HoosierCat

Let the post combine mocks begin! First up, Ryan Wilson at CBS, who slides OT Anton Harrison (a popular pre combine pick) to Cincy at 28. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/nfl-mock-draft-2023-anthony-richardson-moves-up-board-new-wr1-lands-in-green-bay-in-post-combine-edition/ Given Pollack’s comments at the combine, this seems unlikely. Notably, he has Darnell Washington going two picks later. In other post combine mock draft news, I did one today at PFF. I took Washington in the first and a corner with a torn ACL in the second. I got an F for Washington and an A for the corner, so I think we can throw that mock draft machine in the trash.

Good post combine wrap up here. https://sports.yahoo.com/biggest-bengals-takeaways-2023-nfl-141154100.html

As I noted elsewhere, boring offseason are a blessing.

Yup. Mike Brown is a cheap bastard, part the infinity. https://themorningline.substack.com/p/bengals-gonna-bengal

The conversation around potentially dealing Higgins was all about whether you think they can or will do monster deals for him, Chase and Burrow at more or less the same time. If the answer was no then it made sense to deal Tee and get some value as opposed to letting him walk. If the answer is now yes, then the argument is moot and we can all get on with our lives.

Well, that’s not ideal… https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35760585/warrants-arrest-jalen-carter-ex-georgia-star-nfl-draft-prospect

Tobin: Bengals not trading Higgins. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35755082/bengals-tee-higgins-trade-rumors-find-your-own-wr Also in the above link: Translation: they’re still a ways apart.

Nice little read from Doc today, who reminds us that boring offseasons are a good thing. https://themorningline.substack.com/p/stable-set-bengals-are-boring-in

Yup, stuff is starting to happen. DC franchised Payne. Only tag so far. They also booted Carson Wentz. Cleveland letting John Johnson go. There’s some chatter they may go after Bates. Mariota out in Atlanta.

Pre-Combine mock from Mel. His pick at 28: Huh-huh. Mel said beavers. Huh-huh. Huh-huh. Note that Mayer and Kincaid are both gone by 28 and Darnell Washington goes with the next pick, so Mel has four TEs going in the first, which seems unlikely. In this mock, Pitt takes Joey Jr., and Baltimore gets Zay Flowers.

The combine is nigh. Batten down the hatches and prepare for the incoming rumor storm. https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/2023/02/27/NFL-prospects-combine-trade/7011677509948/

And the first signing is in the books: https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-roster-moves-cal-adomitis-long-snapper-signed So long Clark. Your bountiful tresses will be missed.

The chances they give up on Volson after one season are zero.

The thing at TE is that cupboard isn’t just bare, it’s also missing shelves and doors. If they had to play a game today, their starting TE would be Asiasi. The only other TE currently under contract is taxi squadder Tanner Hudson. As much as I like Hurst, he turns 30 this August. He’s not a long-term solution. I would love to have him back on a 1-2 year deal, 3 tops, but I wouldn’t pass on a top-tier guy at the position if that’s the way the draft falls.

NFC South? Fine. Bye.

Kewl. Just tried it out (only 4 rounds) and got Mayer in the first, Keion White in the second, LB Drew Sanders in the third and OT Tyler Steen in the fourth. (if Sanders is actually there in the third that means he must have, like, killed someone between now and then. I’m still taking him.)

Jonah had surgery to fix the kneecap, Ossai went under the knife to fix a torn labrum. Jonah expected back for camp, no timetable for Ossai. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10065994-report-bengals-joseph-ossai-jonah-williams-undergo-surgeries-to-repair-injuries

That’s really good COB but we need to make one important change here: OK, I get where you’re going here and we need to do a little of this, but what we really want to play up is that the disaffected loners can’t get laid, while all the cool kids are just screwing left and right. This lets us shove in a bunch of gratuitous sex and nudity. Your pitch is great but its woefully short on T&A!

Seriously? Either they didn’t know about this or they did, and either way is a bad look. https://news.yahoo.com/bengals-cornerback-chris-lammons-saints-143727876.html

Lack of live reps in preseason for the oline was clearly an issue in the first couple weeks. However, they’ve now had a whole season together, so I don’t think whether or not they play in preseason this coming August matters.

Just for reference since we are now officially just a month from the start of FA: February 21: clubs may designate Franchise or Transition Players. March 7: deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players. March 13-15: Legal tampering period. March 15: Free Agency begins at 4 p.m. eastern.

McShay’s post SB mock: He has DE Keion White and two OTs (Harrison and Duncan) going in the next three picks to end the round, so if you don’t like TE, there you go.

Re preseason, what would really make a difference is if Joe can not a) be a rookie b) be coming off major knee rehab and c) have emergency surgery. Just, y’know, a normal boring camp & preseason. That would be a major change right there.

Team friendly = ownership friendly. That’s the only real question, will Joe play by Mike’s rules regarding structure. Money is not an issue. People seem to have forgotten that they once made Carson Palmer the highest paid player in the league and didn’t need to gut the team to do it.

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/report-brian-callahan-eliminated-colts-head-coaching-search