HoosierCat

$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.

Baltimore handed them a playoff spot. It’s that simple. They’ll be one and done.

Jackson Carman sighting!!!

Another one for Princeton

Punt game sucks but we knew that.

Jones too.

Preseason game so of course browning looks like preseason browning.

Is your son Mike Brown? “We would’ve made the playoffs if Boyd caught that ball.” OH MY GAWD ARMYBENGAL IS KATIE’S SOCKPUPPET!!!!!!

So Robbins looks to end the season as the worst punter in the NFL. https://www.cincyjungle.com/2024/1/5/24026965/brad-robbins-giant-strides-bengals-special-teams-coordinator-darrin-simmons

Higgins doubtful. DNP all week so it looks like he won't play. Crap ending to a crap year for him.

Yeah, Irv didn't work out as hoped. Orlando Brown Jr. took a step back too, from 75.8 in 2022 with KC to 63.9 here in 2023. Still better than Jonah was in 2022 at LT, but not by much. Certainly not the kind of improvement we were hoping for. Pratt got paid and promptly dropped 20 frickin' points, from 80 to 60. Makes Logan Wilson's fall from 72 to 62 look tame by comparison.

2022 vs. 2023 PFF scores for some of our key FAs. Reader and Higgins still pretty good, even in a down year. Boyd...ooof. At least Chido had the coming off injury excuse. Not much change for Jonah despite the position move. Player 2023 PFF Grade (Rank) 2022 PFF Grade (Rank) DI D.J. Reader 82.2 (13th/137) 85.2 (6th/142) WR Tee Higgins 72.1 (43rd/99) 78.4 (20th/122) WR Tyler Boyd 60.8 (79th/99) 70.2 (42nd/122) CB Chidobe Awuzie 62.6 (81st/134) 69.9 (T-37th/131) OT Jonah Williams 59.1 (59th/81) 61.0 (T-65th/89) QB Jake Browning 75.2 (20th/44) N/A TE Irv Smith Jr. 44.2 (49th/49) 56.4 (38th/42, with Vikings)

No, you pretty much got it. Just change little to massive.

Amphar is just doing us the service of previewing the line the Bengals will be rolling out in the offseason. That being, the only reason they didn’t make the playoffs/win the division/win the Super Bowl was that Burrow got hurt. Hobs will be detailed to explain in his usual exasperating manner how there is no need for coaching or personnel changes, no need to spend big in FA, no need to draft impact players, we can take luxury picks that will play 10 snaps a game, etc., because a healthy Burrow farts lightning and craps thunder and the Lombardi is a lock if they just Stay. The. Course.

Driskel starting for Cleveland Sunday. https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/jeff-driskel-start-for-browns-bengals-season-finale#google_vignette

Oh, and if you’re looking for something to do other than watch a preseason game in January, I cannot recommend The Boy and the Heron highly enough. Miyazaki saved the best for last, it’s a masterpiece.

Opponents set for next season: Home Opponents (8): Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Washington and New England. Road Opponents (9); Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, Tennessee and Carolina. https://nbc24.com/sports/cincinnati-bengals-2024-25-opponents-set-after-loss-kansas-city-nfl-pro-football-home-road-browns-ravens-steelers-chiefs-titans-chargers-raiders-broncos-panthers-giants-patriots-commanders-eagles-chiefs Very friendly if they can manage to win a division game or two…