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AMPHAR

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It’s looking worse and worse.  They must have begged Westerman.  And they’ll only beg a depth journeyman if they completely suck.

This third preseason game will be revealing.  It’s supposedly the true dress rehearsal for the season.  And I’m talking about the starters, the second half or whatever doesn’t matter.  

I’d like to see Finley in with the other starters, playing against a starting defense.  Just see what he can do.  Sorry Andy, I don’t mean anything by it!  It’s me, not you!  You just deserve a team that feels about you the way you feel about it.  You deserve it.  And you’re not getting that here right now.  We can still be friends though, right?

Finley barfs all over himself in the preseason game.

God Andy I missed you so much!  Remember how we fucked in the parking lot of that Promise Keepers rally?  That was the greatest.  We’re still cool, right?  

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Preseason reveals nothing, IMO.

The first 2 games were not needle movers, IMO.

If you go into the game thinking Bengals will suck then you’ll see things that confirm that and ignore the anything that suggest the opposite.

If you go into the game thinking they are awesome.  You’ll see exactly that. 

That is the fools gold of the preseason. 

Very rarely you get a performance that changes your world view.   Typically IF you do, it’s usually an individual performance.

At least for me anyway.   I can remember watching a select few Bengal rookies play in their first preseason action and thinking they nailed it right off the bat. 

I think this is 6/7 win team then pending momentum and luck/bad luck they could jump or down a few notches. 

I’m guessing I’ll feel that way after the Giants game.  

 

 

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5 hours ago, AMPHAR said:

Preseason reveals nothing, IMO.

The first 2 games were not needle movers, IMO.

If you go into the game thinking Bengals will suck then you’ll see things that confirm that and ignore the anything that suggest the opposite.

If you go into the game thinking they are awesome.  You’ll see exactly that. 

That is the fools gold of the preseason. 

Very rarely you get a performance that changes your world view.   Typically IF you do, it’s usually an individual performance.

At least for me anyway.   I can remember watching a select few Bengal rookies play in their first preseason action and thinking they nailed it right off the bat. 

I think this is 6/7 win team then pending momentum and luck/bad luck they could jump or down a few notches. 

I’m guessing I’ll feel that way after the Giants game.  

 

 

Sure, no argument with the preseason games.  Not looking good usually doesn't bode well though, the W/L record is meaningless.  I think a 6-7 win season is certainly best case scenario for them.  

Watching the 1st string play just reminds me of how long we've been watching the same below-average players for years now, would love to see some of the younger guys push a few of those starters, if not replace them.  Not seeing anyone stepping-up yet really, at least on D.  Probably the only thing I get out of preseason.

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22 hours ago, TJJackson said:

I'd give up a 2 to Washington for Williams if an only if they coudl also sign him to a fairly friendly (incentive laden) contract/extension that would keep him here for the next 5 years

unless all those conditions are met, I'd rather take our lumps again this year, especially with Jonah returning next year

Word today is that the Pats offered DC their first next year and Washington said no. Our first would probably be more attractive since it’s likely to be a much higher pick, but it doesn’t seem like Washington is in any hurry. Guess we just do the go to war with what we have thing again, since that’s worked so well in the past...

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If you are predetermined to think this team will suck;  Trent Williams solves nothing other than to maybe move you down the draft board a couple spots. 

Dalton will cost a lot of cap space in his next deal.  

I’m taking Williams if they can get an extended deal keeping him at least 4 years AND less than a 1st. 

Otherwise not worth it, IF you think this team is going to suck.  Which I kinda think they are 6/7 win range. 

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I would phrase it that I have no expectations at all for this team right now. I hope they surprise me...but I hope that most years and they rarely do. I agree  on the final record being around 6-7 wins, basically just enough to ensure that the true blue-chippers are beyond reach next April. Lather, rinse, repeat.

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Per Taylor:

 

Hopkins wins C job.

jordan wins LG job.

price first off bench in Seattle at o-line if needed.

damion Willis the udfa wr will start week 1 in place of AJ. 

Unlike apparently most of this board, I am genuinely intrigued and am dreaming on the team a little. I appreciate the hell out of there actually being a true open competition this year - something that Marvin never really did.

 

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Time will tell.  Yes it’s nice to have open competition and have declared winners but it also could be a big sign that they don’t have NFL talent on the line. 

I expect to see an o-line mess up in Seattle with the noise etc.   

It’s good for Hopkins but let’s be real he isn’t 1st round talent nor will he play like one.  He’s going to be your Workman type.  

Bengals miss on another first round line prospect in Price.

At some point you have to have at least one pro bowl level starter.    Very hard to have all 5 spots Workman type players, not impossible but hard. 

We’ll see.  I fear the front office incompetence in transitioning the line has doomed the Dalton/Green era.   

Their high point might just be 2015. 

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If you believe Taylor's own words, he still seems to think highly of Billy Price -- he's the first man up on the interior and a defacto "starter" in a rotation.  It's less a failure of Price and more Hopkins stepping the hell up.

It could be coachspeak, but for the moment I am inclined to take him at face value.  He is very frank speaking with the press in a way Marvin never was.

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14 hours ago, COB said:

Amazing to see a high draft pick in Cincy beaten out in camp/preseason.  No way Marvin would have done that.  The Buckeye homer in me is glad to see Jordan win a job.  He has a big upside, so could improve.

Not amazing at all, IMO.   Zach has ownership of 1 rookie class. 

One of the biggest weakness in the Bengals method, I think, is “Halo effect”. 

They have their assistants heavily involved in scouting.  The coaches love it.  There’s advantages to it. However there is no counter balance. 

A coach is always going to see more of  the qualities they first observed and liked when they have ownership of the pick. 

Zach is just seeing the warts of Marvin players. 

Overtime will Zach see the warts of players he has been involved in evaluating? 

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It’s not a bad thing to overturn coaches after a few seasons. 

I think Paul Alexander is/was a competent line coach, but he was here 20+ years. 

That kind of nonsense conflicts with having coaches scout.  

We keep Zach Taylor for 15 seasons you’ll see the same crap as we did Marvin. 

They are naturally going to overvalue the traits they deem most important.  

There is no better example than the Center position for the past couple decades.   Guys that were smart enough to make the line calls is what they wanted over physically superior players.

Never going to lose your starting Center job if you could make the block decent enough 60% of the time WHILE making the correct call 100% of the time.  

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Is Zach seeing the warts of Marvin’s players?  Or are other guys just finally getting a fair chance?  If Marvin were here, Price would have been given every snap the first team line took.  

Instead, Hopkins got his chance.  And PFF just put out the following:

Zac Taylor recently announced that Trey Hopkins will be the starter at center for the #Bengals This preseason, Hopkins allowed zero pressures across 80 pass-blocking snaps. His 90.4 pass-blocking grade this preseason ranks 1st among 60 qualifying centers!

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