ArmyBengal

Typically I will end up taking both a DT and a DE within the first four picks when doing mock drafts. It's a need and it happens to fall that way more often then not. OG, S, LB, WR, RB and CB get sprinkled in as well.

And I see the Bengals named as one of two teams he may end up with. I will admit the idea of adding a motivated Kupp would not be bad, it would have to be at a greatly reduced price. He’s going to turn 32 this summer and had some injury concerns recently. If they let Tee walk, which I’m still expecting, adding Kupp and another WR in the draft could bear fruit. Just get some pass rushers and some o-line help (again) to go along with him.

How do you expect that to happen? There's no money left? I'm going to say it, so beware, but ROOKIE POOL is coming. IT DEVOURS ALL !!! We are rolling with what we've got !!

Again, results aren't the lone factor in making this determination. It's a maybe if they are or are not efficient, as I noted in a previous comment. Now, my personal opinion is that if you don't win the Super Bowl it's a failure of a season. I hate the Steelers and they haven't won a Super Bowl in nearly 20 years. However, I don't view their front office as archaic in the least. What about the Ravens? They haven't won the Super Bowl since 2013. Same. To put your percentage in another light 66% of the teams in the league HAVE won a Super Bowl. Picking and choosing timeframes is irrelevant. But if it's also helpful, since 2003 the Bengals have won the Super Bowl 0%. The front office and team have done nothing but fail. Unfortunately part of being a Bengals fan is that coming close is viewed as a success. Even in the best catching lightning in a bottle scenario for us, we have failed.

Just like Lou before him, Golden runs a 4-3 base and a 4-2 nickel known for bringing pressure. The were top 5 in turnovers nationally last year at Notre Dame. I would assume the NT will be utilized in the same manner that we have become accustomed to. That being said, if they go DT at any point in the draft (which they should) I don't want a space eater. I want a guy with some pass rush ability capable of bringing pressure up the gut. Hoping the snaps for both Jenkins and Jackson this season help them with progressing into year 2.

Please Jags. Please hire Troy !! Good luck Troy we are rooting for the draft picks, er, I mean you !!

So for you, success on the field = an efficient, not archaic, front office. I get that. I simply disagree. No issue. In 57 seasons, the Bengals have gone to the playoffs 16 times and hold a 10-16 post season record. They are 3-8 in the wild card round, 4-4 in the divisional round and 3-1 in the conference championship. As we all know well and good, they are 0-3 in Super Bowl appearances. I just don't view getting to the playoffs as a success when winning the Super Bowl is the goal and certainly don't look at that equating to front office efficiency.

You are equating their record on the field with being an efficient business. Neither of those things necessarily prove the other. If you are super efficient, you may not win shit. If you do win, it might not be because you were efficient. How many times has it been said the Bengals success is like catching lightning in a bottle? I've always been of the mindset that I'm waiting for that to happen again, rather than thinking the efficiency of this front office is what is going to carry us to a Super Bowl victory. The thought of that being true seems quite laughable to me based on our history.

If Hartline isn't the best WR coach in all of college football, I don't know who is. Even if given a name to challenge that, I would disagree. He's that good. I believe he stepped into that role for a short time a few years back, but went back to the WR role. I would have no issue with him getting the gig because that would keep him at OSU. However, sometimes you find people that simply have a gift for what they do. Hartline is a gifted WR coach. He made a little over $1.5m last year, so I think he's ok. I have long said that not all money is good money.

Not that I have any reason to believe he would end up here... Myles Garrett just requested a trade from the Browns.

Because the score board is only one piece. If they are an effective NFL business because they win, then the question must be asked, how did that happen? Is it the way they conduct their business that produces the wins and in turn they are effective? Or is it because they have a generational talent at the QB position with other pieces? It's like using stats alone to determine how good a player is. Again, I can and do give credit to the front office for getting deals done, but that alone does not make it the most efficient and effect way to run your business. I defer to COB's comments from earlier as opposed to simply rewriting them.

I get you COB, hate to see some of those coaches leaving. It happens though. It was reported that J. Smith was offered over $4m in NIL money to leave and he refused. Your point about OSU producing NFL caliber WR's is spot on. There is a reason for that and really one of the few coaches I would have heartache seeing leave. Brian Hartline Dude doesn't not get enough credit for not only his recruiting ability, but being able to get these young kids ready to play in the league. His resume speaks volumes and one would be hard pressed to find another coach that has had the type of impact he has had, on their own team. Do whatever needs to be done OSU, but do NOT let that dude leave the building.

“Helped sharpen the defensive line” Yes please…

I am more than willing to give the front office credit for getting some deals done, but those are not in and of themselves an indication of a modern way of doing business in the NFL. I periodically change the oil in my car. That in and of itself does not make me a mechanic.

Regarding offseason notes: I really hope Burrow is keeping track of these guys recently taking shots at him saying he’s not an elite QB.

Wait one... "Complete" fault ?? No, of course not. There's certainly understanding the player and/or their agent play a role in these deals. My take is that the front office rarely seems to make these things a priority unless they are a QB. The other guys that have gotten paid seem to be when they bring in free agents. When they are due for an extension, it seems to fall apart.

Oh don't get me wrong, I don't really care what teams decide to do. I can hate a player for whatever they did, while simultaneously cheering for them when the team wins. Example: Jackson Carmen is a piece of shit. I was really happy when the Bengals released his dumb ass. However, he was an absolute bully in the Bills playoff game in the snow and I cheered the hell out of that. My point is, I will never understand how people can work so hard to get themselves and their families to a good situation in life, only to make a stupid decision that jeopardizes it all. Just stupidity of epic proportions.

You're not.

As to the first comment, it's easy. They had eyes on Chase since day one and knew what they had. They did what they always do and waited for someone else to move first instead of just paying him regardless of the others. I argued at the time Chase should be the highest paid WR and was laughed at. I would be less irritated by it if it wasn't what the Bengals always do. This time it's going to bite them if they don't cheap out yet again. His new deal is going to far eclipse whatever they were going to do last year and he will reset the WR market. Who's fault exactly is that? I said the same thing about Higgins after a couple of contracts (like Pittman's) were signed in that the Bengals would be smart to offer him the same deal. Again, I was laughed at. What's beyond me is fans that honestly think the front office is being up front in paying these guys what they are worth. If they were, Burrow wouldn't be doing interviews saying the same thing. It's not like they don't know what the team is capable of when they take the field. This isn't much different offensively than the group that went to the Super Bowl. Running a front office is easy if they would take advantage of the work that was done for them by other teams and offer a deal now, instead of waiting a year to see them "prove it". Now the combined cost of Higgins and Chase, should they pull both deals off is going to cost them $8-10 million more per season. Higgins wasn't worth $20m and Chase wasn't worth $30m. Lets not forget that worth is predicated on what another team is willing to pay them, not what anyone thinks about their injury history or whatever else someone can throw up as a reason.

I literally haven't watched TV since last weekend outside of movies on whatever streaming platform. The only football news I have been into is whatever is discussed here and mock drafts. I'm sure it will pick up as we get closer, but I'm not watching the Super Bowl either. Just don't care.

Money must really cloud the fuck out of your judgement when making THAT much. I struggled with money when I got out of the Army and was busting my ass to get my family back on track. I got on at the VA and was going back to school. I kept working and got promotions quickly. Then it happened. One day on my to school, I filled up my gas tank. I got in the car and started driving and it hit me. I had no idea how much it took to fill my gas tank. Like literally NO idea and I thought, "Wow, that's cool". I even called my wife and told her about it. She just laughed at me, but it really hit me. I had spent most of military career not making shit and struggling. Got out of the Army and struggled. Worked and worked and worked some more and finally got my family pointed in the right direction. All these years later and I couldn't imagine fucking all that hard work up with such a poor decision. What are these guys doing?

I would love a Pittman type deal for Higgins as well, but don't think there's a way they get him at that number. Having that type of out after 2 seasons would be spectacular. In retrospect, the Bengals messed this up, just like Ja'Marr. They tagged Tee and reportedly didn't offer a long term deal that hit $20m per year. It was a mistake because that number was only going to go up from there. If getting Tee at $21-$22m per year now would be a great deal (I DO) than the Bengals messed up. They could have had it at that last year and be sitting only needing to focus on Chase and Trey right now. Just like Ja'Marr betting on himself and turning in one of the best WR season's in history. People saying he wasn't worth the $30m last year are going to shit themselves with his deal coming up. Again, people will NOW say, "Yeah, pay Chase $30m per year". TOO LATE...

I haven't read (or looked for) a single thing about the Super Bowl. It's like the game has already been played. Can't muster any interest at all...

Keeping Tee was always going to be a struggle and I don't think that's the Bengals being cheap either. I want them to and think they can, but am unsure if it's really the right thing to do. I guess some of that will come with seeing who else they could add to the roster in free agency. I was curious in a comparison and went to take a look at the Michael Pittman Jr. deal. Him and Tee were drafted in the same draft class. Higgins has played in 70 games, starting 62 of them. His stats look like this: 330 receptions on 512 targets. That's nearly 60% success rate when thrown his way. 4,595 yards and 34 TD's, converting 233 first downs. During the playoffs, he has 31 catches, 457 yards, 3 TD's and 21 first downs over 7 games. Pittman has played in 78 games, starting 70 of them. His stats look like this: 405 receptions on 598 targets. That's 53.5% success rate when thrown his way. 4,470 yards and 18 TD's, converting 215 first downs. During the playoffs, he has 5 catches, 90 yards, 0 TD's and 3 first downs in 1 game. While there are several different ways one might interpret that, I'm in the camp that says when Higgins is healthy and on the field, he's clearly the better receiver. Had he been healthy, those numbers would only be increased. Another might be, well Pittman has had shit QB's play and still put up solid numbers while Higgins has had Burrow throwing him the ball. Either way around, Pittman got a 3 year $70m deal, averaging $23.3m per year with a $15m signing bonus. $46m of the $70m is guaranteed. The Colts have a $5m dead cap out the 3rd year, saving $24m if they move on. While there are certainly other WR's that could be compared, this is a pretty good one in my opinion. My take away is there is no way a contract is done that doesn't average AT LEAST the $26.2m tag. As much as Tee should probably stay with Burrow, some team will throw a bigger number than that at him. With that said, Tee is gone...

It’s sort of like mediation in a lawsuit. The insurance agency offers this much. The other party wants this much. When all is said and done, the insurance agency gives more than they want to while simultaneously the other party gets less they wanted. Middle ground… Oddly enough you walk away thinking FUCK YOU !!