Stripes

Easily my favorite 2022 draft pick. I expect CTB to be great.

https://twitter.com/bengals/status/1527659176482197505?s=21&t=hvk_nAaWSwFT6DNdFGc6FQ Signed. They’re knocking them out efficiently.

Ohio baseball!

I overpaid for tickets to the MNF game in Cleveland. I’m reasonably close to the field and might bring a sign.

https://youtu.be/8N4-0OaFB-c Surprised to see Joe in a podcast like this. He was quite literally that bored though. Interesting listen.

FPI is just a statistic. I don’t think it’s very predictive, but it also doesn’t care about Cleveland.

Probably not. I think perceived need plays into the Bengals' draft board as much as athletic profile, collegiate production, and positional value do. So if they had Bates locked up, Hill would be lower on their board.

Essentially signed. https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1526930357341278209 So nice to be removed from the bad old days.

Then again, Palmer might be the franchise's 5th best QB at this point anyway. Anderson > Boomer > Dalton > Palmer, and Burrow has already done enough to put himself next to the MVPs.

I don't fault y'all for feeling that way. I'd never vote Palmer for similar reasons. I think I am a bit more generous in my view of Dillon just given the era he played (absolute Bengals rock bottom). He certainly burned bridges though.

I think this kind of thing is very easy to preach when you’re not in a position to actually contend with a huge $$$ choice. An extra 3-4 million per year can make an entire generation’s difference for your family name. You can set up your grandkids to carry on the legacy, or you can set up your great-grandkids (particularly when accounting for taxation and inflation). I don’t think that level of foresight should be dismissed. As soon as we, in a fanbase, start thinking about the business of professional sports from a “what about how *I* live?” point of view, we’ve ventured outside any relevant space. Sure, we can build a family without a few extra million. We can’t do so as effectively or as comfortably though, and it won’t last as long. If Jessie Bates (and countless other pro athletes) wants to pursue that, or even less responsible personal pleasures because he believes his skills justify it, that’s his right. Just my viewpoint. It’s a shit sandwich, but it’s part of the process.

I don’t blame Jessie Bates for doing what he thinks he has to do to secure the highest value for his family. When establishing a financial family legacy, a few extra million definitely matter. I don’t blame the Bengals for trying to operate responsibly during a Super Bowl window with other major contracts looming. I do, to some extent, blame the agent for being a pain in the ass and constructing drama. Tee Higgins has the same guy, so buckle up.

Just voted Willie and Boomer. Willie was a lock, and I couldn’t pass on a league MVP. Also considered Chad, Parrish, Fulcher, and Dillon.

Yes. Whatever Bates decides to do (and I am not going to bother guessing), the arrival of any kind of drama increases my appreciation for drafting Dax Hill.

https://twitter.com/TheTylerDragon/status/1526323107471818753 Sounds like Jessie Bates might be taking a stiffer approach than anticipated. Could be a battle.