AMPHAR

New look probably refers to New faces. He should have 3 bodies pushing for more rush rotation in Zach Carter, Myles, and Ossasi. Then there's a ton of new faces in the secondary. I'm sure this adjusts the scheme's used.

IMO, there isn't enough of a penalty to stop a gambling addict from attempting it. They could go to jail if caught but that isn't going to stop a problematic gambler. IMO, its a bad idea for the NFL to get in bed with sports gambling. They should have a zero tolerance gambling policy on anything while NFL employee at the very least. Start the education seminar along with the warnings of baby mama classes they do. The NFL has a major rules problem that they refuse to admit and deal with. Roger is addicted to implementing more on field solutions for show which complicates the ability to officiate and more importantly the viewing public doesn't understand the rules or reasoning. So of course with gambling added it, confusing officiating is only going to get louder. Players/coaches can get in deep betting on other things then ultimately will try to get even betting on something they think they know. I believe that's the Pete Rose story. Gambler got in deep and tried to dig himself out betting on baseball and probably fixing games. There's the NBA ref that was supposedly only giving picks based on his knowledge that eventually landed in jail. I'm sure the NBA covered stuff up to. There was strong hints that the NBA put pressure on refs to get series to game 7s etc. I still believe the Mike Vick dog fighting was more about gambling vs. animal abuse. Some of those betting pools get into hundred thousands.

The success of Kenny, Boomer, and Fulcher with coaches like Paul Brown, Walsh, Wyche, and LeBeau took schematic innovations from cute little trend to league wide influences for decades that have their finger prints on so many HOF careers and championships. The difference can be seen in things like the Run and Shoot. It had its wildly successful days. But those days were limited because the players/coaches overseeing the scheme had limitations. Thus the run and shoot was more of a fad when compared to West Coast Offense. If Kenny/Walsh then later Montana could only produce offensive numbers and flame out then that scheme dies out as fad. Boomer/Wyche and then Jim Kelly same thing. Hurry up offense was a cut fad not something you want to use Peyton Manning to do.

There is no Boyd or Higgins discussion, IMO. My guess is Higgins will get a big offer from the Bengals its just a matter of the two parties agreeing. If they don't, I would guess the franchise tag is coming. Boyd may or may not get offered a 3rd contract from the Bengals but it will not be in the magnitude of Higgins and it shouldn't be. If Higgins wants this year's No. 1 money you offer Higgins No. 1 money and hope he takes it. Why? Burrow is the best back shoulder thrower in the league and that's a big part of Higgins game. Throw him cash and beat teams over the head with it. Chase is under team control for the next 3 seasons. Then a 4th assuming tag. That's a long freaking time and with cap growth any Higgins deal done this off season will look like a bargain. In my mind its the same rational you don't fuck with Mixon until you have replacement. Teams are going to play a lot of cover 2. Throwing to Mixon out of the backfield was a huge counter measure. When you are hunting for a Superbowl, this is stuff you overpay for. Same with Higgins. So many back shoulder plays with Burrow. Elite talent. Try to keep it IF you got it.

As mentioned above Curtis inspired a significant rule change. Using that same logic Boomer should be in with the first class hands down. Now Boomer had help because Sam Wyche was the driving force behind it, but Boomer made it work and it was revolutionary. Calling plays at the line. Sugar huddles. All these substitution rules are because of Sam and Boomer running that offense. Rules like your subs have to exit the field between the 20s. Can't have more than 11 people in the huddle. Equal subs. Every Bengal fan knows Jim Kelly and Marv Levy stole the credit for hurry up offense. But Sam and Boomer had so much success with it, opposing teams went to league office to slow it down. Fulcher while not inspiring any rule changes. Fulcher was the primary piece in LeBeau being the first D-Coord to focus an entire defensive scheme around fire/zone blitzes. LeBeau basically took a niche blitz stunt that existed for a while and made a whole concept out of it. LeBeau really ramped it up with Fulcher when Warren Moon's run and shoot relied on pre snap count of players in the box. LeBeau would drop Fulcher down then drop Krumrie or David Grant (or whoever) into coverage. This eventually was perfected in Pittsburgh. Fulcher and Boomer for brief periods flirted with being among the best in the NFL at their respective positions. Fulcher and Ken Easley were considered the top AFC Safeties along with Ronnie Lott in the NFC. Fulcher also had a career run in the 1988 playoffs. His stat lines were excellent and is big reason why they won the AFC. I'd say its on par with Jessie Bates 2021 playoff run.

I'm certain Higgins is going to get a significant offer from Bengals. Maybe he already has? Its just a matter of Higgins wanting to take it or test the market. I would expect him to get the tag if its not done. Boyd? Seems like the odd man out. Maybe they offer him a short term deal, I don't know. But Trenton Irwin, and the WRs they just drafted in some combination are replacements for Boyd. Chase still has 3 years of team control and then tag. That's a long time.

1. Chad Johnson 2. Issac Curtis 3. AJ Green IF they would have had a RING of Honor like normal teams Curtis would have been in before Chad Johnson was a rookie. Then Chad would have been in sometime during AJ's career so on and so on. I think Chad was the better WR. 4 time conference leader in reception yards. 1 NFL title. 4 time All-Pro selection. Curtis was 3 time All-Pro. I think these metrics stamp Chad as slightly better player amongst his peers slightly higher and longer than Curtis. Of course, stat numbers aren't comparable across eras.

Dillon on the list of voting show some sort of reconciliation on the Bengals side. I'm sure Dillon would show up if honored. But he might be flipping burgers on the day. Who knows?

Competition. I would be shocked IF this year's opening day starter at RT will only have 1 or 2 team practices in August. Somebody is leaving or going to guard out of RT group.

IMO, this could be the best RT and Swing Tackle situation Burrow has had. Health will be the key as always. At the end of the day Burrow almost won a Superbowl playing behind a line with 2 starters that failed to make rosters the following year (Spain and Hopkins). Then 2 more starters that were regulated as back ups the following year. Its time for the overall offense to approach Boomer type averages and the line to significantly decrease the amount of pressures/sacks/hits.

Robbins is the clear favorite, but no way in hell with Simmons is it not going to be a competition. Dorsch was drafted (who had an absolute foot cannon) and didn't unseat Harris (?) then eventually cut under Simmons because he wasn't consistent. Huber had to beat out an incumbent vet as a rookie if I remember correctly it wasn't a lock at all of him making it. Then they cut Elliot to keep Fat Randy. Elliot in his rookie TC had some bad days. Just last year they initially kept Huber over Chrisman despite Chrisman having higher ceiling and many observers thinking Huber would be cut. Simmons isn't going to mess around with inconsistency in the short term no matter if he might have egg on his face down the road. My guess is Robbins wins the job, but he better be consistent holding on FGs, and producing punts they can count on.

Dangerous Dan Hoard loves himself some jugglers. AJ Green was a juggler if I recall.

Boomer's resume makes him long over due, IMO. I'm not sure when he took over for Kenny somewhere around 84/85, I think. Offensive ranks (yardage): 85 - 3 86 - 1 87 - 5 88 - 1 89 - 3 90 - 9 That's pretty damn impressive. They've gone through post Boomer eras where the fan base is giddy over the offensive talent. Boomer is still the last QB to oversee a unit average 400 yards per game over a whole season. Most of his units eclipse Palmer and Burrow squads. Just an overlooked impressive run. Add things in like league MVP etc. Chad Johnson of course. He led the AFC and NFL in receiving yards a few years. Impressive stretch and unlike Boomer; which probably the reason Boomer isn't in yet, Chad has mostly been a champion of the Bengals. It would be great to get those two in.

I think the organization has clearly tweeked their FA approach from Marvin days. But Marvin Lewis had talent. His rosters from 2012-2015 were loaded. I think its important to recognize that. Too much of the organizations changes since 2003 are overlooked mostly because Marvin couldn't deliver in prime time. I think losing that first playoff game to the Steelers had a lot to do with it. The pressure just grew. Burrow has been huge for Zac. They were able to rip that Bo Jackson curse off against the Raiders. Burrow had a huge TD rolling to the sideline that is overlooked because a stupid ref blew his whistle early and that became the focus and takes the focus of how great that play truly was. That's the "IT" factor that people are trying to define. Then Pratt's Int saves the game from being stolen washing out the worse roughing the passer call EVER. But IF that playoff game gets stolen from Zac. The pressure and narrative of the history build. Instead its changed forever. I think it could have been different for Marvin, maybe if he doesn't lose Palmer and Henry on the first pass play of his first playoff game. He had talent to have multiple playoff wins in his 16 year reign.

Interesting names for sure. They are in a dog fight to extend their playing careers. Teams can bring 90 players to TC. Of that 2,880 pool approx 500 are newly drafted/UDFA. Retirement is calling for some of those dudes. Can't believe Clowney is only 30. He's been an available Free Agent so much it seems like he'd be 50. It seems like there's always some fan base giddy to get him thinking they are getting an instant Monsters of the Midway pass rush. Someone on the radio was talking about Zeke Elliot replacing Mixon. IMO, Zeke's washed. Dude can't get open if he runs a pass pattern beyond the LOS. Its always interesting how much name value some of these players still have.

Streaming was like awesome about 10 years ago. Now they've gone and fucked that up.

Looks like Rambo

Isn't it just the regular CBS afternoon game? NYE falls on Sunday this year, right? The whole league is playing except the Monday Night match up. Good on the NFL to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.

Hopefully the Black Friday game is during the day. I hope they don't stuff it in at night.

Value City, Van Leunens, Sports of all sorts STEIN-bergs was always pumped over 700 wlw during Reds games.

I would have loved to have Flowers back at one point. But he's been a bubble guy for a while. After the draft, Flowers wasn't going to resign with the Bengals even IF they offered a 1 year. Don't understand the mourning of a bubble guy moving on. Flowers and his agent saw the crowded room and wisely moved on.

Quoting myself because the reality of losing Brown is just hitting in KC. Donovan Smith will get first run for them at LT during OTAs over the RT they overpaid for. Smith has given up major pressures despite blocking for Tom Brady's quick release. Smith almost got benched last year in Tampa. I think their tackle spots are going to be something they'll need to manage because Mahomes is a play extending freak. Meanwhile the AFC runner ups are going to have to manage putting either a former 1st round LT at RT or an under performing 2nd rounder at RT with a Pro Bowl LT.

Black Friday game would be better IF it honored the traditions of black friday. You know first people in the door get a 500 inch TV for $3. Stuff like that. Get some mom's fighting in the stands over Cabbage Patch dolls.

I think its completely fair to ding the Bengals draft for not landing a TE. A LITTLE. I wouldn't go overboard in doing so. Like anything with the draft we'll see. Irv Smith has 15 starts in 4 seasons and more alarming played 8 games the last 2. There's a good chance a TE they could have gotten in this draft will out produce Irv IF he gets injured, maybe even if he stays healthy. Then again Myles Murphy grabs you 8 sacks, put Mahomes down in the 4th quarter of AFC Champ game and Irv gives them a healthy season and grabs a TD in the AFC Champ. Nobody is going to give a hoot about not drafting a TE. I think they traded an opportunity in getting pass rush for solving TE. They've been good at finding productive TEs. No problem with what they did. There will always be "what ifs"

IMO and (there is no basis for it) Jonah and his agent tried to take advantage to either get a long term deal this year (via trade) effectively giving him more cash than the $12.5 for this year or use the trade to legally tamper with teams for next year's market. I just thought it was unlikely Williams would do anything to jeopardize next year. Average guys got paid and there will probably be more considering cap growth. See if he can win the RT job.