ArmyBengal

Couldn’t agree more !!

Don't care. I'm not getting over shit. It's a no. It will get voted for, but when you have a team worth multiple billions, taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook. Should have built a damn dome. I prefer the outdoor games, but a domed stadium vs. what we currently have is night and day. No draft, no possible traveling combine (which is coming), no basketball tournaments, less concerts, less everything. Get rid of whatever they call the Coliseum these days. They will be asking for another $12m in public funds as well. If there is going to be talk about how to put money into the city and actually build the wealth, why not build something that will help achieve that. Open air stadiums will be a thing of the past in decades to come.

I saw the new numbers and Burton gets #81. Would have been cool, since TJ coached him these last few years, to see him in #84, but that went to McClachlan. Guess he will just have to channel his inner Eddie Brown.

Again, while understanding everything impacted by the Bengals being here, I don't give a shit. No chance in hell I will be voting in favor of anything of that sort. Which brings me to my next question. Why is Hamilton County the only county expected to foot the bill somehow? Why not other counties? Why not State funds? Why not the Browns just fucking pay for it themselves? Again, it's a big NO from me. Don't care about the fall out. Bring it.

I like that thought process Stripes. Let me think about it. Had to remember the "relative to the start of last season". QB - no change (Could this be the first year for Burrow to start and end camp without being/getting dinged?) OT - improved (Agree) IOL - no change (Agree) RB - slightly improved (Maybe) WR - slightly worse (Agree, but expecting to end better than last year started) TE - improved (Agree) DE - no change (Agree) DT - worse (Agree, but has the potential to end really well between Rankins and Jenkins) LB - no change (Agree, UGH) CB - no change (There were higher expectations for Awuzie coming back, but it didn't happen) (Dax could help) S - improved (I would say MUCH improved here. Stone, Bell, and Battle along with Anderson and new dude)

I love Steve Smith and his evaluations of WR's, along with the big picture perspective. In the below video, they talk about where the top WR's went and their fit within the team's system. They hit on Burton towards the end. Skip forward to the 1 hour 17 minute mark for their take on Burton with the Bengals. Really good listen from this group and Steve's take on Higgins as well. Some info I never gave thought to. It's a really good watch and Burton gets about 6 minutes of the conversation.

Totally random and has nothing to do with anything being discussed but... FUCK YOU BILLS FANS !!! I just don't like them. That is all.

I'm simply looking at the story at face value. IF the story is true and Higgins is looking for a Michael Pittman deal, my point is that it's not a lot of money in the grand scheme of WR contracts. Higgins is already accounting for nearly $22 million this year. Why would the Bengals think that coming in below that number is reasonable? So is the 700 yards from last season the anomaly or are the multiple 1000 yard seasons? WR top of the market is going to be $30+ million per year. A solid #2 WR is probably right around that $23-$24 million point. That's going to look like a great deal come 2027. The talk of Iosivas or Burton (which I've already seen) taking Higgins spot in 2025 is being shortsighted and over confident. NOW... Does any of that mean they should pay Higgins 23-24 million per season? No, not by any stretch. However, to think something less the $20 million was a reasonable offer is just stupid. Again, this is taking everything at face value.

I have been looking into the guys we drafted a little more and if there is one thing that will hold Burton back from more plays, it's Charlie Jones. I think many people see new WR and automatically pencil him in as the #3 WR. I don't think that's a given by any stretch. If nothing else, Chase, Higgins, Iosivas, Jones and Burton look like a pretty amazing 1-5 to me. Add Irwin to that mix and your WR corps is already set unless they go 7 deep to start the season. Anyone else is simply jockeying for practice squad spots.

Was just reading that the Bengals contract offer to Higgins never approached $20m per year. Higgins, it said, wants something where Pittman’s contact with the Colts is. That contact was 3 years, 70 million. if all of that is to be believed 100%, the Bengals would be stupid to not give him that deal. Hell Pittman’s deal is already a value at this point and over the course of the next three years will be a super bargain. Already know he won’t be here next year, but again, if all that’s true, I’m less pleased. Chase is going to get $30m+ per year.

Yeah, looking forward to at least one extension getting done and maybe another pick up along the way. We will see.

Yes, please extend Karras for at least another season and do that NOW. My dream scenario is that some team decides to move in another direction with a player and we can swoop in and make a nice pick up. Who that would be, I have no idea, but an IOL would be nice. Speaking of all that, I am curious where their cap number is at this point?

Yep, forgot about that.

So, in a way too early thought of what the 2025 draft priorities will be: Karras and Hill are both free agents and Karras will be 32 going on 33. Our 7th rounder this year will be it. Hendrickson and Gunter will both be free agents and we better see something more from Murphy this season or this will be the #1 priority. I think Dax will take over the nickel CB spot with Hilton becoming a free agent and getting older, but CB is always a need. 4 DT's will be free agents with BJ Hill leading that group. We drafted two, but could use more here. We should have looked at a OG at some point in this draft as 3 will be free agents. Depending on how they look at Ossai, linebackers could be in line for picks with 4 free agents there. We have two RB with Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams both up for free agency. The OT group is losing 3, WR's are losing 5 with Higgins and Trenton leading the way and then both Giesicki and Hudson both free agents. Call it: C, DE, and OT as the top three to consider for the 2025 draft. Honorable mention is CB.

Thinking through this a little more... I think they are going to have a great season once it gets started. I just don't care what happens until they get there, as long as everyone is healthy. They blew an opportunity in my opinion. I typically give them a pretty large cushion when it comes to drafting and I don't feel that this year. If Mims doesn't start a single game this season because Trent Brown has been great and remained healthy, that will be fine with me. I expect to see Jenkins get many snaps and I expect him to be a solid contributor. I think Burton is going to have the same shot as anyone else on the roster for snaps and will be fun to watch if he doesn't implode. Jackson should be a part of the rotation as well and I won't complain about that. I have zero expectations for picks in rounds 4-7 this year, but am realistically hopeful for both McClachlan and Lee. Newton can go hang on some nuts. Haven't hated a pick as much as that one in some time. Don't care that it was a 5th rounder. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!

God, I'm really trying to stay upbeat about all this. I have never been less interested in camp. Since this is a Mims thread, did anyone catch his news conference? Dude, just steady smiling and a booming deep voice. Makes you want to like him personally.

Exceptionally strong

I get needing a partner for sure. That isn’t lost on me at all. However there were an absolute assload of trades before they went in the clock in the 2nd and the prices were far from what I considered steep. I view that as a missed opportunity. Honestly, that’s my biggest knock on this draft. For a team so close, quality over quantity should have been the recurring theme.

I get it, it’s the ebb and flow of the draft. I had anticipated them being more aggressive and they were not. Maybe I should have tempered my expectation, but I couldn’t envision them adding 10 more guys to the roster knowing many would make next to zero impact. I don’t like it, I’m not going to change that perspective, but I do get it. As always, wishing those players and the team luck in 2024. Moving on…

This draft sucks my ass

This is going to be one of my longer posts for sure, because I don't recall being so disappointed in a draft in many years. #18. Amarius Mims, OT- I get the concerns, but love this pick still. He's not expected to start week 1 and has time to heal, learn and god forbid get stronger than he already is. I've mentioned this before, the only true alternative to this pick was Brian Thomas Jr., who few really wanted at all. With Zac now actually saying Dax is a part of the CB group, there is no room for CB and I had already ruled that out long ago, as we knew how the story ended. Maybe an edge guy, but that would have made me more irritated than almost any position regardless of the need for pass rushers. I didn't like Verse, hated Fautanu (see Guard) and no one else was rated that highly. #49. Kris Jenkins, DT- Here's where things went off the track for me. LISTEN THOUGH. It has NOTHING to do with Jenkins. I think he's a fine player that will probably do well here. It has everything to do with the Bengals have 9 more picks to make at this point, knowing most of them probably weren't going to make an impact. Coleman, NEWTON, Polk, SWEAT, Fiske, DeJean, McKinstry, and one of my favorites, Center Jackson-Powers, were all there with Jackson-Powers getting within FIVE FUCKING picks of us. 2nd round people. Now, make the damned move up and get ANY of those guys. Now CB, WR, and certainly a 1st round talent like Jackson-Powers should have been made a priority. Just get it fucking done. I don't hate the player, I hate their stupid philosophy of thinking "patience pays off". In this instance I think they were clearly wrong and fucked up. I would easily give up three of the players we got for Jackson-Powers. Anyone here that wouldn't have done that? #80. Jermaine Burton, WR- I have no issue with the position or the player picked. Actually really like Burton, but he has come real behavior issues going on. Like he needs a shrink issues for real. Watch his highlights. You can see it. Kicking people, the taunting at every given chance, the fighting. Just calm the fuck down already and let your talent do the speaking. However, this was yet another example of "Who else was on the board". Coleman and Beebe would have been nice additions at the OG position when considering Volson still needs development and Cappa is going to be a free agent. Not as egregious as round two and happy to have Burton's talent. #97. Mckinnley Jackson, DT- Thought they might double up the position and don't really have concerns with Jackson to be honest. I liked Puni as an OG and really like Elijah Jones the CB out of Boston College right there. For me, this is about the time DE would have been on my radar and I like Jalyx Hunt here as well. Again, no real issue with Jackson. #115. Erick All, TE- I don't care. I didn't like this pick very much at all. Two season ending injuries in the last two years. If this was going to be the first tight end they selected I would have MUCH preferred Cade Stover, who was still on the board. Routing for him, like all the others, but wasn't pleased with this pick. Hope he's a sleeper that actually makes his way to stardom. We could use some of that. TJ Tampa still being on the board at this point really made this pick irritating to me. 8th rated CB, but instead we take an 11th ranked injury prone TE. UGH !! 149. Josh Newton, CB- ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? I mean, the entire kitchen counter appliance, sugar, flour and a mixed variety or bowls and glasses were almost thrown through the house. You pass on TJ Tampa and then take a CB who is ranked the 25th CB in the draft. Just unreal to me. It's not the pick, IT'S THE KID. OH MY GOD STILL PISSED. Trade up a handful of picks and get Cam Hart for Christ's sake. 194. Tanner McClachlan, TE- Ok, I can get behind this one. I like him MUCH more than the ALL kid taken two rounds earlier. Really one of my happier moments over the course of the draft. Big kid who can run, catch and block. Really surprised he was there in the 6th round. 214. Cedric Johnson, EDGE- No real issue with this young man either. Love his backstory and how hard of a worker he is. Hope he continues that at the pro level. Would have preferred Jalyx Hunt earlier though or even the center out of Arkansas, Limmer who went a few picks later. 224. Daijahn Anthony, S- Guess we needed to add another safety to an already jammed back position group. Zac said he was a safety with us. I liked other players that were available better and didn't think we needed a safety in the least. 237. Matt Lee, C- No issue with the kid or the position at the end of the 7th round. He will probably be the backup center, but that could have been filled by a player that was rated MUCH higher and if needed to come in due to injury would not have given my many concerns. OVERALL GRADE - "C" In now order, I liked the players Mims, Jenkins, Burton, McClachlan and Lee. I hammered them for the All, Newton and Anthony picks. Again, while liking some, I have not been this disappointed in a draft in more than 5 years and probably longer. That's hard for someone like me who watches a ton of college football and looks forward to adding players to my favorite team.

My point exactly. Glad he's here if for no other reason than what they currently have is horrendous. A 7th round rookie coming in with a real opportunity to leave camp as the #2 is beyond bad. I'm wishing him luck, but I hate this situation.

It should be a lot of fun watching him practicing with the other practice squad guys !! Honestly, he could actually make the roster, but that’s because the o-line depth here is so bad it’s comical.

I won’t begin to complain about practice squad guys (I’ll stop bogarting Hoosier’s term). Well unless we actually use draft picks on those types. OH WAIT… No, I’m still not happy.

Jesus help me. Glad we didn’t trade up to make sure the taxi squad is jammed pack.