AMPHAR

Hobson isn't writing a piece like that IF they aren't all in on Joe Burrow. Done deal. All the Joe comments being vague is just to avoid a media circus until the obvious is made official on draft day.

IMO, until he throws and runs for scouts either at pro days or combine he's going to be looked at a late riser getting the top spot by default due to Tua's injury. He will never be consider an Andrew Luck type prospect because people were on him a year before he was drafted. There's already reports of unnamed scouts that have Herbert more talented than Burrow. Not trying to equate his game or NFL potential just judging his level of prospect and right now it's similar to those that would be late risers like Mayfield, Cam and Carson. However, I think Burrow when he throws and runs will put to bed the old narrative of his physical skills. You simply aren't that accurate with a bad arm.

That would shut a lot of this up is having active Free Agency. Filling holes etc. Sign a couple pieces in FA. That will become the first response to this narrative. Sit on your hands. Lose AJ. Then it probably gets louder

Then it gets spun into something else. There's no motive to be fair in this situation. It's proven all the want to see is Palmer was mad at the Bengals. Bengals haven't won a playoff game in so long. So everything gets painted the same. People running with the Burrow narrative aren't objective. To lazy to put thought into it.

It's lazy. They lump together Palmer being unhappy with having not won a playoff game as if it's been the same all these years. They aren't about to attempt a break down of what actually happened. Lewis/Palmer/Dalton had enough talent put a singular playoff victory on the board. They choked. They had bad luck with injuries. Rosters turn over. It's now a question of can Tobin bring about a supporting cast along with Taylor that can surpass the results under Lewis/Palmer/Dalton with Burrow. That's it. IMO, there is not validation of the thought that Burrow is doomed here. It could go either way.

Point taken. Another good example is when Cleveland traded out of Julio Jones. They got a bunch of nothing. The Bengals passed on the offer and stuck to their plan of getting AJ Green. Trading down is often rewarded on draft day and in draft grades but can be flops in real life. I think infamous Saints/Ricky Williams traded netted the Skins Champ Baily who they could have gotten anyway (memory) and a bunch of nothing. Cleveland has had several trade scenarios that netted nothing and passing on franchise talent.

Schobert is a LB from Cleveland that is interesting.

It's what media has become today. You have to say outrageous things to get noticed. The Bengals currently suck. They historically suck. So there is some natural concern about whether or not they will be able to successfully rebuild under Zac and a secondary question of If they have some success what amount and level it will be. Fair enough. However, 30 super bowls have been won by 5 franchises. The league is a parity league TO A POINT! Teams can and do go up and down in regards to playoff contention and participation but the Championships is much more exclusive. So having post season success is not guaranteed for any college all-star and for the majority of franchises. All that's relevant today is what the Bengals did for Palmer/Dalton and however they achieved that success can they recreate and move the bar even higher than what Marvin was able to do.

Using the Browns as an example is low hanging fruit. They've destroyed more QBs than anyone can remember. However, the Colts as recently as 2012 drafted a QB that everyone suspected would be a Franchise QB. Failed to build a line in decent amount of time. Lost a number of starts due to that AND then this guy retires because of his injuries. But it's OK if they would trade up for 1 of the future franchise QBs, because they had Peyton Manning, I guess. Despite the horrible luck they had prior to Peyton Manning. Just crazy talk.

Megatron also retired out of Detriot. Luck also just retired out of Indy. Yet, the Bengals are the franchise to avoid. Seems to me that talented players aren't guaranteed post season success in many franchises.

It was predictable. QB talk drives NFL offseason talk. This is a loaded year in the draft and Free Agency. Hot takes will be plentiful. X-Bengals are in a position to take advantage because of their status of being "X-Bengals". Last year it was Kyler Murray and baseball then two months of leadership questions because of an awkward Dan Patrick interview that Dan Patrick made awkward. Surprise. Joe Burrow goes on Dan Patrick this year and guess what? Every few media personalities are going to defend the Bengals especially coming off 2-14. They are not going to point out that Dalton has never been respected nationally and yet he went to the playoffs 5 straight years. He did that on the backs of a great o-line, skill positions, and defense. With a number of assistant coaches getting promoted upward including multiple head coaches. Very few want to acknowledge the run of success this franchise. Really all that's relevant is that and the speculation of can they repeat a similar run.

The thing about Free Agency for the Bengals is under Lewis when the talent level was down and/or when the draft classes were decimated by injury/arrests/ or misses they went out and got a lot of cheap short term FAs that many worked out to a certain degree. That is what needs to happen again. The recent draft classes aren't producing for whatever reasons. So you have to back fill. I don't need big $$$ money FAs. I'd to see 4/5 guys that were drafted 5th round or higher that have made rosters and played snaps brought in that can compete for snaps. They essentially have to double their draft class because we've seen two years in a row massive amounts of injuries. So it's questionable if they have enough front line starters to be a fringe playoff contender/.500 team. Then when injuries hit we are playing a high number of guys that are street free agents.

O line pick at 33 is for both Joes. Both Joes score points.

PFF Mock 2.0 1. Burrow 2. Dantzler - Miss State CB

They have so many different types of Cheesecakes and huge menu. It would not surprise me if the "Cleveland Handshake" is offered at that Cheesecake factory. I'm going to order next time I go there.

That's why I am looking forward to Burrow's work outs. I think a lot of draft pundits accept his historic year in college football and award him deserving of NO. 1 overall. However they aren't forgiving of him being a lesser prospect from his pre LSU days. I think he'll throw better than the evaluations from those pre-LSU days. I think he'll prove to be faster, too. Essentially his physical traits will be judged to match his last year's film.

Not a surprise. However, I read the prognosticators article and it has the big caveat of what Tua is after his recovery. If he wasn't injured he'd be considered the better prospect.

Dalton was ASS outside the pocket. He just never had a feel for it at all. A lot of time he would run himself into a bad situation that generally results in a safe but uncatchable destined to be incomplete side line pass. Although, I couldn't really blame him the past couple years but Dalton would constantly run out of the pocket way too early or when it was not needed at all. He just never had a sense for it and that part of his game never was great. Yes there will be hella difference. I can't wait for Burrow to run and throw for scouts. I am betting the display will destroy the old perceptions based off dated draft reports. You simply don't have that type of accuracy with a pop gun arm and bad feet.

Make no doubt they have some young players on the line, for sure. I wouldn't go as far to call them anything but young at this point. They got needs everywhere so it would be hard to argue against really any position group for draft picks. I just hope we aren't hearing/reading about Lawson fork lifting Fred Johnson into Burrow's lap every TC practice. Atkins treating Price and Jordan like rag dolls. That's been the TC story for 3 years and every offseason I'm sure Hobs was reporting the bright and upside of the line. The d- line domination has been a pre cursor to horrible regular season performances for the o-line. I would say they don't really have a run stuffing D-line either or haven't had one for two seasons.

At this point you have worry about Burrow handling the pressure of Cincinnati turning a trade like that down for him and/or Miami making the trade for him. That's a lot of pressure added onto a pile of expectations already. IF the Bengals keep NO. 1 overall and select Burrow they must do it on the backs of an already successful Free Agency period. They can't be rolling out the Andre Smith's, John Jerry' and throwing to an UDFA on opening day expecting Burrow to save them. Burrow will struggle if that happens and then it becomes Cincinnati fucked up passing on that trade. Then the media has already planted the seed that Burrow will not and can not win here. If he doesn't it's Mike Browns fault. Becomes easier for Burrow to disengage like Palmer and point the finger. Burrow faces a deeper rebuild than Palmer and Dalton that's a fact. They need some magic with injuries, prior drafted players coming around and need to hit on some cheap FAs, and draft picks. Get Mixon secured for Burrow's first 4 years, period. Get Mixon a road grader somewhere on that line. Make sure AJ returns. Rub some rabbit fur on Ross, Tate, and Eifert. If this team approaches 6 wins with an improving offense people will buy into it.

Personally I think you’ll have to take Herbert at 5 to ensure you get him. Then it’s a trade back up to get Simmons. They can’t leave this draft with out a top QB.

Injury pad, dead pool, and rookie pool all walk into a bar, bar tender looks up and says....

Last year it was Kyler Murray might play baseball and then it turned into he isn’t ready to be face of the franchise. just dumb stuff

Simmons and Herbert would be an excellent haul by themselves.

Injury pad gonna get you!