Jump to content

2004-2005 Season - SOB or keep improving


R-U-D-I

Recommended Posts

1 - Marvin Lewis has one year experience as head coach.

2 - Players have one year as Marvin as the head coach.

3 - Fewer players PM (Pre-Marvin) will be on the roster.

4 - Another A+ Marvin draft

5 - Continued improvement in player conditioning.

5b - There is a God, and no one was meant to suffer this long...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not responding positively nor negatively, just a few comments, that's all.

1 - Marvin Lewis has one year experience as head coach.

This could be a reason why the Bengals might not do well. However, I'm leaning towards positive growth myself.

2 - Players have one year as Marvin as the head coach.

We've lost eight players while picking up eight. Plus we'll have 8 (?) new players, so that means 8 other will have to go. There's a bit of attrition there.

3 - Fewer players PM (Pre-Marvin) will be on the roster.

This would actually be my number one.

4 - Another A+ Marvin draft

Hopefully.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Memo from the Devil's Advocate Department...5 reasons the Bengals will stumble in '05:

1. No d-line improvements = we still can't stop the run.

2. No CB improvements = we still can't stop the pass.

3. 2nd year rookie QB with no game experience starting.

4. Backup RB stepping into starter's role.

5. Inconsistent punting, short kickoffs = continued field position woes.

But hey! Leyva re-upped! We're Super Bowl bound, now, baby! :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Memo from the Devil's Advocate Department...5 reasons the Bengals will stumble in '05:

1. No d-line improvements = we still can't stop the run.

2. No CB improvements = we still can't stop the pass.

3. 2nd year rookie QB with no game experience starting.

4. Backup RB stepping into starter's role.

5. Inconsistent punting, short kickoffs = continued field position woes.

But hey! Leyva re-upped! We're Super Bowl bound, now, baby! :P

Whoa Joisey...the draft hasn't even been held, and you're making claims of this nature!?! You're not letting an undeniably capable, if not great head defensive coach have a free crack at his second year getting in groove with his team!?!

On the rifle range we called that yanking the trigger. Relax...breathe out, get the full sight picture, then squeeze off your shot. Right now it's too early to do anything but breathe. :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So we all have to ask ourselves if we are a positive or negative thinker...? RUDI and Joisey both make very good points... However, I think everyone who is in the negative needs to wait for the full post-season to unfold prior to laying down judgment!

If anyone can honestly say that this franchise is not in 100% better shape than it was a year and a half ago, I would have to believe that that person is wearing blinders much like a scared racehorse - afraid to think that he/she can look the competition in the face and go to war...

We were 8-8 last year after going 2-14 the year before...

The entire attitude of our team has changed - the only negatives you hear these days are from Corey Dillion (a punk), the media (who still want the Bengals to be their whipping horse when they cannot come up w/ anything else to write about) and some of us as fans (who cannot see the positive no matter what happens due to 10+ years of futility)...

Hey, the off-season is not done for those of you who expect every hole to be filled by now...

Who is to say that we will not still trade Dillion for a 3rd round pick... Who is to say that we do not move up a few slots in the draft by trading one of our possible 3 3rd round picks to fill our DT vs. the run need and get V. Wilfolk... Who is to say that we do not at that point get our future C in Peavy in the second round, followed by 2 more picks remaining in the 3rd round, where maybe we get our nickel CB after we sign depth there in Denard Walker (a man who can cover, but does not support the run well)... Who is to say that we do not sign Glen Pakalak as a free agent, who set records at the University of Kentucky to fix our punting woes................and how in the hell can anyone say that Rudi Johnson is a back-up RB, when he was clearly the better back for us last year (a man who hits the hole now rather than puttering behind the line looking for a game-breaking run each time he gets the ball) - I for one will take 2 yards when the line doesn’t block well, rather than a loss of 5...

All I am saying is that we need to reserve judgment until that entire off-season has been completed and look at the results that have been brought to us thus far by the "new regime"........

Let Marvin work his plan please, he has thus far, has he not...?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whoa Joisey...the draft hasn't even been held, and you're making claims of this nature!?!

Well, unfortunately BB, the draft will do nothing to address question marks at QB and in the kicking game, and I doubt we'll see a top RB either. As for the draft's ability to fill in holes at positions like DT, DE and CB, you and I both know that the draft is a crap shoot. Say we draft a DT, which "Warren" does he turn out to be, Sapp or Gerard? Pointing to the draft as a way to fill key positions reminds me of the old saying about counting chicken before they're hatched.

You're not letting an undeniably capable, if not great head defensive coach have a free crack at his second year getting in groove with his team!?!

A "free crack"? Nope. No passes issued here; I try to call 'em as I see 'em. Two years ago, after the Bengals went 6-10 under LeBlow and there was endless talk about the playoffs the next year, I was one of the lone voices in the wilderness crying out against the emphasis on just keeping the team together (which was, after all, 6-10) and the lack of actual improvement (Frerotte? Westbrook? Oh, yeah, those were great ideas...). Last year, I watched Marvin come in, make significant changes to coaching, get additional support from management, and sign a bevy of FAs while lopping off dead weight. Clear, tangible improvements IMHO, and I said so...which got me roundly critisized as a fool, sheep, lemming, insert your favorite term here. But (if I may toot my own horn for a minute) I was right.

This year? I like the cuts Marvin & Co. have made, they continue to eliminate has-beens, never-weres, and vets who've outlived their usefulness. However, you can't just cut, you have to add, too, and all they've added are other teams' has-been, never-weres, and aging vets. Will they do better here? I certainly hope so, but at this point I'm going to wait and see. And as I said before, the idea that our biggest needs will be filled by...rookies...does not, to me, encourage enthusiasm.

On the rifle range we called that yanking the trigger. Relax...breathe out, get the full sight picture, then squeeze off your shot. Right now it's too early to do anything but breathe.  :blink:

I'd argue that I am looking at the bigger picture, BB. I'm not saying that the Bengals are headed back to 3-4 win territory. However, at this point I don't see any reason to believe they'll do any better than last year's 8-8. Which, arguably, would be a net plus given the QB situation and all the likely new defensive starters. We'll have to see what the June 1 cuts bring (if aything) and how the young'uns look in camp and preseason to get a better read. But for now, I see at least as many reasons for concern as for hope.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see your points joisey...but we'll revisit this topic I'm sure halfway into next season, and then we'll know about the assumptions we both made here!

And I think alot of your comments come from being burned by poor coaching in the past. By the way, I think it's exactly that for poor coaching...IN THE PAST!! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe that we will see ML be more involved with the defense this year. Being a new coach with some guys (Frazier) from a different system can make it difficult to know when to step in or when to give the coach his space or how to blend the two systems.

He made some comments towards the end of the year saying that he may have given too much leeway on the defensive schemes and that he will be more involved in '04. After all, Lewis was a coordinator for a Super Bowl champion while Frazier was only a position coach with the Eagles. ML has a proven track record.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with Joisey on this one. I really believe there are far too many areas in need of improvement and development for the 2004 season. I don't think the draft will help out all areas, sure they'll be improvements; but I really believe Marvin and company are planting the seeds for our 2005 Super Bowl run.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More important than this years draft, is last years... What kind of year do we get from Palmer, Steinbach, Washington, Weathersby and even some of the later guys like Moore. If these guys live up to Lewis' expectations as to why he drafted them, then they could be the real difference makers. Sure, we should expect an impact from maybe three of the guys out of rounds 1 - 3 this year, but the others will be mostly groomed for next year so Marvin doesn't have to shell out the bucks for some veteran, but keep infusing the draft choices. ML has a plan, watch out for that first pick, you can bet he'll take the best talent available no matter the position...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree there's still alot of areas we need to improve & is too early to judge. Imho though , I think the cb. position can only get better, the d-line could be helped by either signing Garner or through the draft & I think Rudi can get the job done & we may still have CD , the qb we'll have to wait & see but, if he just don't lose the game & takes what defenses gives him I think he'll be fine. The kicking game does worry me though! I think the D will improve the more ML gets involved & even though we have a tough schedule the other teams in our division play the same teams, so I think we have a chance to be able to win the division. Maybe we won't win the SB or make the playoffs but I hope to see the improvements that will make us a true contender for a SB run the following year so we should try to be patient & realistic this year & optimistic next year! GO BENGALS!! Jonboat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It appears he's been " beating " his johnson one too many times. :lol:

* But to answer your question , Jjaq - Yes, Marvin was quoted about a month ago that Trading down was a strong possibility. It was around the same time that the Dillon to Oakland rumors first started..

- It was quoted that Marvin would like to be able to get 2 draft picks for Dillon meaning a trade down from # 17 to pick up an extra 2nd, and the day one pick Dillon brings us, and now we know that we get # 96 all together making at least 5 first day picks. _ The hope was for 2 in the second, and 2 in the third !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...