The bandwagon is starting to heat up

[ArmyBengal]

Concur with the thought of being the 3rd best in the division for defensive standings. The Browns needed a lot of help and didn't get much, so there situation is worse off than ours seeing as we did get help at positions of need. I'm still at 8-8 as of right now...

[Wraith]

I think it is reasonable to expect that we will have the second best offense in the division behind the Steelers provided we can keep Carson healthy. Our OLine should be improved over last year with the additions of Luigs and Andre Smith and factoring that we can't possibly have the injuries we had last year. I have real optimism regarding our running game, a whole year into the system for Benson with better blocking and some viable third down options. Our WRs should be fine, I have faith in our talent and I expect a bounce back year from Utecht.

As for our defense I think we can be cautiously optimistic, we will know more at training camp, but with our depth and the losses that the Ravens suffered on that side of the ball, maybe we can leapfrog them and become the second best defense in the division. We have the talent, just depends on the execution.

[ArmyBengal]

I'll say two things here:

#1. With a healthy Carson and an o-line the gives him time, we can again be the best offense in this Division.

#2. I'm done questioning what the Ravens defense can and can't do. They are badass, but yeah, they took some losses.

[Bearcat1975]

I'll say two things here:

#1. With a healthy Carson and an o-line the gives him time, we can again be the best offense in this Division.

Agreed.

Problem is, we don't have an oline that can give him time and Carson's heath is debatable at this point.

[gregstephens]

Problem is, we don't have an oline that can give him time...

Au Contrare...

Please refer to the thread on Eric Steinbach. Our o-line is in more than good enough shape to handle this coming season.

[Kazkal]

hough they will still probably be the third- or fourth-best D in the division --

3rd in defense isn't too bad in our Division when you have two teams who tend to make top 5 every year lol.

Problem is, we don't have an oline that can give him time and Carson's heath is debatable at this point.

Um have you seen the new Oline play yet because it will be pretty different then last years,Not saying it will be a top 3 Oline like in 2005 but we don't know if it will be respectable or not.

[Bearcat1975]

Um have you seen the new Oline play yet because it will be pretty different then last years,Not saying it will be a top 3 Oline like in 2005 but we don't know if it will be respectable or not.

No but lets look at the facts:

We lost 2 starters from a terrible oline and replaced them with 2 rookies. Now, maybe our new Center will blow everyone away with his awesomeness. And maybe the Fat Man will be a shut-down LT.

But if NFL history is any barometer, our new LT will probably have a lengthy holdout, and they both will struggle mightily to adapt to the speed of the NFL. Think about it. Its the center's job not just to snap the ball and keep the middle from caving in, but also to call out the blitz assignments. This kid is going from college straight to the fire zone (LeBeau).

If you were a betting man would you say he is going to excel or get ate up?

I'm saying this line is going to get Carson killed again this season because they are trying to solve all of its problems with rookies. I'm saying this season may finally ruin Carson's career and that's a shame because he could have been one of the greats. Now he is borderline Klinglerized and pinning the hopes on 2 rookies will not end well at all.

...but boy that bandwagon sure is getting hot!!!1111

[HoosierCat]

But if NFL history is any barometer, our new LT will probably have a lengthy holdout, and they both will struggle mightily to adapt to the speed of the NFL.

Which is why the smart move is to leave either Levi or Collins at LT and stick Smith at RT.

He's an instant upgrade there and the disruption on the line is minimized.

That avoids the whole "Carson gets killed again" scenario.

Are the Bengals this smart? Well, they've been unusually intelligent this offseason, so we'll see.

[Bearcat1975]

That avoids the whole "Carson gets killed again" scenario.

You forgot about the rookie center that is supposed to handle blitz pickups from the Ravens and Steelers for 25% of the games this season. Easy oversight. Believe me, I'd like to forget about it too. And you KNOW Carson certainly would.

The Bengals should have picked up a vet center, as a mentor if nothing else. But they sat on their hands through Jeff Saturday and the rest. The did not address the biggest glaring issue on the oline (Center) and they are pinning their hopes on a 4th rounder to "figure it all out."

How does that sound like it will work out to you?

[HoosierCat]

You forgot about the rookie center

Nope. Been good with Cook since the offseason began. before that, actually. If Luigs can beat him out, fine.

The Bengals should have picked up a vet center, as a mentor if nothing else. But they sat on their hands through Jeff Saturday and the rest.

What rest? Saturday was resigned by the Colts before FA started. Bitch, bitch, bitch. Where's the upgrade?

[Bearcat1975]

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

What are we supposed to do? Pretend like we have the horses, and that there aren't glaring issues that were not addressed this free agency period?

You forgot about the rookie center

Nope. Been good with Cook since the offseason began. before that, actually. If Luigs can beat him out, fine.

Oops, looks like we are good to go then. What was I thinking?

Cook? Really? Hope you are right.

[HoosierCat]

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

What are we supposed to do? Pretend like we have the horses, and that there aren't glaring issues that were not addressed this free agency period?

Bitch, bitch bitch. Still waiting for that list of awesome FA centers.

Here's a hint: there weren't any.

Here's a link, just to help you out... http://www.walterfootball.com/freeagents2009C.php

Yeah, quite a class, eh?

[HairOnFire]

You forgot about the rookie center that is supposed to handle blitz pickups from the Ravens and Steelers for 25% of the games this season. Easy oversight. Believe me, I'd like to forget about it too.

Whining about practice bubbles and how rookies won't be ready to play well overnight tells me guys like you have run out of important things to complain about.

[Bearcat1975]

Bitch, bitch, bitch.

What are we supposed to do? Pretend like we have the horses, and that there aren't glaring issues that were not addressed this free agency period?

Bitch, bitch bitch. Still waiting for that list of awesome FA centers.

Here's a hint: there weren't any.

Here's a link, just to help you out... http://www.walterfootball.com/freeagents2009C.php

Yeah, quite a class, eh?

If only there were other ways besides FA and the draft to get quality players....

It's cool though. In order to be a Bengals fan we have to have some level of denial. "Its just a shame there was no possible way to get a decent vet center in here."

[Bearcat1975]

You forgot about the rookie center that is supposed to handle blitz pickups from the Ravens and Steelers for 25% of the games this season. Easy oversight. Believe me, I'd like to forget about it too.

Whining about practice bubbles and how rookies won't be ready to play well overnight tells me guys like you have run out of important things to complain about.

1. Not having practice bubble = disadvantage. You are wrong to think otherwise. Drop it.

2. Pinning your hopes on rookies is a recipe for disaster. You are wrong to think otherwise. Drop it.

3. Following me around here trolling is hardly becoming of a long time poster here such as yourself. Stop trolling.

That is all.

[HoosierCat]

If only there were other ways besides FA and the draft to get quality players....

Well, yeah, there are always Fairly Oddparents, but not all of us are so blessed...

It's cool though. In order to be a Bengals fan we have to have some level of denial. "Its just a shame there was no possible way to get a decent vet center in here."

I'm waiting for options.

[ArmyBengal]

The only option the Bengals really had was to go after Jason Brown when he left the Ravens. The Rams paid him 7 million per year and you know that wasn't going to happen around here. Should it have ?? I say yes, but I'm also not aware of how it would have impacted the cap and things of that nature. Brown was fully capable of handling the AFCN NT's as he played for the Ravens.

The other thing is, I would have sworn that either Mack, Unger, or Wood, would have been there when we picked in the 2nd and Unger was. Unfortunately (if you choose to see it that way which I don't) Maualuga was there and made it d*mn near impossible to not take him sitting there at #38.

Go back and look at how our draft could have played out had we taken Unger instead of Maualuga based on the players that were available when the Bengals picked after the 2nd. I haven't been able to come up with anything that resembles how good our actual draft turned out. So I guess you take the good with the bad and keep plugging away. Luigs wasn't some consolation prize though...

[derekshank]

You forgot about the rookie center that is supposed to handle blitz pickups from the Ravens and Steelers for 25% of the games this season. Easy oversight. Believe me, I'd like to forget about it too.

Whining about practice bubbles and how rookies won't be ready to play well overnight tells me guys like you have run out of important things to complain about.

1. Not having practice bubble = disadvantage. You are wrong to think otherwise. Drop it.

2. Pinning your hopes on rookies is a recipe for disaster. You are wrong to think otherwise. Drop it.

3. Following me around here trolling is hardly becoming of a long time poster here such as yourself. Stop trolling.

That is all.

Trolling? We all post in the same threads. If you post our opinion, the page will tell everyone that the thread is active again. So, f you don't like people calling you out, stop posting your minority opinions here.

Also... you have no one to blame but yourself. It is not the fault of any individual poster, nor the community as a whole, that your opinions happen to be so distasteful that even long time rivals Hoosier and HairOnFire can come together to combat you.

So as a long time fan of their long winded back and forth arguments that go nowhere - I think you are a bad thing for this particular forum.

[Bearcat1975]

You forgot about the rookie center that is supposed to handle blitz pickups from the Ravens and Steelers for 25% of the games this season. Easy oversight. Believe me, I'd like to forget about it too.

Whining about practice bubbles and how rookies won't be ready to play well overnight tells me guys like you have run out of important things to complain about.

1. Not having practice bubble = disadvantage. You are wrong to think otherwise. Drop it.

2. Pinning your hopes on rookies is a recipe for disaster. You are wrong to think otherwise. Drop it.

3. Following me around here trolling is hardly becoming of a long time poster here such as yourself. Stop trolling.

That is all.

Trolling? We all post in the same threads. If you post our opinion, the page will tell everyone that the thread is active again. So, f you don't like people calling you out, stop posting your minority opinions here.

Also... you have no one to blame but yourself. It is not the fault of any individual poster, nor the community as a whole, that your opinions happen to be so distasteful that even long time rivals Hoosier and HairOnFire can come together to combat you.

So as a long time fan of their long winded back and forth arguments that go nowhere - I think you are a bad thing for this particular forum.

darn those "distasteful opinions..."

Give me a break dude...

[Bearcat1975]

I'm waiting for options.

Trade.

If it were me I would have tried to deal Chad and a draft pick for a decent center. Maybe just the draft pick. Maybe just Chad. We could come up with a million trade possibilities that may or may not be feasible.

But none of them came to fruition, and I think that center will be a big problem this season as a result.

[HairOnFire]

1. Not having practice bubble = disadvantage. You are wrong to think otherwise.

On a yearly average not having a practice bubble means nothing at all roughly 365 days a year. Round it down to 364 days if you wish. And on those extremely rare occasions where the weather is so poor as to be dangerous....the Bengals have agreements with several local facilities should the need arise.

2. Pinning your hopes on rookies is a recipe for disaster. You are wrong to think otherwise.

NFL teams typically rebuild around rookies. In fact, it's almost mandatory they do so. So why would anyone whine endlessly about rookies being "a recipe for disaster" when most other rebuilding teams see them as core building blocks? Furthermore, you may have whined like a little crying little bitch for months and months about how this team desperately needed a veteran center, but during that same time period I wrote about the need being far less critical than most felt and I warned the Bengals might put off drafting a new Center prospect for several rounds. Finally, after the draft I wrote how the decision to wait for Luigs was the key to the Bengals incredible early draft haul.

3. Following me around here trolling is hardly becoming of a long time poster here such as yourself. Stop trolling.

Less than a week ago you went out of your way to call me a douche about a dozen times before simply because I made fun of a sportswriter you cherish. So forgive me if I don't accept lessons in manners from the likes of you. Besides, the quicker you figure out how little I care about your opinion the better off both of us will be.

[Kazkal]

I'm waiting for options.

Trade.

If it were me I would have tried to deal Chad and a draft pick for a decent center. Maybe just the draft pick. Maybe just Chad. We could come up with a million trade possibilities that may or may not be feasible.

But none of them came to fruition, and I think that center will be a big problem this season as a result.

And because teams are so willing to part with centers? Okay which team has a 2nd viable option at center that would actually want Chad? Come on mr. GM..

[HoosierCat]

I'm waiting for options.

Trade.

If it were me I would have tried to deal Chad and a draft pick for a decent center. Maybe just the draft pick. Maybe just Chad. We could come up with a million trade possibilities that may or may not be feasible.

But none of them came to fruition, and I think that center will be a big problem this season as a result.

Takes two to tango. And how many teams are going to give up anything like a decent center for an aging, moody wideout? Crap, he couldn't even draw a third round pick in trade if Joe Reedy is to be believed.

And if not him, who?

Center may be a problem, you're right, but the Bengals could only fill so many holes in one offseason. After week 17 they had maybe one tackle, no RB, an iffy No. 1 WR and no No. 2 WR, no No. 2 QB, holes at S, LB, DT and a continuing need at CB. And, oh, yeah, C.

No one is predicting Super Bowl. But the Bengals have done a decent job this offseason. Hell, even uber Mikey-hater site whodeyrevolution.com had to cover their butts today with a "even if the Bengals have a winning season in 2009 it means nothing! NOTHING!" post. More than anything else, that tells me something.

[HairOnFire]

I'm waiting for options.

Trade.

Well, I guess we all should have seen that one coming.

Yup, the fictional trade gambit.

The salvation of armchair GM's everywhere.

Damn.

[gregstephens]

1. Not having practice bubble = disadvantage. You are wrong to think otherwise.

On a yearly average not having a practice bubble means nothing at all roughly 365 days a year. Round it down to 364 days if you wish. And on those extremely rare occasions where the weather is so poor as to be dangerous....the Bengals have agreements with several local facilities should the need arise.

Less than a week ago you went out of your way to call me a douche about a dozen times before simply because I made fun of a sportswriter you cherish. So forgive me if I don't accept lessons in manners from the likes of you. Besides, the quicker you figure out how little I care about your opinion the better off both of us will be.

Hey...you forgot to mention Bear's ilk. Don't forget ilk. That's my personal favorite.