suddenly became less dominant than he once was. Was it the elbow injury? Was he just out of football shape? Nose tackle is probably the most thankless position in football. You get hammered by multiple blockers on every play in order to free up other defenders to make a play. Did he just get tired of sacrificing his body in losing efforts? What happened?

Too early to tell what kind of player we will get from Lawrence on Sundays. We probably won’t have any kind of answer until week 1 against Tampa Bay. The only thing we can say at this point is that he seems to be having a very different offseason than last year’s. He has attended every OTA and has taken on an obvious leadership role with the younger players. He has been all over Cincinnati since the trade, attending all sorts of events with his new teammates.

But still…does that necessarily mean he will return to being the player he once was?

This. I’m optimistic that he’ll return to form but there are no guarantees. The elbow issue needs to be behind him first and foremost. I don’t think attitude/motivation will be a problem. He’s been a fixture at OTA’s and there’s nothing to suggest he’s remotely out of shape. His contract issues are also resolved and he seems genuinely happy about having a fresh start with a few familiar faces.

Lawrence is a huge piece of the puzzle on the defensive line, but the other additions (Mafe, Allen, Howell) make the unit much stronger than recent seasons (at least on paper). The same goes for safety with the additions of Cook and Dugger. The lack of moves at LB to this point is a legitimate concern, but it’s fair to say the defense should be better in front and behind them.

6 hours ago, dex said:

How good will the defense be?

First tell me which version of Dexter Lawrence we are going to get. For years he was considered unblockable even against double teams. But in 2024 he became only semi-unblockable.

Then last spring he missed most of OTAs. He wanted some clarity about his contract situation, which in his mind he never received. There were whispers that he was out of shape leading into the actual season. He suffered an elbow injury of some sort. He became…blockable. Even against very ordinary interior off linemen. He took some criticism for his lackluster performance (by his own previous unworldly standards).

So the question is why he suddenly became less dominant than he once was. Was it the elbow injury? Was he just out of football shape? Nose tackle is probably the most thankless position in football. You get hammered by multiple blockers on every play in order to free up other defenders to make a play. Did he just get tired of sacrificing his body in losing efforts? What happened?

Too early to tell what kind of player we will get from Lawrence on Sundays. We probably won’t have any kind of answer until week 1 against Tampa Bay. The only thing we can say at this point is that he seems to be having a very different offseason than last year’s. He has attended every OTA and has taken on an obvious leadership role with the younger players. He has been all over Cincinnati since the trade, attending all sorts of events with his new teammates.

But still…does that necessarily mean he will return to being the player he once was?

" Sacrificing body in losing efforts"

.Oh yeah...

36 minutes ago, Inigo Montoya said:

This. I’m optimistic that he’ll return to form but there are no guarantees. The elbow issue needs to be behind him first and foremost. I don’t think attitude/motivation will be a problem. He’s been a fixture at OTA’s and there’s nothing to suggest he’s remotely out of shape. His contract issues are also resolved and he seems genuinely happy about having a fresh start with a few familiar faces.

Lawrence is a huge piece of the puzzle on the defensive line, but the other additions (Mafe, Allen, Howell) make the unit much stronger than recent seasons (at least on paper). The same goes for safety with the additions of Cook and Dugger. The lack of moves at LB to this point is a legitimate concern, but it’s fair to say the defense should be better in front and behind them.

Well said.

Thing is..every team has problem to fill.

Hoping Dexter continues his fiery nature

to uplift the dline, which they lacked last year.

Put it all on Dex if you want but one of these LBs will need to play better than Logan Wilson. I haven't seen it yet. Not even on his worst day.

Can't win games on potential.

45 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

Put it all on Dex if you want but one of these LBs will need to play better than Logan Wilson. I haven't seen it yet. Not even on his worst day.

Can't win games on potential.

I would love to know what happened with Logan Wilson. While I realize he was far from perfect even at his best, at one time his strengths outweighed his weaknesses. I didn’t object when he signed an extension.

His fall from grace started happening almost as soon as he signed the extension. It got so bad that he finally washed out in LB needy Cincinnati, then got traded for a 7th round draft pick to LB-needy Dallas. He somehow quickly washed out there too. It was so bad that he just retired from football. He’s still only 29 years old.

41 minutes ago, dex said:

I would love to know what happened with Logan Wilson. While I realize he was far from perfect even at his best, at one time his strengths outweighed his weaknesses. I didn’t object when he signed an extension.

His fall from grace started happening almost as soon as he signed the extension. It got so bad that he finally washed out in LB needy Cincinnati, then got traded for a 7th round draft pick to LB-needy Dallas. He somehow quickly washed out there too. It was so bad that he just retired from football. He’s still only 29 years old.

Multi-millionaire at 30 & can still walk or tell you what month it is.. When the job is the equivalent of getting in car wrecks I can't fault anyone for clocking out early. Sounds like the way he went about it maybe wasn't the best but who really knows.

I'm pretty sure he wasn't the problem last year, I'll say that for him.

Hmmm...

9 hours ago, dex said:

How good will the defense be?

First tell me which version of Dexter Lawrence we are going to get.

That is part of the exercise. Make your own guess which Dex we get. If the LBs take a step. if DJ and Dax continue to grow.

🙂

3 minutes ago, Jason said:

That is part of the exercise. Make your own guess which Dex we get. If the LBs take a step. if DJ and Dax continue to grow.

🙂

All of those things have to happen, along with Pro Bowl-level Dex, to get where they want to be

Murphy has to show up in games that matter. They need to get something out of a couple of rookies. Golden has to identify his playmakers and put them in position to make those plays.

1 hour ago, Jason said:

That is part of the exercise. Make your own guess which Dex we get. If the rLBs take a step. if DJ and Dax continue to grow.

🙂

Not sure how much more Turner can grow. He was rated a top 10 CB last year, even though his team had a weak pass rush and poor safety help. Next year’s free agent class is expected to be another weak one. I saw a list of potential FAs for 2027 with Turner’s name at the very top. Not just top CB but top FA overall.

The reason free agent classes seem to be trending weaker each year is that smart organizations are extending their best young players BEFORE they can reach free agency.

18 hours ago, dex said:

I would love to know what happened with Logan Wilson. While I realize he was far from perfect even at his best, at one time his strengths outweighed his weaknesses. I didn’t object when he signed an extension.

His fall from grace started happening almost as soon as he signed the extension. It got so bad that he finally washed out in LB needy Cincinnati, then got traded for a 7th round draft pick to LB-needy Dallas. He somehow quickly washed out there too. It was so bad that he just retired from football. He’s still only 29 years old.

He had a knee injury in 2024 that lingered throughout the season and eventually ended his season in Week 11 and required surgery. His play plummeted the following season.

Wilson lost his speed and fell off a cliff as a player. It was pretty easy to see.

I expect a defense ranked from #6-10 ... Dexter is going to be the engine that drives the entire car.

Also I want to see Stewart inside at DT on 3rd down, where I feel he is best. The "race car package" on obvious 3rd and long passing downs of ...

Howell -- Stewart -- Robinson -- Mafe

Is really enticing. 😎

I actually think Dexter will be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, because of the dramatic turn around this defense is going to have.

Of course it won't all be because of him, but the difference is going to be so stark that the national media will give him most of the credit and hail the Bengals for making the trade.