HoosierCat

Well good for Fred! But it’s just a 2-year deal for this season and 2024 for a total of $2.2 million. And it took four teams to get to that point, including Cincy. Don’t think I’d classify this as a miss by the Bengals.

Well, Mel’s got him as his No. 6 QB prospect so I don’t think he sees him as a top of the first prospect, though others might, I dunno. Based on what he wrote in Nix’s write-up I take it he thinks its Williams and Maye and then everyone else. If anyone wants his write-ups of any other players on the big board let me know.

Adeniji signed with Minnesota.

Ah, the ol' sign a guy from your upcoming opponent trick!

PS announced. Still 2 spots available. S Michael J. Thomas DT Domenique Davis CB Allan George C Nate Gilliam DE Jeff Gunter LB Shaka Heyward TE Tanner Hudson WR Shedrick Jackson CB Sidney Jones IV G Jaxson Kirkland WR Kwamie Lassiter II WR Stanley Morgan LB Tyler Murray

You...me...everyone pretty much.

Starting off with some good news: Burrow back at practice today. https://www.threads.net/@bbaby41/post/Cwk_ltGx0Pk/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

I think he was a free agent but I could be wrong.

OK that’s funny. And sweet. https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/allbengals-insiders-plus/watch-cody-ford-reacts-to-making-bengals-53-man-roster

Good for him! I thought he might have a market. Bears picked up our old pal Khalid Kareem as well, I see.

Ah yes, another year of TE agita, just what we need! Bowers will be long gone unless this season goes far worse than we expect. The Texas kid, Sanders, gets good marks for both receiving and run-blocking. Maybe he’s there at 32? :) I think DT has to be up there. Both nose tackles, Reader and Tupou, are free agents next March, and both will be just a few months from their 30th birthdays. We really don’t have anything behind them. Likewise WR depending on how the situations with Boyd and Higgins play out, and how Jones and Iosivas do.

Per OTC, post-cutdown the Bengals have $20,577,888 in cap space available.

So who should you be watching on Saturdays this season? Mel has issued his first big board and position rankings of the year. (paywalled of course but…) Position rankings: Big Board:

Which is not surprising since there hasn't been much to track! He got drafted by the Panthers in 2019. Carolina would go on to start that year 5-3...and finish 0-8. Oof. Grier got a chance to play in the last two games. In his first outing against Indy, he went 27/44 for 224 yards, no TDs and 3 picks. Next week against the Saints, he attempted 8 passes, completing one, with no TDs and another pick. He was benched in favor of Christian McCaffery halfway through the second quarter. He hasn't thrown a regular season pass since. As TJ noted, he *did* look decent this preseason, 64/84, 640 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs across three games. That's worth the proverbial bucket of warm spit of course, but a five-year veteran ought to be able to stand out in preseason and he did that so...ok.

Teams can protect up to 4 PS players a week. If he really is QB3 he will be one of those every week.

Appears they are picking up former Dallas QB Will Grier. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/report-will-grier-to-sign-with-bengals-practice-squad

Taylor remains noncommittal about Burrow’s return. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/joe-burrow-remains-out-of-practice-and-zac-taylor-says-well-see-about-this-week I agree that the cuts at QB suggest they expect him back in week one, but also agree that the contract situation is an issue. Bengals continue to play with fire here imo.

Baby: Bengals coach Zac Taylor said the battle to be the team's third-down running back is still up for grabs between Chris Evans, Trayveon Williams and rookie Chase Brown. Williams will return to practice this week after suffering an ankle injury early in the preseason. https://www.threads.net/@bbaby41/post/CwirknUv_jj/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

No real surprises but some tough cuts. I’d expect all the UFAs except Siemian to join the PS if they don’t get better offers. Could definitely see another team sign Taylor and Thomas. Lot of young defensive line talent there. Gunter’s a tough one.

Here’s the full list: https://www.bengals.com/news/roster-cuts-2023-season-cincinnati-bengals The Bengals today made the following player moves to reach the NFL roster limit of 53: Placed one player on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list: OT La'el Collins (knee) Placed two players on the Reserve/Injured list: DT Tautala Pesefea Jr. (elbow) CB Marvell Tell III (concussion) Terminated the contracts of six vested veterans (NOTE: These players are released to free agency and thus free to sign with another team or to re-sign with the Bengals): TE Tanner Hudson CB Sidney Jones IV WR Stanley Morgan QB Trevor Siemian WR Trent Taylor S Michael J. Thomas Waived 26 players: OT Hakeem Adeniji TE Devin Asiasi TE Nick Bowers S Larry Brooks G Ben Brown DE Owen Carney WR Malachi Carter P Drue Chrisman S Yusuf Corker DT Domenique Davis CB Allan George C Nate Gilliam DE Jeff Gunter LB Shaka Heyward WR Mac Hippenhammer WR Shedrick Jackson DE Raymond Johnson III LB Keandre Jones G Jaxson Kirkland WR Kwamie Lassiter II LB Jaylen Moody LB Tyler Murray HB Jacob Saylors QB Reid Sinnett TE Christian Trahan HB Calvin Tyler Jr. Practice Squad: All NFL players are eligible to be signed to a team's practice squad in 2023, though players who are waived must clear waivers first. The Bengals plan to announce tomorrow a practice squad of up to 16 players.

Add Salyors to the list.

Carman’s problem is that he’s a second-round pick going into year 3 and instead of being a starter he’s fighting for a backup swing tackle spot. He’s shaping up as the worst second-round choice since Jake Fisher in 2015. Now, maybe this is the year it all comes together, and to be clear I hope that’s the case, but I’m not counting on it.

So the all access thing is…fine. Think of it as “Very Light Knocks.” Some good practice and sideline footage. Behind-the-scenes stuff is mostly draft picks/FAs coming in for the first time, signing contracts. Some PR fluff. Only thing that put me off was having Taylor as narrator. He has some scenes where he’s just talking normally and those are good, but then they have him narrating over images and it’s obvious he’s reading a script. Narration is a kind of voice acting and a good narrator can make a script sound not like a script. A professional would have been better here. Definitely worth a watch.

Running list so far: Tarell Basham Allan George Hakim Adeniji Michael Thomas Devin Asiasi Raymond Johnson Trevor Siemien Reid Sinnett Drue Chrisman Trent Taylor Owen Carney

Trent Taylor cut. Also Owen Carney.