Your 2014 Draft Class

[membengal]

TJ:

Worst history in the draft of ever to the infinity.

You fucking destroy this board at draft time. Each year.

[TJJackson]

No, what I do is express my opinion

That is what you do one a fan-based message board, right? (aside: gregcook, this is a rhetorical question, no need for you to answer)

In my opinion, they only picked well once: in round 1

To me, that means this draft sucked donkey balls

[gregcook68]

No, what I do is express my opinion

That is what you do one a fan-based message board, right? (aside: gregcook, this is a rhetorical question, no need for you to answer)

In my opinion, they only picked well once: in round 1

To me, that means this draft sucked donkey balls

Cool! A Couch Coach Heavyweight Bout!!!

I got 50 On membengal!

[ArmyBengal]

Well, the whole point of this thread is to give your grade for the Bengals draft.

I would think somewhere in a response an opinion might be given.

I would then further guesstimate that someone might give their opinion about another's opinion.

"How come Andrew gets to get up?"

"If he gets up, we'll all get up."

"It'll be anarchy !!!"

[COB]

I was so thrilled with Dennard I sort of gave them a pass on the other picks. The last few years have been remarkable. We were seeing guys in the first 4 rounds who you just knew would not only make the team, but would be playing.

That is not the case this year, except for 1 and 2. I watched some youtube of Jeremy Hill and he looks like he could be tailor-made for the AFC North. Dude runs with serious power/speed/punish. I liked Carlos Hyde, but he looked to me like he was going to be hurt almost constantly. I think its how much he reminded me of Keith Byars, who went to the NFL and had an injury riddled career. Hyde and Hill are close in weight, but the Ohio State kid just looked more burdened by what he was carrying. The LSU kid looks like he's comfortable at that weight and can last the length of his contract.

The center - they traded up to get this kid? Surprising. But I'm going with the theory that there is something afoot that we don't know about. Like the kid's been mainlining steroids since the combine. Either that or Alexander just likes a challenge. Possibly just a depth guy who can play center or guard in a pinch. The trading up was odd, but they must think he has a chance to make the roster. Trevor Robinson should be confident in his ability to beat this stiff for the starting job. Depth - but they traded up to get him. Do they ever trade up?

C+. Which means not just I want to hook up with this draft, but that I actually did hook up with this draft. What do all these sores mean?

[Walrus]

C+. Which means not just I want to hook up with this draft, but that I actually did hook up with this draft. What do all these sores mean?

Jeremy Hill. Bad character strikes again!

[Wraith]

I think the reason they traded up was that Bodine was the last draftable center they had one their board. I think they gambled that Stork would fall to them in the fourth and when he didn't they had a collective "oh crap" moment and made sure they got the next guy....just my opinion but I would expect it went down something like that.

[ArmyBengal]

Well according to Marvin Lewis, after he met with him at the combine, pro day, or wherever, he made a note in his book something like, "Get this kid on our team". They say he's one of those guys that just went under the radar and think they really have something in him. I will hold out hope that his note scribbling prophecy results in a dominant starter at Center for years to come.

[kingwilly]

No, what I do is express my opinion

That is what you do one a fan-based message board, right? (aside: gregcook, this is a rhetorical question, no need for you to answer)

In my opinion, they only picked well once: in round 1

To me, that means this draft sucked donkey balls

Cool! A Couch Coach Heavyweight Bout!!!

I got 50 On membengal!

Your reaction to things reminds me of something I just read: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/supreme-court-struggles-with-e-mail-but-will-shape-technologys-future/

I'm still not sure you really get why this discussion forum exists, in the way the SCOTUS can't grasp technology. Your comments above show it again.

Simply claiming that you don't know what happens in discussion down at the stadium does not mean that the rest of us won't speculate or posit. You can "abstain" all you want but whne you pepper in with some "I trust the coaches" BS it makes me laugh.

I don't want you to go away, I just can't figure out what you get from taking such positions while refraining from making your own perspective known, save for that you trust the perspective of the "professionals", which is to say you have no opinion at all.

That, and the assumption that we are all "couch coaches", which may reflect your own status but please, don't speak for anyone else.

[ArmyBengal]

I look at this forum much like a philosophical debate.

You can ALWAYS question what it is you see from the Bengals.

Sometimes you may be correct in your line of argument and sometimes you may have to defer.

Just try to make a good argument and enjoy the conversation that comes with it.

You never know, somewhere along the way you might happen to learn something you didn't know before.

[TJJackson]

Yes, but when each response from a certain someone is "I have no opinion, the coaches/scouts/FO/SoaG know(s) better" then why voice that "opinion" at all?

[gregcook68]

No, what I do is express my opinion

That is what you do one a fan-based message board, right? (aside: gregcook, this is a rhetorical question, no need for you to answer)

In my opinion, they only picked well once: in round 1

To me, that means this draft sucked donkey balls

Cool! A Couch Coach Heavyweight Bout!!!

I got 50 On membengal!

Your reaction to things reminds me of something I just read: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/supreme-court-struggles-with-e-mail-but-will-shape-technologys-future/

I'm still not sure you really get why this discussion forum exists, in the way the SCOTUS can't grasp technology. Your comments above show it again.

Simply claiming that you don't know what happens in discussion down at the stadium does not mean that the rest of us won't speculate or posit. You can "abstain" all you want but whne you pepper in with some "I trust the coaches" BS it makes me laugh.

I don't want you to go away, I just can't figure out what you get from taking such positions while refraining from making your own perspective known, save for that you trust the perspective of the "professionals", which is to say you have no opinion at all.

That, and the assumption that we are all "couch coaches", which may reflect your own status but please, don't speak for anyone else.

I'm as entertained as you are king. I'm on the side of those who believe that as long

Andy is here, he's not capable of winning in the playoffs. COB said it best, he collapses under the pressure. You got enough debate about all of that so I'll just hang and be entertained and entertaining at the same time!

BTW, I've ALWAYS included myself as a couch coach!

[HoosierCat]

Regarding matters Bengal, my opinions are always correct, except when they are not, in which case they were never actually my opinions and all statements to the contrary are purely figments of your imagination. Thus there was, is and never shall be any difference between my opinions and those of the coaches, except when there is, which is an illusion.

I now return to the contemplation of my navel. -_-/>

[GapControl]

Ok... Why do I want to get married? Well, I can think of 100 reasons not to, but there is one reason that trumps those. That reason is the Bengals realized how to improve the team and accomplished it with the draft. 1. Rid of Kyle "shit" Cook - drafted possible replacement to challenge other possibles

2. Get bad ass CB since everyone else is older than God

3. Make the offense more explosive and tougher defend. See Corey Dillion 2.0

4. Fill up special teams with Al Davis like athletes who have a decent history of playing football.

5. Sign Tom Brady from the Pats to replace Dalton. - ok that didn't happen but at least they know QB is an issue and they drafted a solid college QB ( not only signed a decent pro FA) to address it

happy happy day

[COB]

According to CincyJungle, the Bengals just sent Andy's camp a "significant package" for their consideration. So they waited less than a week after drafting Katherine Webb's boyfriend to attempt to leverage that move into a reasonable signing. They probably included McCarron's scouting report in the package. PS - Katherine Webb is a fucking goddess, and we are all forever in Marvin's debt for bringing her boyfriend to Cincinnati so we have some eye candy to consume during the games other than the junior-high-schooler-humping head cases we roll out there as cheerleaders.

[ArmyBengal]

According to CincyJungle, the Bengals just sent Andy's camp a "significant package" for their consideration. So they waited less than a week after drafting Katherine Webb's boyfriend to attempt to leverage that move into a reasonable signing. They probably included McCarron's scouting report in the package. PS - Katherine Webb is a fucking goddess, and we are all forever in Marvin's debt for bringing her boyfriend to Cincinnati so we have some eye candy to consume during the games other than the junior-high-schooler-humping head cases we roll out there as cheerleaders.

Wait a minute now. We have some of the hottest 50 year old cheerleaders in the league.

[HoosierCat]

According to CincyJungle, the Bengals just sent Andy's camp a "significant package" for their consideration. So they waited less than a week after drafting Katherine Webb's boyfriend to attempt to leverage that move into a reasonable signing.

My impression is that they've had an offer on the table for a while. There have been further reports that they are "frustrated" with Team Dalton's response (or lack thereof). But you're right, they have definitely bumped up the volume on their whisper campaign against Andy's side in the wake of the draft.

[HoosierCat]

What's dumber than draft grades the day after the draft?

Power rankings three days after the draft!

/>http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings/_/year/2014/week/0

I hate this offseason with blazing heat of a thousand suns...

[cincyhokie]

Shhhhhhhhhhh........I'm busy staring.

[cincyhokie]

Ok, ok. So after I got done with Mrs. McCarron, I watched the video. The turd in the lower left of the tri-pod has the Bengals at 19th? Because they lost Gruden? And he was the reason for Dalton's "success"? Geez, they can't win. Dalton on one hand is terrible, then on the other, he's awesome...BUT he lost his coordinator? Oh, and of course again, after making the playoffs 3 years in a row, the Bengals are a favorite for the most likely playoff team from last season to not make the playoffs this season.

[ArmyBengal]

Hard to really argue that they put the Bengals at #10, although I agree that it's pretty meaningless at this point.

Then again, we tend to dabble in the meaningless so i'm cool with it and it gives something to discuss.

[HoosierCat]

Here's Tanier's AFCN draft review, it's pretty good IMO:

Baltimore Ravens

Finds Talent: Excellent. C.J. Mosley, Timmy Jernigan and Terrence Brooks are all rock solid -- ready to play, yet with high upside. You have to admire Ozzie Newsome for leaving no stone unturned when searching for defenders in such unlikely locales as Alabama and Florida State. Later-round grabs make this class more fun. Crockett Gillmore is the lost Gronkowski brother, Brent Urban is a square peg with a power forward's frame who is worth developing and Michael Campanaro is a nifty-shifty slot guy for a team that has not really had a good one since Derrick Mason left.

Meets Needs: Satisfactory. Giving John Harbaugh and staff the benefit of the doubt that Ricky Wagner is ready at right tackle, the Ravens could have used more reinforcements at running back than Lorenzo Taliaferro. Taliaferro is talented and a Gary Kubiak system fit, but the Ravens need more Ray Rice insurance than one small-school slasher. Also … Campanaro, Taliaferro … was Ozzie Newsome hungry for some linguini on Saturday, or were Steve Bisciotti and Joe Flacco making the picks?

Uses Resources: Satisfactory. The Ravens always have six billion compensatory picks. As usual, they used them to select helpful rank-and-file players. Guard John Urschel and quarterback Keith Wenning will slide quickly into the No. 2 slots on depth charts without causing any fuss.

Final Assessment: Proficient. The Official Draft of the Baltimore Ravens: one Crimson Tide defender, lots of other big-program performers, extra doses of mid-round talent, nothing to call your senator about.

Cincinnati Bengals

Finds Talent: Satisfactory. Darqueze Dennard is a smooth, capable cover corner who was a great value with the 24th pick. Thumping running back Jeremy Hill is the kind of luxury item the Bengals can afford at the skill positions. Linebacker Marquis Flowers is 90 percent of Ryan Shazier at a fraction of the costs and expectations.

Meets Needs: Needs Improvement. The Bengals were not particularly needy, and Dennard spackles a crack, as do some other picks. But the Bengals need to color outside the lines at this point to get past the other powerhouses, and this was a by-the-book draft. AJ McCarron's selection betrays a lack of imagination: Instead of gambling on a superior talent who could change the team's direction in 2015, they settled for Andy Dalton 2.0.

Uses Resources: Satisfactory. The Bengals did not do much wiggling, reaching or surprising.

Final Assessment: Proficient. Admit it, Bengals fans: You wanted to see the team blow things up a little bit, whether it was a fastball pitching prospect or a Falcons-style cross-court alley-oop (two first-rounders and a third to move up for Khalil Mack!). Instead, the Bengals perpetrated an 11-5 maintenance draft that left me mixing my sports metaphors. There are worse fates than drafting for playoff sustenance, and the AFC North did not do much to gain on the Bengals, so this draft cannot be knocked too hard. But if you were seeking butter brickle, you got vanilla, and it may make it hard to compete with the more inventive ice cream parlors in town.

Cleveland Browns

Finds Talent: Excellent. Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel form a formidable first-round one-two punch for a team that has made a habit of wasting its one-two punches. Joel Bitonio is versatile, with upside. Pierre Desir has a better chance of being Richard Sherman Inspiration than Richard Sherman Imitation, while Christian Kirksey is a square-peg "heavy nickel" safety-linebacker who could shine if the Browns elect to use a lot of unusual packages. (Kirksey is currently listed at inside linebacker, which does not sound right for a guy who covered a lot of slot receivers in college.)

Meets Needs: Needs Improvement. I wrote at length in Mandatory Monday about the rationale of not lurching after receivers in the wake of Josh Gordon's potential suspension. That said, a team with injured Nate Burleson as its No. 3 receiver should have targeted some wideouts in a deep class, anyway. All of the wheeling and dealing ended the Browns' draft after the fourth round, which will make it hard for the new staff to put its stamp on the depth chart.

Uses Resources: Excellent. The lack of late-round picks is worrisome, but it is hard to quibble with the acquisition of first-, fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2015. For a team with a novice general manager, the Browns glided around the first round smoothly, gathering the players they wanted at the precise slot where they wanted them.

Final Assessment: Proficient. The Browns were one receiver -- one measly fourth-round Jalen Saunders-caliber receiver -- away from getting an "Advanced" grade. The Browns signed five undrafted rookie receivers after the draft, but there was no good reason for the team to resort to dumpster diving in a class this deep. The defense and lines should be rock solid, and Manziel will be fun once he takes the reins from Brian Hoyer, but the skill-position talent (a strength this time last year) looks like the pressure point where the Browns will buckle in 2014.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Finds Talent: Satisfactory. If you define "talent" by guys who run fast or are built like the Hulk, the Steelers earned an A+++. But there is a reason NFL teams do not just draft sprinters and weight lifters. Ryan Shazier and Dri Archer are faster than same-day delivery, and Stephon Tuitt and Daniel McCullers have their own beltways, but all have major flaws. Receiver Martavis Bryant is the best "football talent" of this group, a size/speed guy whose gifts almost always translate into achievements.

Meets Needs: Needs Improvement. The Steelers think they can solve their cornerback problems by adding linebackers. They think they can upgrade their offensive line by adding linebackers. They have not noticed how suddenly terrible they have become at identifying and developing linebackers.

Uses Resources: Satisfactory. The Steelers did zero trading, but they used supplemental picks to make serviceable additions to needy units. Shazier and Archer left the board too soon, in my opinion, but late picks of Bryant and McCullers made up for it.

Final Assessment: Remediation. Shazier is a speedy guy who runs around getting blocked. His tackling technique involves grabbing ball carriers near the shoulder pads and trying to ballroom dance them to the turf. Archer was a mid-major Chris Johnson impersonator who, while listed at wide receiver, fits nothing the Steelers traditionally try to do on offense. (I envision him as the guy Todd Haley gives one carry per game.) Tuitt is a high-risk gamble on greatness. McCullers looked like a mammoth run-stopper one rep out of three during Senior Bowl practices and could have been replaced with a sack of sugar in the other two. Jordan Zumwalt is a taller, skinnier Shazier. The "Dick LeBeau will develop these guys" theory no longer holds water after three years of average-to-awful pass rushing. The Steelers need to do things differently, and they need immediate upgrades. They got sent to the store for salad veggies, and they come home with mostly seedlings.

/>http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/75327128/nfl-draft-grades-afc-jaguars-browns-patriots-raiders-broncos#!Npt4f

[ArmyBengal]

You have to admire Ozzie Newsome for leaving no stone unturned when searching for defenders in such unlikely locales as Alabama and Florida State.

I have to ask if I missed the sarcasm in this statement? If not, then I ask, are you f*cking kidding me ??

Linebacker Marquis Flowers is 90 percent of Ryan Shazier at a fraction of the costs and expectations.

Really ?? I would be happy if this late round pick was 50% of Ryan Shazier. 90% ?? Yeah, that would change my grade on that pick.

Admit it, Bengals fans: You wanted to see the team blow things up a little bit, whether it was a fastball pitching prospect or a Falcons-style cross-court alley-oop (two first-rounders and a third to move up for Khalil Mack!).

1. It would've taken more than that to get up and snag Mack. 2. Who gives up that much for a LB ?? 3. Stupid idea.

There are worse fates than drafting for playoff sustenance, and the AFC North did not do much to gain on the Bengals.

Wait, doesn't he know how bad this team now is since Gruden is gone ?? 6-10 here we come.

[kingwilly]

That's a pretty good assessment. Another football writer who sees McCarron as Dalton 2.0. As for the Mack idea, the guy is a monster a la Bowman or Willis. He's going to impress. That said, I wouldn't mortgage the front end of a couple years of drafts to get him, not with the LB group currently here.

As for Flowers being 90% of Shazier, perhaps. maybe. I still would like to see Lamur really get going. With two guys like that, means they improve quality of depth at LB. It's a crowded room as it is.

I do agree not much has been done to close the gap between AFCN rivals. The wildcard is Cleveland. There is a lot of talent amassing up there but it will take a couple years to put it together, at best.

[ArmyBengal]

The Steelers think they can solve their cornerback problems by adding linebackers. They think they can upgrade their offensive line by adding linebackers. They have not noticed how suddenly terrible they have become at identifying and developing linebackers.

Ouch. Talk about a gut check.