AMPHAR

Secondary. Until the fruits of Free Agency are known its hands down Secondary. Eli Apple was never intended to be a major player for the Bengals. But he has been. Even though there are wide ranges of opinions regarding Eli you better have similar quality at your depth spots. Safety easily. Both starters are Free Agents. Chido coming back off ACL. Flowers a FA. Even if they are able to fill these spots FA, you have to look at length of deals as well. If they fill spots with 1 year deals then significant draft picks are still in play, IMO. Its a deep safety class so I think they could strike there. TE - snaps available there until Free Agency is known. Tackle and DL are not primary needs, as in they could line up right now and play. They do have a difficult vacancy coming up after 2023 with Jonah Williams. Right Tackle injuries in two seasons may have cost them a Superbowl. Pass rush similar to Secondary can never have enough.

I wouldn't be surprised if Collins is cut later on. He wasn't the best keeping the Cowboys informed of his rehab. Given the contract situation of Williams and having 2 starting Right tackles get injured two years in a row. I think you'll see a tackle drafted if a properly graded prospect falls to their spot. If that happens, Collins would be odd man out, IMO.

Volson is walking into Training Camp as the starter at Left Guard. They would declare themselves fools starting him Week 1 with no hint of benching during the season then all of sudden draft or sign a replacement. Jonah Williams will walk into TC starting Left Tackle. Again they would declare themselves fools picking up that option and starting him without questions since he's been drafted. Karras - Walks into TC starting Center. Cappa - Walks into TC starting RG. Only unforseen injuries or bad news is going to change this, IMO. Right tackle - If you got time to play "GM" spend it here. Collins is a ???. Adeniji they like, but IMO isn't impressive when he's going bad. Jackson has the most upside but really isn't trustworthy at this point. I think it will be a top 150 pick at RT. I do not see a top 150 pick for interior line or a Free Agency signing for Interior Line.

The trophy the Chiefs were dancing around with in KC was Cincinnati's. The Bengals were the best team in the AFC. They had to play on the road because Tee Higgins killed a player (on the field thank god he's alright) AND they went 0-2 to start the season. Why on this board; is there so much push back on the way they conduct training camp? 23 sacks? They can't not start the season like they have the past two seasons. You can't be 0-2. The window is the window. KC/Buffalo is going to be there in September and we can't have this "summer of love" going on. Otherwise its playing til week 18 to earn a home game, 1 game at home, two on the road.

In both seasons line got better with reps. Talent is an issue but there really isn't a "talent" excuse giving up 6 sacks a game that is incompetence. Keep in mind the target should be AFC Championship. If you want them to continue to slug their way to AFC North title in the last week. Earning 3/4 seeds with 1 home game and 2 on the road, by all means keep doing what they are doing in TC and pray Burrow doesn't get knocked out week 1 or 2. History suggest 3 loses or less gets the No. 1 seed. That dictates you are ready to answer the bell week 1 and 2. They are 1-3. All 3 point margins. 2 OTs games. 23 sacks given up. 7 ints thrown. Is it the talent? Or is it the talent not ready to go? IMO, its the latter.

The approach in training camp is certainly an issue. They have given up 23 sacks in Weeks 1 and 2 the last two seasons. As they get reps the rate goes down until they suffer turnover on the right side of the line, I'm sorry but there have been many smart asses on this board criticize Paul Alexander/Bodine/big tits/ogblahhhh and those lines never came close to allowing 6 sacks a game over a period of 4 games. They have better talent post Turner. They have opened the season like crap. Its coaching. Nobody in that locker room accepted and nobody with an ounce of football knowledge would accept it. If the Buffalo Bills or KC Chiefs appear on that schedule in September then they better be ready. This is the window. Any failures need to be assessed and dealt with not excused.

Kancey is looking like a top 15 pick at this point. Darnell Wright at 60 would be awesome, but in reality probably would need to use 28 or trade down a little in order to get him. Mock drafts and top 50 lists are still sorting themselves out. Wright's stock could be high with actual scouts and it might take a little while for that to leak out. He was impressive against what could be the No. 1 pick of the draft or the first defender taken.

The Bengals lost week 1. You can blame the long snapper. But Burrow was also dropped for the 7th time driving under 2 minutes in OT to get another shot at a FG or maybe a TD since they got as deep at the Pitt 38. Sacked for the 7th time and fumbled the ball back to the 50. Forced punt. 6 sacks a game is the rate they have the past 2 years. Nearly 2 Ints a game. Stop with this bullshit that somehow if they increase reps and hitting then all of sudden they are down 5 starters week 1. It is actually more realistic to suggest the Bengals will lose their starting QB in the first two games of the season given the amount of hits/pressure/sacks they have given up the past 2 years. They need to address this issue because what they are doing isn't working well enough to earn the No. 1 seed which can be a big advantage. No one needs to move the goal posts. We aren't talking about going to 2 a days and meat grinders. But 6 sacks a game, 2 Ints a game given the talent level is a clear indication of not being prepared to start the season. Those stats are so off the norm from the rest of the season.

lol you wanna a Warren Commission to figure this out? Either they adjust to correct pass protection issues coming out of camp or they fucking go on the road to earn their way to the Superbowl. Pretty fucking simple.

TWENTY - THREE SACKS! I'm not a football coach but IF you want to earn the No. 1 seed and IF KC or Buffalo pop up in September....change what you've been doing, because sure Burrow can make it a close game but it'd be nice NOT to give UP TWENTY-THREE sacks. Ya know? I mean Turner's last line that was dog shit only gave up 6 to start the season. That is how bad its been to start the season. 3 sacks seems like an All-Pro performance around here. Appendix this, Clark Harris that, Veteran rest here, LC blah, blah, blah. That's complete fucking bullshit. 23 SACKS! They are not ready to play football giving up nearly 6 sacks a game. Over a quarter of Burrow's Ints have happened in Weeks 1 and 2 the past 2 seasons. By my count he's been available to play more that 1 preseason series vs. Dolphins.

I don't know. Every camp the line gets whooped in camp. The last 2 season they've given up 23 sacks to start the season. Turner's last lines in 2020 with a rookie QB only gave up 6 in weeks 1 and 2 (not saying that is good its actually horrible but that's how bad its been 2021 and 2022). There is clearly something that needs to be addressed if you want to entertain earning the No. 1 seed.

23 sacks in Weeks 1 and 2 that past 2 seasons. 1-3 record 2 OT games, all 3 point margins. Something needs to be changed IF you want to entertain getting No. 1 seed. If KC/Buffalo pop in September or any AFC North team weeks 1 or 2. It would be unwise to repeat the camp they did last year IF you want to entertain getting No. 1 seed. It's been a long time since the line as proven to be reliable opening the season.

LOL. They have given up 23 sacks in Week 1 and 2 of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Yet you don't see a problem, ok. 4 games. 1-3 record. All 3 point margins; 2 decided in OT. A Dalvin Cook fumble saves them from being 0-4. Here's a clue there's always going to be something a number of things to blame in 3 point losses. But for me its kinda hard to look past 23 sacks. The amount of pressure they've given up can improved upon by simply making football players play football during the month of August. I kinda want them to get a No. 1 seed. So its clear there is something that needs to be corrected so they can hit opening weekend ready to pass protect. Vikings 5 sacks. OT win Bears 5 sacks 3 point loss. Steelers 7 sacks OT loss 3 points. Cowboys 6 sacks 3 point loss after getting the lead in the last minutes.

So 4 new starter along the Offensive line and a RT practicing 2 times wasn't? Really? I think that's pretty clear to see in their improvement as the season went along.

Like it or not if you see the Chiefs or Bills in September or any AFC North team in weeks 1 and2 on the schedule its foolish to let a month of practice go by and not be at their absolute best. Otherwise you are going to Arrowhead unless that division can pull their head out of their ass and actually hand a loss or two on the Chiefs. The soft camp was directly related to having to go to Arrowhead. Just like the Bills got sniped by the Steelers week 1 in 2021 and found themselves on the road. There is very little room for error. Need to have less than 3 loses. AFC North Champs seemingly always have 1 or 2 division loses.

3 round mock from Reuter. Cody Mauch - OT/G NDSU Banks - CB Maryland Scott - Safety Cal Decent haul. I would like to hear more about Mauch being more a true tackle vs. guard. I don't think Interior OL should be that high a pick before knowing more about the future of tackle plan going forward. Right now until Free Agency produces more known values Defensive Back has to be considered the big need.

Schedule speculation. Bengals will have both Bills and Chiefs on the schedule. I'm sorry, but if either one of these match ups lands in September then Zac must alter his club med approach to training camp. With the Chiefs winning the Superbowl they will host the Thursday kick off. Given the ratings of the last 2 Chiefs/Bengals match ups that game would be desirable for that slot. If that is the case they'll have to grind a little more in TC.

Lammons move was made before the AFC Champ game. Given the rules he was unable to join the official roster until after the Superbowl. Its old news basically. Supposedly a decent special team player but also had some legal troubles.

Should bring Elvis Presto back.

I thought it was a good to great game. The holding call at the end was similar to Wilson last year. Ticky Tak. I think they drag this whole Superbowl thing out way to long and it destroys the game entertainment value. In the end the Chiefs were awesome but I still think the Bengals were the best in AFC prior to OL injuries. I guess every team can harp on injuries.

Willie Anderson is in the Munoz atmosphere. If he would have played in any other market and not apart of the 90 Bengals it would be considered a lock. There just some incredible stats and quotes from HOF defenders about Willie. He was as dominant on the Right side as Ogden was on the Left.

I just think the Bengals have been adaptable under Tobin. After the power struggle in 2010, this team has been better at finding talent, period. Under Zac they have been way more successful at striking early in Free Agency and signing guys that appear in these top 50 lists. Prior to Zac they had success in 3rd tier avenues but as they achieved drafting success they shifted gears to compensatory approach. Post 2010 and whatever front changes went on in that period; They built some tremendous rosters and to this day have never gotten full credit because they could not win a playoff game. I don't know what their approach will be but I assume it will still focus on the 2 for 1 model like we've seen the past 3 years. With big contracts coming up for guys they drafted, I would not be surprised to see more of a focus on gaining comp picks.

Even worse is when national talking heads address "coach of the year" they don't even mention Zac Taylor as a snub. He's taken a 6-10 2018 team - won 2 divisions, 1 AFC Championship, 1 AFC runner up. No talking head predicted any of this and a bunch predicted failure. They have 3 pro bowlers, 0 All Pros, and it was a huge offseason talking point about the 2021 Bengals were a fluke and destined to not make the playoffs. It really is unbelievable how much this organization is over looked. It is the same mindset that when national talking heads talk about Carson Palmer they fail to mention or focus in on the Bengals went to 5 straight post seasons after his last season. I hope the 2023 Bengals are over looked in August. I don't think the actual team needs fuel but this just the more fuel for the fan base. If you look at salary caps. The Bengals are or should be the team to beat in the AFC. They are going to return the majority of a team that was the best in the AFC up until O-line injuriesl

Awesome. Overall the Bengal organization is just overlooked. This is such a back handed induction, IMO. They left him off a deceased NFL player list. Can you imagine a Steeler, Cowboy, Raider, Packer top 5 in Ints having to wait that long to get in? I just wonder IF they wouldn't have gotten called out like they did for leaving him off the list AND Burrow wasn't successful as he's been AND no ring of honor would have this even happened? The 1968-1990 Bengals shouldn't have 10 guys in the HOF, but should have at least more than 1. Now they do. A right number feels like 2-4 players from that era. Ken Anderson for sure. Then I'd say Issac Curtis. Quite frankly there are a lot of Bengals players/media from that era that say Leapin Lamar was the better CB over Riley. Hopefully Willie Anderson, Whitworth, and Atkins won't have to die first to get in. Congrats Rattler. Even though I was young, I still remember seeing you play.

Radio suggesting that Riley and Anderson could get the nod for HOF. I hope that is true.