7 hours ago, dex said:

Approved.

On 6/11/2026 at 10:03 AM, dex said:

Good stuff.

Don't mess with Hill and Turner outside.

15 minutes ago, Griever said:

Would be a huge bonus if this coaching staff can unlock Foskey. The former 2nd round pick was a beast at Notre Dame.

Free agent additions will make all the difference ...

6 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

Free agent additions will make all the difference ...

still need to add a LB, there's not a single one on the roster that's proven they belong as an NFL starter.

or maybe they have a plan and Swayze Bozeman & Jack Dingle are about to change the game forever

Paul Dehner - The Athletic:

Al Golden has described the “Viper” as an edge defender who can set the edge, rush the passer and drop into coverage. With Boye Mafe and Cashius Howell now providing natural fits for that role, and Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight entering Year 2 after extensive rookie experience, how much more multiplicity can Golden build into the defense, and what changes should we expect in the fronts, pressures and coverages he uses? — Harold S.

You are exactly right; Golden finally has the pieces he wanted to make his defense work. It reminds me of the 2021 Bengals finally giving Lou Anarumo the types of players he needed, and his game-planning skills as a coordinator started to shine.

We don’t know if that will happen with Golden, but we do know he wanted players like Mafe and Howell in his scheme and didn’t have them last year. Hence, you’d see Joseph Ossai or Myles Murphy 15 yards downfield far too often and looking silly because of it.

Second-round pick Cashius Howell is one of defensive coordinator Al Golden’s new weapons in 2026.

Bringing the “Viper” position to life will give them versatility without substitution, morphing from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in a single shift and having the players to execute it. Plus, the general havoc expected to be created by the defensive line along with familiarity of the system in Year 2 makes everyone a step better.

Golden made it clear most of last year he was attempting to run the simplest version of his defense imaginable because that’s what that young group required. He was limited. That won’t be the case this year, so yes, he will be more exotic and multiple. That is the expectation because the players can handle it this time around.