Prophecy

The lack of talent and depth at LB concerns me more and more all the time. It seems apparent that they are content with Carter and Knight at LB (i like the potential) but thats only 2 LB's. Granted, they run more 2 LB nickel sets nowadays, but what about when you run 3 LB? One injury, or a 2nd year drop off to either Carter or Knight means you have one of them and Oren Burks or Shaka Hayward. That's a huge hole in your Defense. I dont care if Bobby Wagner is 60 years old and cant cover a TE, neither can any of the Bengals other LB's...but Wagner can still wrap up and tackle. AND a veteran with his knowledge and awareness can help get the youngsters lined up in the right spots presnap. You dont even need to restructure Burrow for this (save that for next years improvements or to retain our CB's) just cut TJ Slaton and give Wagner his $6m

Decline the option. GENIUS !!! So, I guess we can all look forward to the Bengals spending another 1st or 2nd Rd pick on a DE next year (because 3 in the last 3 years clearly wasnt enough). Look, I know a lot of people don't like Myles Murphy after his first 2 years (I didnt either) but let's look at this with a fresh set of eyes based on 2025 and beyond. Murphy came off a 5.5 Sack Season with improved play vs. the run and they dont want to pay him $14.5 million? Does ANYONE think that Boye Mafe will be a Bengal after next season (only 1st yr guaranteed) if he ends up with like 6 sacks, making $20 million a year? Hell No. Not if $14.5M is too expensive for 5.5 Sacks . Cap Casualty. So that will leave them with Shemar Stewart and Cashius Howell. They need to start using these premium draft picks on the Oline, Secondary and LB corps. Or have the option if a freak TE or WR falls to you in the draft. ENOUGH bad decisions and high draft picks (or reaching) on DE's.

Based on what Murphy showed last season with increased playing time, you have to exercise the 5th year option. Especially when you still have no clue what you have in Shemar Stewart, and Boye Mafe (coming off 2 sacks) is really only guaranteed 2026 money. They can cut Mafe after the season if he is garbage. If they decline the 5th year option and he has a good season, they would have to franchise him at over $30M instead of $14M. BUT... They most likely wont be able to use the Franchise tag on him next year, because they still have not extended DJ Turner nor Dax Hill and they'll probably have to use the Tag on one of them. Just get it done.

Say hello to the Bengals 16th Defensive Lineman. Since they usually roster 10-11 (11 last year) expect Landon Robinson to be on the practice squad.

Give this man a nickel !!!

I'd never get mad at Oline picks. Gotta protect the franchise.

Another WR with questionable character? Apparently, the charges of disorderly conduct and assault of a pregnant woman were dropped. Just dont be another Jermaine Burton

Would have been good with Sam Hecht, but I'll take Lew.

Yes please. Surprised to see Pregnon fall this far.

6'4" CBs usually dont work out. Sometimes they get moved to Safety. Longer legs are usually less fluid. Get juked and beaten by double moves. Hope he works out, but if Jermod McCoy is an injury concern, why isnt Tacario Davis? He only played 7 1/2 games last year.

Passed up some good LB's, CB's, a Safety (McNeil-Warren) and Olinemen for more Dline. This front office needs to either pick or sign good players and stop wasting resources on the same damn position. Who are they going to play at DE? Their 1st Rd pick from 3 years ago Myles Murphy? Their 1st Rd pick last year Shemar Stewart? Mafe, who they just gave $20 million a year? You gonna pay a guy $20M to be a rotational piece? Or the 2nd Rd Pick this year? How about DT? The guy you traded a 1st Rd pick for? The 2nd Rd Pick from 2 years ago? The guy (Hill) you gave a 3 year $33M contract to a year ago? Or the guy (Allen) you gave a 2 yr $25 million deal? Maybe TJ Slaton? 3rd Rd picl McKinley Jackson? I'm sure these young players will improve greatly with the 10-15 snaps they'll see a game. BRILLIANT!!! My point is, they spent way too much money and draft capital on the Dline. Their Oline has ZERO depth, and they only have 2 damn LB's who have problems tackling. Why improve on starters and get better, when you can just draft and sign more rotational Dlinemen? Screw it, draft some more Dlineman with your next few picks. Roster 15 of them. Apparently thats the only side of the trenches that matters. Heaven forbid something happen to one of the Olinemen... Burrow is screwed. No knock on Howell, he seems decent, but they are running out of money and premium draft picks and still need LB help, a Nickle CB and Oline depth/replacements. Karras needs replacing.

ALL IN....Trade up for Jermod McCoy!!!

Damn. Caleb Downs would have been available at #10. Still happy with Dexter Lawrence, but damn....

Here's an offseason question? Why the F*ck dont the Bengals reach out to every recently retired DE to bring them in for a month in the offseason to coach up Shemar Stewart? Invest in your damn investment! While some guys like Jason Taylor (U of Miami) and Dwight Freeney (Syracuse) may have obligations with some schools (i believe they can still do individual coaching) there are guys like Jared Allen practicing Curling, and as far as I know, the original "Freak" Jevon Kearse is mentoring kids in Florida. Fly them out, give them $50k-$100k for a month or two to just show Stewart (and Myles) some techniques and tips? No offense to Bengals Dline coach Jerry Montgomery, but he was a DT who didn't know jack about playing DE. These kids need a mentor with proven success at the position!

The only 2 players I really wanted at #10 were Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs. Since it looks like both probably wouldn't be available, Sexy Dexy is a better "get" for the Bengals. Didn't want another CB there (I want our 2 extended) or a DE with the shortest arms of any 1st Rd pick in 20 years, as i don't have any faith in the coaching staff to develop him and show him how to overcome that at the NFL level. 1st Rd Grade A (if Styles and Downs both end up being gone by 10, this turns into an A+)

Would be more entertaining if they hired Omar Epps to do a Mike Tomlin impersonation.

Agreed. This also HUGELY helps LB's Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight.

Lawrence is better than anyone they would have drafted at 10. Really like it. My question is, how much do the Bengals have to eat, to cut Johnathan Allen now? Don't need him.

I'll admit, when i saw that Dexter Lawrence wanted a trade, I immediately thought, get on the damn phone!!! Then reality sunk in and I realized, that even if they did give up some picks, they would NEVER give him the new contract he is looking for. They would try and make him play out the 2 years left. Also, Mikey and family dont guarantee anything more than the 1st year, and the reason why Sexy Dexy wants a trade is because he wants a new market rate deal with guaranteed money (his deal has no guarantees left).

This is what "All In" looks like.

Good. Didn't want Josh Johnson as option #2 if something went wrong.

The BEST Punter, is the one you hardly ever have to use. -Confucious

Word out of Buffalo is, he is still trying to sign the contract. Apparently, he tried to grab a pen off the table to sign, but failed to wrap it up, whiffed, and fell to the floor. Got juked by a BIC

I dont want to turn this into the draft thread either, but I believe Styles fits what the Bengals still need the most. The size and numbers seem similar between him and Reese, but I'll take Styles who was credited with only 2 missed tackles all last season (Hell, Knight and Barrett had more than 2 missed tackles each game) and a converted Safety who is excellent in coverage. Thats one of the biggest holes in the defense, and has been my fantasy football cheat code for the last couple of years (Streaming any TE playing against the Bengals, even a 2nd string TE) I'd trade up for him, but the Bengals wouldn't.

Allen might help. Hard to get excited about it, but I fully understand that the Bengals will never get top tier guys because these cheap fu*ks still never want to guarantee anything more than the 1st year of a contract. Top players want security.