Time to sign the big free agents?

[R-U-D-I]

Marvin's concept of building this team through the draft sounds great, but it's obviously not working. Is it finally time to go out and sign some big free agents after the season for the defense? Lance Briggs anyone?? All we frieking need is a second rate defense to keep up with our first rate offense and we could hit the big show. Who wouldn't love to see what Chad could do for a Super Bowl celebration!

[The PatternMaster]

Marvin's concept of building this team through the draft sounds great, but it's obviously not working. Is it finally time to go out and sign some big free agents after the season for the defense? Lance Briggs anyone?? All we frieking need is a second rate defense to keep up with our first rate offense and we could hit the big show. Who wouldn't love to see what Chad could do for a Super Bowl celebration!

One problem there buddy, big name FA's have to VOLUNTARILY sign with us and that hasn't happened since..well it's never happened. When Sam Adams is the biggest FA your franchise can sign that is a sign that your franchise isn't highly regarded amongst players.

We've tried to sign guys but they don't want to come to Cincy to play, why could that be?

It could be the over zealous police who like to shoot unarmed black guys or pepper spray PLAYERS because they don't jump when told, or maybe it's beautiful weather that stays sunny, or maybe it's the nightlife after all Cincy is the town that always sleeps..

There two things that missing that would make FA's want to come here, one is a winning program like the Pats and the other is boat loads of cash, the Bengals currently don't have either.

[CJBestInAFC]

I think I would take a shot at Tank Johnson if I were the Bengals. I mean we have gotten rid of most of the problem players that were arrested last year. Right now the only players with off the field problems are Henry. Odell doesnt' count because he is gone for the year and is currently not part of the NFL. Deltha had a problem but he seems to have staightened out. So technically the Bengals only have two players currently on the team that have off the field problems. I say we take a shot at Johnson. If the Bengals aren't going to play Levi Jones why not just trade him for a young lb or DE. Time to make some moves and shake up the D, especially the Dline and LB units.

[BZoner]

I hate to be THE guy to state the obvious but Chad does have a tendency to disappear in big games, so perhaps we should worry less about his superbowl celebrations and more on winning against the hawks. Seven years, one play off game in which he self destructed halfway through the game. Don't get me wrong I would love to see it too but I think we have bigger priorities right now, BTW I thought we already had a second rate Dfence.

[James_Brooks21]

I hate to be THE guy to state the obvious but Chad does have a tendency to disappear in big games, so perhaps we should worry less about his superbowl celebrations and more on winning against the hawks. Seven years, one play off game in which he self destructed halfway through the game. Don't get me wrong I would love to see it too but I think we have bigger priorities right now, BTW I thought we already had a second rate Dfence.

There should not be a negative comment about anybody on that offense this week, I love Chad not for all the antics but that he's willing to sacrifice his body for the catch. If we had a Chad Johnson on that defense we would not have to shake our heads everytime someone brings the Bengals up this week. Chad is a playmaker, I can't vouch for anybody on that defense. BTW still waiting for Justin Smith to even get a hand on the quarterback.

[Bengals1]

The knock I kept hearing on Marvin when he was hired was that he was not a "player personnel" man. In other words, his strengths were not in the player evaluation department. I'd have to say there may be some validity to that after looking back at some of our drafts....

[HoosierCat]

I think I would take a shot at Tank Johnson if I were the Bengals.

Signed by the Cowboys today.

[HairOnFire]

I'll throw another name into the hate....err hat, though I doubt his team is still considering a trade.

Prior to the season any team could have landed Albert Haynesworth for a second day draft pick.

[HoosierCat]

Time to sign the big free agents?, Disabled, drunks and deliquents not cutting it on D

On the contrary, I think we need more disabled, drunk and/or deliquent players. On the field, their play couldn't be any worse than what we saw last Sunday, and off the field they'd be a far more entertaining crew.

[Stripes]

Ack, the offseason is over.

[HoosierCat]

Ack, the offseason is over.

Way things are going, not for long.

[CarsonCity]

The knock I kept hearing on Marvin when he was hired was that he was not a "player personnel" man. In other words, his strengths were not in the player evaluation department. I'd have to say there may be some validity to that after looking back at some of our drafts....

I have to disgaree with that assessment. I think the Bengals have done a very good job of drafting talented players...

In 2003, they drafted Carson, Jeremi Johnson, Eric Steinbach, and Scott Kooistra.

In 2004, they acquired Deltha and the Nos. 24 and 117 choices for selection # 17. Also in that draft they got the talented Chris Perry (unfortunately has been injured), Madieu Williams, Landon Johnson, and Robert Geathers.

In 2005, they acquired a lot of talent, but outside circumstances (crippling injuries, Goodell's dictatorship) have kept them off the field. The draft includes: David Pollack, Odell, Chris Henry, Eric Ghiaciuc, and Tab Perry.

In 2006, Jonathan Joseph showed himself to be a very talented pickup, but has been bitten by the injury bug this year (who hasn't). Others drafted were: Andrew Whitworth, Domata Peko, and Ethan Kilmer (valuable backup/STer).

And in this most recent draft, we got talents like: Leon Hall, Kenny Irons, and Marvin White.

While I realize there have been several picks they wish they had back for talent reasons (Keiwan Ratliff, Caleb Miller, Adam Kieft, etc.), to be able to draft this staggering number of talented players that, if they weren't injured (unpredictable) or suspended (slightly more predictable, but still had the talent) they would be starting either for the Bengals or another team in the NFL. Not too many other teams can boast that same record of acquiring such talented players.

[Bengals1]

The knock I kept hearing on Marvin when he was hired was that he was not a "player personnel" man. In other words, his strengths were not in the player evaluation department. I'd have to say there may be some validity to that after looking back at some of our drafts....

I have to disgaree with that assessment. I think the Bengals have done a very good job of drafting talented players...

...in this most recent draft, we got talents like: Leon Hall, Kenny Irons, and Marvin White.

Well for starters, how do we know how talented Irons will turn out to be? Same for White and Hall. I'd like to give it a season or so before I crown them "successes" myself. Yes, they were highly thought of coming out of the draft but so were Akili and Big Daddy etc....

Now, before you or anyone else jumps all over me, I'm not expecting Hall, Irons and White to turn out as badly as Akily and Wilkerson (niether of who were drafted by Marvin it should be noted) I'm just saying it's a tad early to be counting them one way or the other.

To your overall point, yes, Marvin has some successes, but he's had some misses too (as have most coaches it should again be noted) Time will tell if that knock on Marvin is truly accurate or not. I put that up merely as a note of history not an accusation.

As has been noted in several other threads, Marvin's liable to be here for quite a while still, let's revisit this in another few seasons and see where we are then, hmm?