HoosierCat

Yes, they were the last using the slit stuff, which has been linked to injuries. The new stuff is FieldTurf. I’m so old I remember grass at PBS. There’s a reason they moved to turf.

Yeah the Steelers signed Patterson because of that.

Yeah, they stopped giving a shit about the players. Oh wait, my bad, they never gave a shit about the players. Oh well, no one says you *have* to play the game, right?

So Cleveland might be opening the season in Brazil. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/the-nfl-is-deciding-between-these-two-opponents-for-eagles-2024-brazil-game-says-team-executive/

Dumbass new kicking system approved. https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-owners-pass-new-kickoff-rule-at-annual-league-meeting

Trent Brown contract details finally out. They got him for nothing, basically. Spotrac:

It's originating from exactly there, specifically from Jeremy Fowler, who claimed yesterday on Sportscenter to have talked to teams that are interested in Higgins who "believe" (not admitting having talked to Cincy or anything like that, but, y'know, apparently have a feeling or something) that the Bengals are "at least willing to listen" in comparison to last year. So by all appearances it remains just vibes, and mostly/totally vibes produced by the media. Tee's agent may have a hand in it but if so I think it's a light touch. More than anything else this reminds me of the whole "Burrow should hold out" media campaign back in 2020. I said at the time that was fueled 100% by the media which did not want a hot ticket like Burrow stuck in one of the league's smallest media markets. Same for Tee. Him in a bigger market means more eyeballs and $$$ for them.

Well, the hip drop ban passed. I love the weird framing it's getting, like this example from espn: So it's a 15-yard penalty -- which can be drive, if not game, changing -- but it will only be called sometimes, which is a...good thing? Just what the game needs, more unevenly enforced penalties! No vote today on the kickoff thing.

So the Chiefs are trading their franchise player, Sneed, for a 2025 third. Bengals kept Bates on the tag, got another year of elite play in 2022, and got a 2024 third. Again, not against trading Tee, but value seems hard to come by.

Agreed.

TBF Dehner did say he was looking more at position vs player, so this reflects how he thinks they will prioritize things.

Bored. Went three rounds at pfn. Ignored trade offers. 18. Dallas Turner, edge, bama. Thus endth the Joseph Ossai era. 49. Sweat. Gotta plug up the middle s9 show. 80. Christian Mahogany, G, BC. A better Volson? 97. Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale. Has all the tools, but it’s a big step from the Ivy League.

Dehner's first mock, from the Athletic. Big fan of 247! Round 1 (18): Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon Round 2 (49): Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan Round 3A (80): Mike Hall Jr., DT Ohio State Round 3B (97): Max Melton, CB, Rutgers Round 4 (115): Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa Round 5 (149): Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois Round 6A (194): Drake Nugent, C, Michigan Round 6B (214): Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville Round 7A (224): Nathaniel Watson, LB, Mississippi State Round 7B (247): Tory Taylor, P, Iowa

Boyd update. Why hasn’t he signed in Pitt yet? Completely unsurprising answer: his market has dried up and now the Steelers don’t want to pay the asking price. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-free-agency-2024-heres-whats-delaying-a-possible-deal-between-tyler-boyd-and-the-steelers/

A couple day 3 guys the Bengals have shown interest in: Dallin Holker, TE, Colorado State Evan Anderson, DT, Florida Athletic https://www.cincyjungle.com/2024/3/21/24106729/bengals-dallin-holker-evan-anderson-nfl-draft-visits-2024

Eh, he played fine with New England when they were good, too. Also did well with the 9ers and Raiders. I wouldn't worry much. Brown is a one-year rental that, assuming he can stay upright (a sizeable assumption), means they don't have to rush a rookie in as the starting RT.

Browns keep browning, give Jeudy a three-year $58 million extension with $41 million guaranteeed. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39766129/browns-sign-wr-jerry-jeudy-3-year-58m-extension

Yup it’s ugly. Like I said a couple months back, whatever it is they do in scouting and grading OL, they need to throw it in the wood chipper and go do the exact opposite.

If Trent can stay healthy, Brown & Brown will arguably be the best tackle duo the Bengals have fielded since the heyday of Big Willie and Levi circa 2005.

So is Karras, and Cappa has a 10 million cap hit in 2025. And Volson is, well, Volson. OL will be a priority this draft and next.

If he does his job right you’ll never hear his name!

Sweet!

I think that if you are the Bengals right now, you absolutely have to protect yourself against the possibility that you don't get get one of the stud RT prospects at 18. And it's not impossible that 5-6 tackles could come off the board before they pick. So you either commit to moving up at least, oh, four spots (which is going to cost you at minimum your third rounder) to ensure you get a guy, or you sign one of the proven if flawed starters available in FA.

Well, the word put of Pitt now is that, one, there is a “mutual interest” between the Steelers and Wilson to extend him beyond the one year he is signed for. Which raises the immediate question, if that’s true, why did they sign him to a one year deal in the first place? And two, the Steelers are not expected to pick up Fields’ option. However, they may try to extend his contract as well. Which raises the immediate question of why Fields would do this if Wilson is gonna be the long term guy? https://en.meming.world/wiki/File:Cat_Standing_in_the_Snow.jpg/

Brown visiting tomorrow per shefty.