HoosierCat

Yeah, I knew that was coming at the end…

That Belichick would be moving on seemed pretty inevitable as last season went on. So that didn't surprise me, but yeah it's still massive. 24 years. Quite a run.

Just saw. Yeah, him and Vrabel were both surprises, at least to me.

Regarding drafting OL, I would say that line of thinking is crap, even if it is what some in the building believe. They can’t just decide not to draft a position based on it being too tough for their widdle brains to figure out. Again, if true, it sounds like a team making excuses for scouts and/or evaluation procedures that aren’t producing good recommendations. Just giving up isn’t the right answer here. As an aside, of the four tackles taken in the first round last year, all but one had a higher PFF grade than Jonah. And the one that didn’t, Anton Harrison, only trailed by 5 points. So I question how tough projection actually is. But anyhow, sure, give me a good vet RT. If they can find a Reiff type, great. But they are still going to have to spend a top pick on a guy to develop. Re trading Jake, yeah, if someone is going to give you a second or conditional third or is willing to trade, say, a decent vet safety or TE or OL or DT, I definitely consider it. But I'm not sure anyone is going to make that level of an offer. If he is back next year I am good with that too.

Roster was announced yesterday. https://www.nfl.com/news/2024-senior-bowl-roster-reveal-what-you-need-to-know Practice is Jan 30 - Feb. 1, game is Feb. 3. Some changes this year, most notably that it's not really the "senior" bowl anymore. There are 15 underclassmen participating so far. Notably given conversations elsewhere on the board, five are safeties: Georgia's Javon Bullard, Miami's Kamren Kinchens, Washington State's Jaden Hicks and the Utah duo of Sione Vaki and Cole Bishop. Looks like loads of good DBs and WRs overall so that should be fun. Also lots of quality OT/OL.

Battle up for Rookie of the Week. https://www.nfl.com/voting/rookies/

Cochran re-signed. They also signed a bunch of taxi squad guys to futures contracts. https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-roster-moves-players-signed-reserve-future-contracts-2024

But wait, there's more! Or less, I'm not sure. It appears the status of Martindale is, to say the least, unclear. We may be a couple decades removed from the worst of times, but it's still nice when other teams are the shitshow, not us.

Hill is great in the box, he’s just not a deep guy. They need to find someone, preferably a vet in FA, not named Nick Scott. Goodberry was all over this in his video yesterday. Battle is better deep than Hill, just wish he had more speed. But as COB noted he was great this season.

Interesting note, as part of the league’s minority hiring program, if the Raiders hire Brown the Bengals get a bonus 3rd round pick this year and next year.

Best headline of the offseason so far (from ESPN): Aaron Rodgers: Jets need to flush the B.S. to win in 2024 I am in total agreement! The big turd named Aaron Rogers needs to be flushed asap!

Was with the Pats & Eagles. He did interview for the Raiders job in 2022, I guess they were impressed enough to take another look now.

Vrabel bounced from Tennessee.

Raiders nosing around Trey Brown for the GM job. https://www.cincyjungle.com/2024/1/8/24030572/trey-brown-raiders-bengals-nfl-gms

I would just like to have a real offensive coordinator instead of this multi-headed hydra thing they have going. The inconsistency it produces is maddening. Some games they look unstoppable, others they can't buy a first down. I'll use the news that the Jags fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and multiple defensive assistants on Monday, while the Giants are moving on from DC Wink Martindale and two of his top assistants to note that despite producing one of the league's worst defenses, Lou Anarumo still has a job. They spent a boat load on money and picks on this D and they were trash in 2023. But volcom is probably right, they likely aren't making any moves.

Do it Carolina, pull that trigger!!! https://www.cincyjungle.com/2024/1/8/24030658/bengals-brian-callahan-carolina-panthers-coach-search-tracker

$68.5 million per OTC but 70 is fine to make the math easier. Looking at the FA list, Higgins is the only guy I’m thinking of handing big bucks. And if not him, who? Hey, if they have their eye on some stud DT or RT in FA, great. But absent that, give me Tee. That’s a lot of names but I think most can be gotten back with breaking the bank, assuming they are wanted. They top four there, Reader, Boyd, Chido and Jonah will have markets, but I don’t know how strong each will be. All come with age, injury and/or performance questions. Our secret weapon at TE, the unstoppable Drew Sample, must of course be retained. In addition to all of this, I’m already seeing the “Bengals need to move on from Mixon” crowd piping up again. IMHO they can pipe right back down again.

Burrow wants Tee back. The Bengals are usually accommodating when it comes to their QBs. I don't think a long-term deal here is out of the question. I mean, they have kind of paid everyone at the moment. The only big contract looming is Chase. Would cut down money for FAs of course but that's a feature not a bug with this franchise.

Burrow Offseason Injury Watch, 2024 Edition:

Heads be a-rollin' today. Smith canned in Atlanta, Rivera bounced in DC, GM Scott Fitterer follows Reich out the door in Carolina.

And that’s that. Denver blew it but everything else went our way. 18 in the first, 14 in the second.

Update: NO’s win put it in the playoffs. Now we need Green Bay to beat the Bears too to get as high as possible in round two.

So that locks us in to the 18th pick in the first round. Looks like NO will win today, so that’s a plus. That puts them in the 9-8 group too, so the Bengals will rotate up to 15 in the second. Root for Denver and Seattle. If the both win we rotate up to 13 in round two.

Jags get one last shot, can’t get two yards on three straight plays, turn it over on downs. Pitt is in the playoffs.

They needed either the Jags or Bill to lose to get in.