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Draft/FA Rumor Mill


HoosierCat

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Let me add that if they can acknowledge that a possible solution to the pass rush may already be on the roster with Hunt and Clarke, but they haven't been able to get snaps due to the veterans ahead of them on the roster, they have to be able to acknowledge that those same veterans that are keeping the youngsters from getting snaps AREN'T GETTING THE JOB DONE.

If someone can actually argue how in the hell a guy like Geathers, quite possibly the worst DE in all of football last year, kept our pass rush solutions from getting snaps, I would LOVE to hear it. I've got nothing to this point except claiming absolute stupidity on their part.

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Okay I'll take a stab at playing devils advocat. if you sign Gethers... And Peko, let's just threw him into there, you're going to find that the Bengals are saying there is something about those two players who represent a quality off the field that is even more valuable than that of their quality on the field. I'm guessing....looking at how pro sports teams and any team or any staff or even group function together that that the quality we are talking about is knowledge and an ability to disseminate the knowledge in a superior manner.

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What led me to the thought is Carlos Dunlap. Why hasn't he made a pro bowl ? He has every physical toll in the world and seems like he also possesses the desire. What he may not have which is something we won't know about as fans, is how he can read offense of schemes. As fans, we also can't know how he reacts during the game to the offense, in other words, how quickly he can understand the situation in front of him. There is a very strong chance that the Bengals, as well as any sports team, need a figure in the locker room who can help the pure athlete overcome the difficulties of strategy and even help increase the understanding of another teammate.

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In all honesty, I don't give a crap about which players are building doll houses for little girls at the hospital, which ones are coming to visit our Veterans here at the Cincinnati VA (something they stopped doing by the way), or any of those other things most are told they have to do and involve the branding and marketing of the team. That is, I don't care about it if they suck on the field. It's not to diminish them doing good deeds (even though it kind of sounds that way) but rather I don't want to see them hang onto a guy that builds really cool bird houses but can't get to the QB on Sunday.

Carlos Dunlap ?? I suppose it's hard for almost anyone (outside of JJ Watt) to be a one man wrecking crew, and losing MJ on the other side along with an ailing Geno and nothing else resembling a pass rush couldn't have made things easier. If Geno gets it in his head (and knee) to get back to 100% (I'd take him at 90%) and they add pass rushers that need to be accounted for opposite Dunlap, Carlos will have a more pronounced affect on the defense.

I could be wrong.

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When you have a line that has Dunlap, MJ and (old) Geno, you can afford to carry guys like Peko and Geathers who may not be all that on the field, but who provide the kind of leadership and veteran experience that's valuable off the field. And of course you will get more out of those "leaders" on the field since they are surrounded by so much talent.

But that isn't where they are anymore. MJ is gone and Geno is a shadow of his former self. If they are serious about getting better, then Peko and Geathers are obvious spots for an upgrade. Now, you might make a case for keeping Peko based on the fact that the guys behind him, Thompson and Still, aren't upgrades and that after you draft someone you'd rather keep the vet leader. OK, fine. But don't feed me obvious BS about Peko being the best DT in the NFL.

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Now, you might make a case for keeping Peko based on the fact that the guys behind him, Thompson and Still, aren't upgrades and that after you draft someone you'd rather keep the vet leader. OK, fine. But don't feed me obvious BS about Peko being the best DT in the NFL.

I agreed with your whole post there Hoosier, but the above is right on point and why Peko is probably looked at as a guy that won't go anywhere.

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I understand the case your making about Dunlap, but Gilberry kind of disproves that. He has been very productive on the same line and I don't think he has the same talent level.

I actually think he further proves the point I made earlier. He went from 7.5 sacks in 2013 to 1.5 in 2014.

When MJ was here with Dunlap on the other side and Geno at 100%, Gilberry was the pass rush specialist.

Fast forward to 2014 and he had to take on a different role.

He reminds me of when Geathers had that monster year in the same pass rush specialist role, signed his deal, and then took on a different role.

His production dropped off and has continued to drop off ever since.

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I understand the case your making about Dunlap, but Gilberry kind of disproves that. He has been very productive on the same line and I don't think he has the same talent level.

I actually think he further proves the point I made earlier. He went from 7.5 sacks in 2013 to 1.5 in 2014.

When MJ was here with Dunlap on the other side and Geno at 100%, Gilberry was the pass rush specialist.

Fast forward to 2014 and he had to take on a different role.

He reminds me of when Geathers had that monster year in the same pass rush specialist role, signed his deal, and then took on a different role.

His production dropped off and has continued to drop off ever since.

Really, I thought gilberry lead the team in sacks last season. My bad, Im to lazy to go look to. So I will retract my opinion.

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Really, I thought gilberry lead the team in sacks last season.

Dunlap = 8.0 sacks

Geno = 3.0 sacks

Reggie Nelson, Gilberry = 1.5 sacks

Peko, Thompson, Geathers, Dennard, Mays, Hunt = 1.0 sacks

TOTAL = 20 sacks

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So one of the guys I was most interested in as a potential free agent was Randall Cobb. The Packers want him back but it looks like his contract demands, reportedly for a deal worth $9 million a year, are high enough that they will let him test the market.


/>http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000470819/article/randall-cobb-reportedly-wants-9-million-per-year

That's probably more than the Bengals are willing to pay, but they were reportedly willing to match TJ's $8 million/year deal in Seattle back in 2009. He just didn't want to come back to an organization he felt had dicked him over. So it's not totally crazy. Still, if there was any interest (and I've seen no indication there was/is, this is just my fantasy) that price tag likely kills it.

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It'll be interesting to see if Cobb gets what he wants. There are a lot of big-name wideouts scheduled to be FAs, including Dez Bryant, Demarius Thomas, Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin and Torrey Smith. Plus you might have guys like Larry Fitzgerald and Brandon Marshall either on the market or the trade block. A lot of this could change before March 10 but right now it looks like a buyer's market at WR.

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It'll be interesting to see if Cobb gets what he wants. There are a lot of big-name wideouts scheduled to be FAs, including Dez Bryant, Demarius Thomas, Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin and Torrey Smith. Plus you might have guys like Larry Fitzgerald and Brandon Marshall either on the market or the trade block. A lot of this could change before March 10 but right now it looks like a buyer's market at WR.

Add to that the draft class of WR's that in my opinion is pretty solid and you have teams that may look to go the cheaper route as opposed to paying big bucks for just as much uncertainty.

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I saw that same report and thought of you Hoosier.

9 million a year without AJ being done might be more than they are willing to do.

Then again, if they feel Cobb is better than either Jones or Sanu (both free agents after 2015) maybe there's another line of thought.

Still tough.

What are Jones and Sanu getting in terms of salary ???

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the draft class of WR's that in my opinion is pretty solid and you have teams that may look to go the cheaper route as opposed to paying big bucks for just as much uncertainty.

And in reality this is probably the way the Bengals will go

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