(05-22-2025, 06:38 PM)schroomytunes Wrote: I disagree I think the line is much more improved over last year. Is it a top end unit? No but I do think it is in that 15ish range. IMO. Brown only played 3 games last year so I really don't even count him.

Starters: OBJ, Fairchild, Karras, Patrick, Mims

Backups: Ford, Lee, Volson, Rivers, Cochran

PS/PUP:  Kirkland, McLaughlin, Etienne, Steuber

FA: Jedrick Wills- he's still young, maybe not a great fit in Cleveland. he could be a guy to take a gamble on and see on a 1 yr deal

(05-23-2025, 08:44 AM)jj22 Wrote: I can't believe all these players we thought would surely get cut Moss, Stone, Volson are returning, and it's been decided before training camp even started.

(05-23-2025, 09:21 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: It could still happen. A lot of time for things to change before the season begins.

(05-22-2025, 05:13 PM)samhain Wrote: It's been said that Volson is favored by the staff.  This was true of Pollack for sure and probably extends up the chain.  I heard Rapien talk about it the other day.  He's the type of player that keeps his head down, doesn't run his mouth, and works his butt off.  

This is bad IMO.  His talent level is still below average.  He's got literally everything you want except talent.  Sometimes the off-field and intangible stuff are overrated.  It seems like a forest for trees thing with the staff.  He's really great at every aspect of being a pro football player without actually being good at football.  

(05-22-2025, 10:48 PM)bfine32 Wrote: The thing that gives me pause w/ Wills is Peters spent 3 years w/ him in CLV and doesn't seem to want him. I would have loved for Peters to come in and banged the table for Jed

(05-22-2025, 06:38 PM)schroomytunes Wrote: I disagree I think the line is much more improved over last year. Is it a top end unit? No but I do think it is in that 15ish range. IMO. Brown only played 3 games last year so I really don't even count him.

Starters: OBJ, Fairchild, Karras, Patrick, Mims

Backups: Ford, Lee, Volson, Rivers, Cochran

PS/PUP:  Kirkland, McLaughlin, Etienne, Steuber

FA: Jedrick Wills- he's still young, maybe not a great fit in Cleveland. he could be a guy to take a gamble on and see on a 1 yr deal

(05-22-2025, 05:28 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I am not a big believer in the ability of coach Peters to turn mediocrity into magnificence. NE sucked last year, their OL sucked, and he got fired.

Fairchild + Patrick with Ford, Volson, & Rivers as backups could be better than last year, but not by much.

And OT depth is actually worse with Brown gone.

Now, we are certainly healthier at some spots (CB), but not all (TE).

On paper, atm, most improved: NT, LB, RB, DE, OG, C depth.

Same: QB, WR, PK  P,  LS.

Worse: CB (better health, worse depth), S depth, OT depth, 3T, TE (All injury).

Now, I get we are counting on some improvement from some younger players (Iosivas, Burton, Jenkins, Jackson, D. Hill, Turner, Newton, Battle), and scheme/coaching cjanges to help us, but I really don't think we improved much roster-wise.

Our biggest "gains" have been in signing our own FA's (Higgins, Hill, Gesicki, Ossai, Ford, C. Sample, Rehkow, Adomitis), and extensions (Chase, D. Hill 5th year).

Not a big fan of any of the salary cutting renegotiations. Stone is the most understandable, as he is a starter AND has a productive NFL history, and we have zero S depth. But Moss & Volson are backups..Much rather have had the full $$ and turned that into another G, or S, or paying Trey. Perhaps 2 of 3.

(05-23-2025, 10:19 PM)samhain Wrote: I question the value of the new coach as well.  Last time I checked, the Bengals are a football team.  They aren't a Brazilian jiu jitsu organization.  IDGAF about MMA when it comes to protecting Burrow. I want a competent OL.  If NFL OL play was as simple as taking mid rounders and borderline starters then  teaching them MMA horseshit we'd have it made.  I hate to break it to you guys, but it probably isn't.

You can bring whatever gimmicks you want.  If you can't teach guys to protect the qb, it's just annoying anecdotal drivel.  It's not magic.

To that end, blaming coaches is an excuse that they are burning hard.  What happens when everyone begins to realize that to win, you actually need good football players?

(05-23-2025, 11:33 PM)sandwedge Wrote: Why does everyone act like we are the worst f**king team in the NFL?

(05-23-2025, 11:42 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: No doubt. It's just, they haven't signed 2 Guards that are obvious upgrades.

As I don't have to build a roster with a salary cap, a lot of fans just look at it like get the best player at every position. But, you just can't. That said, I think there are guys out there now like Scherff that could be signed that are upgrades.

The think is, Volson is a $3.8 million cap hit. You waive him and use that money and a little more and get Scherff.

But, I don't know. Maybe Scherff wouldn't come here.

(05-24-2025, 01:13 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Why do some folks forget that we went 30 years without winning a playoff game, which was the longest streak in all of professional sports at the time? Now we're already started a 2 year streak. 

Somehow 2 years of success erased >30 years of failure by the FO?

(05-23-2025, 08:44 AM)jj22 Wrote: I can't believe all these players we thought would surely get cut Moss, Stone, Volson are returning, and it's been decided before training camp even started.

(05-24-2025, 05:55 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: What's wrong with that? All three were starters last year. It's not like they were making huge bucks. And we renegotiated and lowered the cap hit on all three right?

Moss and Stone have produced on other teams in the NFL and are proven players. Volson was a rookie starter and we have won a lot of games with him in the starting lineup.

We only had 6 draft picks and we had to empty the bank signing Chase and Tee. And our best pass rusher is a malcontent until he gets paid. Can't have it all. I think its solid roster building keeping some continuity. It would be nice to have Moss and Volson as depth and see Stone build on how he ended up playing down the stretch last year. 

(05-24-2025, 06:27 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I cannot speak for others, but for me it isn't so much about keeping them in a vaccuum, particularly Stone. But more about keeping them around after bringing in FA's and draft picks at the same spots (Perine and Brooks + Patrick, Fairchild, and Rivers) AND totally whitfing on othercsreas of need (S, DT, CB, TE). 

Especially since we did the same thing at LB with Pratt, bringing in Burks and Giles-Harris in FA, AND drafting Knight and Carter. 

I'd much rather have had that Pratt/Moss/Volson money reinvested intobthe team, either via: 

1) Getting Trey sorted 
2) FA's at other positions of need
3) Better FA's at the spots we addressed 
4) 2 & 3 then allow us to make different picks/fill more holes. 

If we'd have signed Jenkins + Hernandez/Risner/Scherf we could have let Volson walk, Patrick + Ford + Kirkland/Stueber are your backups, and then we could have taken Watts in the 3rd. For example.

(05-24-2025, 01:13 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Why do some folks forget that we went 30 years without winning a playoff game, which was the longest streak in all of professional sports at the time? Now we're already started a 2 year streak. 

Somehow 2 years of success erased >30 years of failure by the FO?

(05-24-2025, 02:37 PM)Whatever Wrote: Personally, I think Scherff won't sign anywhere he's not assured of a starting job.

There was only a .1 difference between he and Patrick's PFF grades last year, so I don't know they would do that for him here.  He's not what he used to be.  I mean, I'd be good with signing him, but I would have to wonder if he is another La'el Collins.  More name value than performance.  

Ultimately, I think he does what a lot of vet OL do...wait for someone to get injured in TC and head there.

(05-24-2025, 07:33 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Well gee, how many of the players and coaches from the 30 years of not winning a playoff game are on THIS team. THIS team has 5 playoff wins. You have to keep up and quit living in the past.

(05-25-2025, 04:04 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: THIS team still has a HC with a losing record and an Owner/GM with a losing record.

Hell, THIS team doesn't even have that many guys left who were actually the ones to win those playoff games in 2022.....
Only 4 of the starting 11 that year on offense are still starting (Burrow, Chase, Tee, Karras).
Only 4 of the starting 11 that year on defense are still starting (Hill, Hendrickson, Wilson, CTB).

That's only 8 of the 22 guys and that's assuming Hendrickson starts for us this year. Without it that's less than 1/3rd left.

We've missed the playoffs two straight years now. 2022 was 3 years ago. The period of success (2021-2022) has already been matched in length by the following period of missing the playoffs (2023-2024).

(05-24-2025, 06:54 PM)Stewy Wrote: Your supreme negative nancy attitude, is conveniently ignoring the fact that the entire staff got fired.  They retained - no one.


Your posts are so sad lately.  You need to step away from the board for a while for your own mental health.