AMPHAR

I hope they get 2 DL out of this draft. Hopefully 2 in the top 4 picks. Its been apparent since the Senior Bowl that's were the strength of the draft is. Then there are some good DBs in striking range. I don't really want any part of filling guard in the first 2 rounds unless there's some sort of trade down or its a future OT. The edges are so close I can't tell which is the best so if someone wants to jump them, fine. I would love Nolen or Emmanwori. I'd really cringe if they burn a pick on OL again with a top DB/Edgeon the board. Mims better be All-Pro early returns are the passed on a good CB Quinyon Mitchell and Jared Verse. Some Bengals fans are lining up for that again this year...yeah Guard. I'm nervous with Stewart at Edge but jump all over him outside round 1. This class is supposedly much better than the previous year which was productive.

All due respect. There's a bunch of Bengal fans and media stuck in the past. Sorry. I'm not agreeing to disagree with that. Go read through this convo. I didn't create a point to argue against that wasn't being made. I said they had below average guard play, it can be improved but they don't need to reach for a guard. Why? 1. They signed a guy with 64 starts. They've produced a top 10 offense with sub-par guard play. Its just stupid to say they dug themselves in a hole when they'll return the major components to one of the league's best offenses for a few years just because a fraction of bengals fandom can't name the starting RG before the draft. Stupid. They aren't dropping hundreds of millions of dollars into QB/WRs to just quit over a guard. Who has the bigger desire to be right? It seems to me some in here can't stand the fact the Bengals are more successful today than vs. the 90s. There's a scoreboard and win/loss records, stats for a reason. This team is currently 4th choice to win the AFC. People with objective opinions see what it is on paper. People in here don't.

What team in the NFL has their opening day line up or final roster set before the draft? They signed a guy with 64 starts. Describing the current roster as a hole dug or painted themselves in a corner is wrong in regards to guard.

Feel free to use the entire history of football (college, pro) and pull any names of guards that would reduce your probability of failure when considering: Donald, Jones, and Heyward have a combined 3 DPOY awards, 15 or more All-Pros, 280 career sacks. Heck go ahead and pull from some Science Fiction movies to play guard against that. Absurd draft opinion the Bengals should construct a draft to stop HOFers and if they don't in the biggest games, its reasonable for a Bengal fan to have concern. WTF?

I think there's limits on how much a guard can actually improve the output of the offense. Case in point Zion Johnson was a guard once debated on here pre draft. Good player. Chargers have a franchise QB. Bottom half offense. Quentin Nelson is the best guard of his generation and the Colts struggle on offense for most of his career. Even the great Schreff. All-Pro, I believe going into Jacksonville. Horrible offense and they elected not to resign him or cut him. Thuney just traded away by Chiefs. Browns signed Steinbach, Zeitler, Mack, LeCharles Bentley some of the best IOL talent a draft could produce. Their offenses sucked AND they had a HOF Left Tackle. So I'm not sure how much impact you get from a first, second, third round guard. This type of thinking leads to Billy Price over Lamar Jackson. If they can find a player at guard in the draft, great. But them landing 3 defensive studs is about the only thing that would improve their Vegas odds. Betting public has already baked in them having a good offense because they deal with facts not emotion. Them drafting the best guard won't move them up from 4th choice. 3 draft day steals on defense could. At some point local media AND fans need to reconcile their world view with FACTs. The Bengals have been 4th choice for the AFC the entire off season. They have built a roster for 2025 that people debating about fucking GUARDS. Any negative opinion probably lacks objectivity. Quite frankly that's a hell of job. You could be sitting thinking how you get a QB, LT, or any other dozen more important positions.

My projection/opinion is the Bengals don't need to "reach" for a guard. Why? Because of the FACTS they have produced a top 10 offense, won playoff games with guard play I would say is below average. Your opinion was (I think) Well, the reason why I think they can justify not taking a guard in the first 3 rounds. Are the previously stated facts of actual games dealing with their offense, overall team performance. With the fact they have 3 guards with a bunch of NFL starts among them. What is missing and this has been the case in several of your replies: Where are the FACTS to support your projection above? I'm guessing you have little to none. It lacks objectivity. Its emotional. Same with Dehener. That's why we are treated to talks of 90 win bullpens, and food poisoning. Its entertaining but it is fools logic. Nobody ever made those points.

I don't know, what would you call the below? It lacks objectivity because it is FACT the bengals with Volson and a combination of other lower performing guards have been apart of playoff wins, top 10 point/yardage offenses. Also the biased performance assessment from Dehner and some Bengals fans MIGHT be off considering Cappa did get signed rather quickly and other guards remained unsigned. Pointing that out does not indicate IOL is "fine" or they can stand pat. Its simply suggesting they have not dug a hole to a point that guard must be addressed in the first 3 rounds.

You chose to argue a point that wasn't made. Learn to read. Accept your bias and change it. If a Bengal fan thinks they can win a Superbowl but they describe the up and coming draft as "digging a hole" or "painted themselves in a corner" then that's bullshit and they do lack objectivity. Guard play has been less than average, IMO. Yet, they've won playoff games. Recorded top 10 scoring offenses and yard producing offenses. Some of the guys they've cut found other teams. So what's unjustifiable? Pointing out facts to refute emotional garbage?

I don't think IOL is a deep enough hole that it forces the Bengals to reach for a guard in the draft. As you have admitted pre-draft this roster as constructed can win a Superbowl. Pending how the draft falls there are several players I'd rather have than a guard. But describing it as they've painted themselves in a corner or dug a hole is the typical chicken little fan/media syndrome. Get over that and things won't be as hard for you in the future.

lol. You can't even get the conversation correct. No one has claimed the IOL is fine. You admit they can win the Superbowl with the roster as constructed? True or False? So how did they dig themselves in a hole before the draft or paint themselves into a corner concerning the guard position? Try to keep up.

except when you realize they did win multiple playoff games with Volson, Sharping and Carmen playing significant snaps. The point is the Bengals will not have to reach for a guard at any point in this draft. T

I look at stats and see with those guards they've been top 10 offense yardage and points over multiple seasons. There's just a group of fans that aren't objective and have no interest in being objective. Enjoy the Bengals how you want but your eyes and judgements don't trump stats. Sorry. They could line up today and play with those guards and perform top 10. What facts would you use to disagree?

Cappa signed before FA. Supposedly they cut him because they had doubts about his future ability to stay healthy.

lol. What am I going to tell you that over $100m dollars in contracts hasn't told you already? Enjoy the Bengals how you choose. Referring anything so far this offseason as "digging a hole" is sensationalizing bullshit. Cappa was supposedly hurt and there Patrick supposedly is a healthy equal talent. Guard situation can be improved but nothing at this point is a critical failure point in regards to the offense.

I could go without Dehner's gaslighting. They could line up today and play with the guards they have today. Its just an odd perspective many Bengal fans and media have towards the team. They've dug themselves a hole, lol. Uh, they've returned 10 of 11 starters and replaced the one that was cut. That unit produced points that rivals the greatest era of offensive football in team history. Its a spot they can and probably will improve. Digging holes, GTFO.

That and hopefully Golden can develop more of rotation among the DL instead of running them into the ground.

Burrow doesn't give a shit about playing behind Volson or whoever. Zac doesn't give a shit about calling plays to hide 2 low tier guards. Draft isn't going to reflect that either. They'll pick a guard candidate IF that's the a player with an adequate grade. If it was the other way around there would be another FA guard addition. What they are going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on WRs but refuse and ignore Joe over $8m FA guard? Nah. Its simply not the panic button issue its made out to be. It can be improved and hopefully will but they can line up today and think Superbowl with who they have.

I'd question a RB pick that early with Chase and Perine on the roster. IMO, it would be stupid. 1st Zac and Joe have no interest in protecting anything with a running game. Joe is very much like Dan Marino in regards to the run game. I don't know if that's a positive or negative. So I'm not sure what another RB would do other than be a question all season long of why so and so isn't getting more carries? Joe said it best when talking about Mixon. All they care about the run game is to be efficient and keep them on schedule in down and distance. Zac - wants an RB that can catch and protect. They have 2 already that have shown to be able to do that. 2nd - Guard talk. Yes, they can upgrade guard. However it is not a gigantic hole and very close, IMO, to be coming an overrated talking point. They return everyone from a top 10 unit except RG in which they cut the starter and then replaced with an equal talent. The talk was Cappa was hurt all year so I guess you can say an upgrade via health is already there, I guess. Anyway they got 3 guys with a bunch of starts between them at guard. Sure fill the hole via the draft IF BPA dictates it otherwise wait for another round or so. In no way shape or form should they reach for one.

Politicians are never going to turn down a chance to play "city planner". Its a pile of money they get to play power broker with. Create or expand some Stadium Authority department etc. Its foolish for fans to think these gov entities would ever get tired of the stadium game. They get billions of dollars to play with/manage/mismanage/lose/pocket whatever.

Risner would be a decent add. Not sure if it will happen but there's a couple guys that have been available and for whatever reason haven't gotten phone calls from anybody. League can be weird like that. Quinton Spain went from starting in the Superbowl to no one wanting him not even for a look.

Is it too late to camp out on top of building until the Reds score a run?

Brown family doesn't want to move. As the story goes they were gone in 1993. Then a last minute deal to turn the "yellow" riverfront section into a stadium club was reached. Then Marge blocked it. Which put on them on path of Baltimore which people mocked, then Cleveland took it. This all started even before they were in Superbowl 23. When the salary cap grows based on league wide revenue and your stadium can't match what other league team's produce they aren't going to stay in Cincinnati and lose millions in revenue while their expense grows. Its best the County looks forward instead of resisting. Put forth the plan now to get them to sign the extension and don't default on the promises. Give another city or county in this case an opportunity to start throwing around new stadia ideas then all of sudden Hamilton County is in a worse situation than 1995 because they have way more debt invested in the riverfront today and the only way that is managed is by having more patrons visit the Riverfront.

Guard is a need for sure. But they have over 100 NFL starts between the top 3 today. IF you get Mims/Brown performing up to a level expected/hoped for then hiding low quality starting guards is quite doable. But they could line up today with what they have and with who they are throwing to, you can expect a top 10 offense. Its really more about optimization and getting rid of the handful of negative plays that have plagued this offense for what seems like an eternity. An equal problem all these years is average to bad tackle play as well. Jonah Williams? Brown Jr. while he hasn't been that much of an upgrade and Right Tackle has been a parade of hoping they get at least average. If there's a high quality tackle at 17 just given the history. They have to consider it.

The reality is Cincinnati is only a major league city when you factor in regional populations. Thus there are obvious in market relocation options as well. Obviously Chicago. But Columbus? Louisvillde? Boone County/Florence? Sure. If Cincinnati could make it work, then those market could. When factor in UFL markets. All new/existing college football and soccer stadiums that could serve as a temp home a move would be easy.

That was the exact same attitude in 1989. People laughed at the thought of Jacksonville Bengals. Laughed at Nashville, Charlotte. Flat out thought he was lying about Baltimore. What you can or can not see isn't a factor. All those markets I listed above are better and no worse equal to Cincinnati today. Haven't even discussed a move within the market but out of Hamilton County. Its best if the County makes a good faith effort in the current time to keep them. Then keep those promises. Fuck around and they'll once again find out how easy it is for a NFL team to move.