Quarterbacks Are Like the Trees in Big Yellow Taxi

[HoosierCat]

...you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

I don't know whether to applaud Hobson for that line or have him shot.

-- A few interesting bits in this giant mailbag. First was this question:

going back to carlos hyde not being taken. I'm not buying all the horsecrap they are shoveling,. an entire fan base can't be wrong. and we are furious over it. and I've been a fan since 1968. we watched carlos hyde smash people and run around people for 4 years at osu. and ticket and jersey sells were set to go through the roof. we cut our own throats. and frankly i tire of it every draft. Tom Osborne, Waverly, OH

I quote this as a Public Service Announcement. Apparently we are supposed to be furious about taking Hill over Hyde and frankly folks, I'm just not seeing enough fury around here. TJ, I'm looking at you...

-- I also liked this question:

Will Giovani Bernard get more carriers this season? Andrew Isaacs, Georgetown, KY

Well, yes, now that you mention it the USS George H.W. Bush would look rather imposing in the Bengals backfield...

-- Hobs seems pretty certain that Bodine will start:

I think the other thing is that Alexander had Bodine as his No. 1 center and the other two weren’t rated nearly as highly. You take Bodine’s total package as a guy that plays with a mean streak and has leadership abilities, he’s already on a different level than Ghiaciuc and Luigs. And Luigs needs a footnote. He suffered a severe hip injury early in his career here and they never really found out about a guy that had a productive run in the SEC.

I think they already see Pollak as the veteran insurance policy. You figure next Tuesday they’ll line up with Pollak at center and Tanner Hawkinson, a guy they like, at left guard. Robinson has had a year since he injured his pectoral muscle and is now expected to play as well as he did as a rookie.

Certainly they usually shy away from anointing rookies as starters. But then, Alexander didn’t feel that way about Ghiaciuc and Luigs. Ghiaciuc didn’t play until Rich Braham suffered a career-ending knee injury. When Luigs came in 2009, Kyle Cook was the starter despite never starting a game but he had already been here two years and had command of the offense.

I'm sorry but that whole idea still scares the crap out of me.

-- Good point on play-action passing:

But play-action is only as good as the running game. Boomer was not only great at play-action, he was also faking it to the NFL’s top-ranked rushing attack. When Boomer was in his prime, the Bengals were ranked at least No. 5 in rushing. And he rarely threw 30 passes in a game because the Bengals were a running team and everybody knew it. Dalton’s Bengals haven’t been as committed. Yeah, he needs to get better at play-action, but you’ve also got to call a game so it’s believable.

Eff you Jay Gruden.

[Kazkal]

I think the other thing is that Alexander had Bodine as his No. 1 center

Well being he wasn't taken the top 2 rounds he's probably gonna suck because the only linemen who play well for alexander are high draft picks.

[TJJackson]

going back to carlos hyde not being taken. I'm not buying all the horsecrap they are shoveling,. an entire fan base can't be wrong. and we are furious over it. and I've been a fan since 1968. we watched carlos hyde smash people and run around people for 4 years at osu. and ticket and jersey sells were set to go through the roof. we cut our own throats. and frankly i tire of it every draft. Tom Osborne, Waverly, OH

I quote this as a Public Service Announcement. Apparently we are supposed to be furious about taking Hill over Hyde and frankly folks, I'm just not seeing enough fury around here. TJ, I'm looking at you...

I was Ok with this pick. Not happy, but OK. No fury to give on this pick

That said, every pick AFTER that one sucked big dead donkey balls

[COB]

Linemen are like the honey in IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA.

[HoosierCat]

Linemen are like the honey in IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA.

Offensive linemen, yeah. But defensive linemen are just like bricks in The Wall.

[kingwilly]

I'm quite please they did not take Hyde, and cow to the fanbase. This looks from all angles like a pure football decision. Those arguing that Big Ten D's hold a candle to SEC, better check your head...

Hill will make everyone better, Dalton, Gio, Green, Gresham, etc. I'm predicting that this offense will pivot on him.

But no pressure there, Mr. Hill. Just don't F it up and get hurt in the first preseason game on your first carry (a la Ki-Jana or Irons)

[HoosierCat]

I think I'm detecting a pattern with today's entry from Hobson,Time in a Bottle, featuring the wit and wisdom of one Norman Julius Esiason.

So in keeping with the Seventies easy listening theme, can we expect a visit with Palmer under the headline "Same Olde Lang Syne"? A look at how Zimmer is faring under the banner, "Baby Come Back"? "Ooh Child" would work for the sure-to-be-written story on Chad in Montreal.

I know, don't encourage him.

[kingwilly]

I predict the Chad story to be titled: "Child Please, eh?"

[COB]

I predict the Chad story to be titled: "Child Please, eh?"

You better comply with La charte de la langue française, and change the name of Chad's story to "Enfant, s'il vous plaît." Wouldn't want to get in trouble with the Quebec Language Commision.

[ArmyBengal]

Your post made my head hurt COB.

[COB]

Sorry about that. My head hurt when I just read a story that said Bustpatrick will soon be converted to safety. It said he has struggled in coverage, and that when he was evaluated before the draft, moving him to safety was considered by most to be a real possibility.

Vous ne pouvez pas confiance footballeurs de Alabama.

[ArmyBengal]

Yeah, I remember the talk about Kirkpatrick's best spot was probably at the safety spot.

I also recall Derek mentioning that fact as well and why he wasn't sold on the pick.

Like I said not long ago, I don't really have that much hope for Kirkpatrick at this point.

[COB]

Cleaning out my truck in the driveway, and a phenomena occurred that happens to me about once a month. I just get a bracing, full power clear realization that we are probably fucked without Zimmer.

[ArmyBengal]

Could we take a step back with Zimmer leaving ?? Sure. I have no issue with that thought to be honest. I'm just not sold on it.

If Guenther hadn't spent so much time under Zimmer and the players not think so much of him, it may be different.

[GapControl]

Kirkpatrick hasn't been an all pro but he really hasn't had much playing time. I worry about his injuries but when he has been on the field I haven't been disappointed with his play

[HoosierCat]

Yeah, I think it's a bit early to be talking about moving Kirkpatrick. The word from camp was troubling but Gap is right, he was showing some good things by the end of last year.

[ArmyBengal]

If they were to switch Kirkpatrick to safety, I think he would be in greater jeopardy of not making the team to be honest.

I could be wrong there and am just thinking quickly, but still.

[HoosierCat]

So...if the Bengals were to give Andy Dalton a big-bucks extension...and then Dalton and Marvin Lewis said some stuff like this:

/>http://espn.go.com/blog/atlanta-falcons/post/_/id/6222/the-100-million-question-for-matt-ryan

Would a huge swath of Bengaldom go...

1. Completely apeshit

2. Completely F**KING apeshit

3. COMPLETELY F**KING APESHIT!!!!

or

4. Spontaneously headsplode spraying blood and brains everywhere.

I'm betting "all of the above."

[ArmyBengal]

Move along, nothing to see here.

It's really none of our business.

Yeah, all of the above Hoosier.

[HoosierCat]

It's a boy.

/>http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/7/1/5861822/andy-dalton-and-wife-give-birth--baby-boy

[volcom69]

Congrats to Andy! We just had our baby boy in April, such an awesome feeling! Now with 2 kids the house hold is crazy lol.

[HoosierCat]

This was kinda interesting:

/>http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/without-drew-brees-jimmy-graham-is-a-good-but-not-great-receiver/

The table at the bottom showed what I expected it would in terms of Green's performance, given that we have the definition of average behind center. But at first glance it looks like there's a lot of average QBs around. It also seems like having a bad QB hurts less than having a good QB helps, though it also looks like the difference isn't that pronounced.