Bengals Sign Orlando Brown

[ArmyBengal]

Well, in the theory of, “It only takes one team to panic”, Jacksonville’s starting LT Cam Robinson is facing a suspension for performance enhancing drugs.

While not knowing how long it will be, this may be a door for a Jonah trade to take place.

 

Oh yeah…
HAPPY DRAFT DAY EVERYONE !!!

[GapControl]

Who Dey!

[membengal]

I guess this can go here? Question to Albert Breer today - 

Quote

 

From Alex Sullivan (@Alex_Sullivan11): Are the Bengals still shopping Jonah Williams?

Alex, they’re not. And if they weren’t going to do it before the draft, my feeling is they won’t do it at all. To me, there are teams (like, say, New England) that could really use him. But unless you’re talking about giving Cincinnati a second-round pick for Williams, it doesn’t make sense for the Bengals to move him, because if he plays well for them in the fall, they’ll get that year of service from him at a trouble spot (and insurance on La’el Collins working his way back from a torn ACL), and potentially a third- or fourth-round comp pick in 2025.

As for where Williams is at, he’s still rehabbing from knee surgery out in California. He’s close to being ready to do football drills, and while there’d be some question as to when he’ll be fully cleared for actual full-contact work, he’s certainly expecting to be full go for training camp. His plan, for now, is to go to Ohio for the mandatory stuff—starting with the full-squad minicamp next month. And the Bengals expect to have him, for the time being, in there as their starting right tackle, opposite newcomer Orlando Brown Jr.

A number of factors played into Williams’s trade request, with the position switch (from left tackle to right) being one and the lack of communication from the team on that switch before signing Brown to a big free-agent deal. For what it’s worth, I do think Williams is in a little better place with the team now than he was a month ago, and I think the Bengals will get a good year out of him, assuming no one comes in and throws big capital at Cincinnati (which could happen if there’s an injury with another team) to get him.

 

 

[ArmyBengal]

Well, happy to hear Jonah is on the mend and I would love for him to come take the RT spot.
I honestly think he would do just fine on the other side if his butt isn't still hurt more than his knee.

That being said, I hope Jonah wasn't thinking the Bengals were going to hand HIM that big free agent deal.
I don't think he was ever in the Bengals long term plans or least the last couple years worth.

Him being upset about the lack of communication only shows his lack of understanding.  The Bengals have already said they didn't even have Orlando Brown on their radar and that HIS agent was the one that contacted the Bengals.  From there it sounded like it was just a whirlwind of events leading to his signing.  When things are moving quickly and you can add Brown's level of talent, you stop the whole damn thing and ask his permission, or even ask him if he's interested.  You do what they did.  Jonah needs to ball out, take his nearly 13 million for 2023 and shut the fuck up. 2024 and another team are coming your way soon enough Jonah.

[HoosierCat]

19 minutes ago, membengal said:

I guess this can go here? Question to Albert Breer today - 

 

Yeah, that’s fine, this seems to have become the tackle thread. Thanks for the update. I’m glad Jonah’s knee and butt are feeling better.

[AMPHAR]

1 hour ago, membengal said:

I guess this can go here? Question to Albert Breer today - 

 

Exciting.   I think Jonah could give the best RT season they've had since Andre Smith  OR he could get beat out by Carman.   Then its anybodies guess what happens. 

Either way if the line remains healthy they should be a top 10 unit, IMO.  

[AMPHAR]

1 hour ago, ArmyBengal said:

Well, happy to hear Jonah is on the mend and I would love for him to come take the RT spot.
I honestly think he would do just fine on the other side if his butt isn't still hurt more than his knee.

That being said, I hope Jonah wasn't thinking the Bengals were going to hand HIM that big free agent deal.
I don't think he was ever in the Bengals long term plans or least the last couple years worth.

Him being upset about the lack of communication only shows his lack of understanding.  The Bengals have already said they didn't even have Orlando Brown on their radar and that HIS agent was the one that contacted the Bengals.  From there it sounded like it was just a whirlwind of events leading to his signing.  When things are moving quickly and you can add Brown's level of talent, you stop the whole damn thing and ask his permission, or even ask him if he's interested.  You do what they did.  Jonah needs to ball out, take his nearly 13 million for 2023 and shut the fuck up. 2024 and another team are coming your way soon enough Jonah.

  IMO and (there is no basis for it) Jonah and his agent tried to take advantage to either get a long term deal this year (via trade) effectively giving him more cash than the $12.5 for this year or use the trade to legally tamper with teams for next year's market.

I just thought it was unlikely Williams would do anything to jeopardize next year.   Average guys got paid and there will probably be more considering cap growth.   

See if he can win the RT job. 

 

 

 

[AMPHAR]

On 3/16/2023 at 7:42 AM, AMPHAR said:

yeah that's the best part.   Everyone of those clowns would love him if the Cheifs paid him more last year.    Now they are taking a sub par RT moving to LT and paying more to do it.

Just a huge fucking win for this arms race in the AFC.  Plus it makes 2024 off season so much easier on offense.

Quoting myself because the reality of losing Brown is just hitting in KC.   Donovan Smith will get first run for them at LT during OTAs over the RT they overpaid for.    Smith has given up major pressures despite blocking for Tom Brady's quick release.    Smith almost got benched last year in Tampa.   I think their tackle spots are going to be something they'll need to manage because Mahomes is a play extending freak.   

Meanwhile the AFC runner ups are going to have to manage putting either a former 1st round LT at RT or an under performing 2nd rounder at RT with a Pro Bowl LT.

 

 

[ArmyBengal]

Watching the Chiefs fumble through managing their o-line has been surprising.
Yes, hearing the KC fans now bash Brown is laughable at best.
Good thing Mahomes is such a mobile QB, because he's going to need to be more so in 2023.

[membengal]

I cannot recommend this article highly enough - gonna paste the whole thing here for you all to read. DEFINITELY worth the read:

https://theathletic.com/4588096/2023/06/07/bengals-offensive-line-orlando-brown/?campaign=5888993&source=dailyemail

Quote

 

CINCINNATI — Earlier this offseason, new Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. went on the Bengals Booth Podcast with Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz as show host Dan Hoard sat back and let Brown direct the conversation. Brown had the requisite questions for Muñoz, such as how he maintained such a consistent level of excellence for so long, his pregame state of mind and what advice he would give a young player.

But one of the more interesting questions Brown asked dealt with Muñoz’s relationships with his left guards, not just during their years as teammates but still to this day, 31 years after retirement.

It was clear how much value Brown puts on those friendships, of which there are many as he finds himself with his third team heading into his sixth season in the league. He explained why following one of the team’s recent voluntary workouts at Paycor Stadium.

“I don’t have any experience with the military other than my grandfather being in the Korean War, but I would think these relationships are somewhat similar to those guys in the trenches,” Brown said. “When you go into battle, and you’re in these hostile environments, sometimes you’re only as strong as the man next to you. I’ve been very fortunate to be around some really good men and build these really special relationships with my guards, and I was just wondering if it’s just me or if that was something Anthony really valued.”

Brown hasn’t played for the Ravens since 2020, but he remains in close contact with Marshal Yanda, Bradley Bozeman and Ben Powers. Brown only recently left Kansas City but thinks his friendship with Joe Thuney will endure the same way. And he knows his bond with Cody Ford will continue — Ford signed with the Bengals one day before Brown did.

So one of the first things Brown did after signing his four-year, $64.1 million contract was to get in touch with Cordell Volson, the Bengals’ left guard who started all 16 games last year as a rookie.

“We already have a great relationship off the field, and we talk all the time about how important that is,” Volson said. “We’ve done some events together and gone out to dinner, and it’s just been great to get to know him.”

Brown could have tapped the cheat code that it is Bengals center Ted Karras to get a feel for what kind of person Volson is. Like Brown, Karras remains tight with Thuney after their years together in New England, calling him one of his best friends.

Karras was one of the first to welcome Brown to Cincinnati, and the common bond of Thuney could have kickstarted some conversations about Volson after Karras played next to him for all 19 regular and postseason games.

But Brown wasn’t interested in that.

“I’ve tried to figure him out on my own because the relationship has to be built from within,” he said. “I want to know what makes him tick, get to know his story and background, and I want to learn that myself. I would trust anything Ted would tell me, but I want to learn everything about the man next to me on my own. That’s just the kind of person I am.”

The Bengals have 16 offensive linemen on the roster, and even with Jonah Williams skipping the voluntary workouts, that makes for some crowded position drills. Players take turns moving in and out of the action, resulting in constant shuffling in the way the onlookers are aligned. But Volson and Brown always seem to find a way to end up standing next to each other, bouncing critiques and observations off one another.

But Brown is active even when he’s watching. He’s constantly talking to guys after they come out of a drill, but he’ll always circle back to Volson, and no matter how short their time was apart, they always come back together with a fist bump and quick conversation.

“I don’t know that I buy into the idea that you have to be best friends to play well together, but it makes it a lot easier,” said right guard Alex Cappa, who like Karras joined the Bengals last offseason.

“It’s beneficial that you enjoy your time together for sure,” Cappa added. “It just makes it more fun to come to work. It makes it easier to communicate. I’m all about the communication. Whether it’s guard-tackle, center-guard, quarterback-running back, it all comes down to the communication. Even when you’re just hanging out, you’re also talking shop. I really enjoy that aspect of it.”

Karras held an event last month at Holy Grail prior to the Reds-Yankees game, where he was selling his Cincy hats. All of the proceeds go to the Village of Merici, which provides services, coaching and independent housing for adults with disabilities.

 

Quote

 

Volson and Brown were among the offensive linemen who showed up not just to support Karras and the cause, but to spend more time together away from the facility, just getting to know each other.

“One of the main tenets I believe in in football in order to have any success is to trust the men around you and build their trust in you,” Karras said. “Trust isn’t just some big gesture where ‘now I trust you.’ Trust is a culmination of a lot of day-to-day stuff. One of my other tenets is play your best when it counts the most, and you can’t do that without trusting the guy next to you.

“Building that trust started when we showed up, pre-Phase 1 (of OTAs),” Karras continued. “Just guys being here ready to go. Now that we’re on the field, knowing what to do, knowing how to do it, having each other’s backs, it translates off the field. Me and Orlando hung out a ton, and Cordell, too. There’s a lot of wide-encompassing factors that go into trust, and being friends is one of them. You don’t have to be friends to trust each other on the field, but it helps.”

No one knows that better than offensive line coach Frank Pollack. He played six NFL seasons in the 1990s and still counts some of his teammates among his friends. He’s been encouraging his offensive linemen to set up weekly dinners since he arrived, and the tradition is ongoing.

“They’re gonna miss that s–t when it’s over,” Pollack said. “Those things help. They lead to the whole room having that tight bond. During the season when s–t’s hitting the fan, we’re all standing together. We’re not splintering or fracturing.

“It’s football,” Pollack added. “It’s not always clean and smooth. It can get a little rocky. And when it does, you can maybe push on a guy or jump on a guy a little bit where ‘Hey, we’ve got to get this cleaned up and fix this,’ and an intense message like that is better received when guys have that bond. It’s just a natural evolution or extension of their off-the-field relationship right into their on-the-field relationship.”

Black/White, young/old, Republican/Democrat, West Coast cool/Southern grit. Those differences melt away in an NFL locker room.

Even rich/less rich.

Volson joked that Brown’s penchant for picking up the dinner tab has accelerated their relationship.

“It’s very much appreciated,” he said. “I’ll pay him back one day.”

According to Brown, he already has in ways he may not even know.

“I’m helping him as much as he’s helping me,” Brown said. “Communication and body language are so important in football, and they’re not necessarily talked about often. But those two things are so important. When you’re playing next to a good offensive guard that really has good body language and knows how to communicate with his eyes, with his body, with a feel, all those learned tendencies and small details are so important to offensive line success.

“We’re still learning,” Brown added. “It’s still early. We’re figuring it out, and we’re having fun doing it. I can’t wait to see where this relationship goes.”

 

 

[ArmyBengal]

Quote

“I don’t have any experience with the military other than my grandfather being in the Korean War, but I would think these relationships are somewhat similar to those guys in the trenches,” Brown said. “When you go into battle, and you’re in these hostile environments, sometimes you’re only as strong as the man next to you. I’ve been very fortunate to be around some really good men and build these really special relationships with my guards, and I was just wondering if it’s just me or if that was something Anthony really valued.”

Regarding the above snippet of the column, which was great, and thanks to Mem, there were a couple of things.

1. I am left curious as to what Munoz's feedback to the question was and what he may have shared with Brown.

2. Typically I really hate when sports people make comparisons between playing a game and being in war, however, the "Sometimes you're only as strong as the man next to you" comment hit home for me.  I was the "Doc" on our team in Afghanistan and there was another dude from the team that whenever I went out to treat a casualty in a gun fight, he went with me.  When I was treating, he was shooting.  Sometimes we both were shooting and the treating had to wait.  Either way, that dude had my back all day, every day, with our lives in his hands.  I had 100% faith he wouldn't let me take a hit when I was patching up a dude during a fight and he did not let me down.  I left country in 2008 and all of us went our separate ways.  Of the 15 guys, I had never seen or spoken to any of them.  Then, two months ago, while on a trip to DC for work, the two of us just happened to be staying in the same hotel.  We saw each other and just hugged each other like we were brothers that hadn't seen each other in 15 years.  I didn't need to say thank you, he didn't need to say you're welcome.  We knew it, felt it, and continue to live it.  We linked up that evening and drank until the sun came up.  We again both went our separate ways and if I see my brother ever again, it will be a joyous day.  I LOVE those relationships more than any other in my life.  My brothers...

I don't usually share much about that time, but for some reason it seemed to hit.
I'm literally in tears thinking about it now.  Hope you all have a great day.

Thanks again for sharing Mem, that took me to a good spot today !!

[AMPHAR]

From a Goodberry tweet:

 

He's not wrong. Last year, Mahomes was partially responsible for 21.2% of the total pressures he dealt with. That's the 7th highest percentage of all QBs. Joe Burrow was partially responsible for 6% of the total pressures he faced. That was the 3rd lowest percentage. (Via PFF)

Jordan Foote

@footenoted

Orlando Brown Jr. on blocking for Joe Burrow: “Now, as opposed to having to play in a lot more space with guys on my edge, guys have got to rush through me because Joe isn’t necessarily at 12-1/2 or 13 yards on certain drops. He’s going to be at 7-1/2 getting the ball out.”

 

Thoughts: I don't fully trust these "deep" stat conclusions or more the person that posts them because there's always an agenda bias behind them, but.....

This point should have been obvious to any football fan.     Brown has been pass protecting for Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.   You just can't compare sacks allowed, pressures allowed, or PFF grades equally across all offenses and QBs.   

Now Brown probably isn't an eraser like Whitworth in pass pro and Burrow is a play extender but he will excel protecting for Burrow and his QBs launch point will be more disciplined although I wouldn't dare describe Burrow as a statue in the pocket and he certainly doesn't fear the sack.   

Chief fans are fooling themselves thinking losing Brown doesn't hurt them and help the Bengals.   They'll see.     Its time for Pollack to produce a sub 25 sack season.  

 

[COB]

On 6/7/2023 at 3:31 PM, ArmyBengal said:

Regarding the above snippet of the column, which was great, and thanks to Mem, there were a couple of things.

1. I am left curious as to what Munoz's feedback to the question was and what he may have shared with Brown.

2. Typically I really hate when sports people make comparisons between playing a game and being in war, however, the "Sometimes you're only as strong as the man next to you" comment hit home for me.  I was the "Doc" on our team in Afghanistan and there was another dude from the team that whenever I went out to treat a casualty in a gun fight, he went with me.  When I was treating, he was shooting.  Sometimes we both were shooting and the treating had to wait.  Either way, that dude had my back all day, every day, with our lives in his hands.  I had 100% faith he wouldn't let me take a hit when I was patching up a dude during a fight and he did not let me down.  I left country in 2008 and all of us went our separate ways.  Of the 15 guys, I had never seen or spoken to any of them.  Then, two months ago, while on a trip to DC for work, the two of us just happened to be staying in the same hotel.  We saw each other and just hugged each other like we were brothers that hadn't seen each other in 15 years.  I didn't need to say thank you, he didn't need to say you're welcome.  We knew it, felt it, and continue to live it.  We linked up that evening and drank until the sun came up.  We again both went our separate ways and if I see my brother ever again, it will be a joyous day.  I LOVE those relationships more than any other in my life.  My brothers...

I don't usually share much about that time, but for some reason it seemed to hit.
I'm literally in tears thinking about it now.  Hope you all have a great day.

Thanks again for sharing Mem, that took me to a good spot today !!

What a great memory to put forth, loved reading it.  

[ArmyBengal]

16 hours ago, COB said:

What a great memory to put forth, loved reading it.  

I'm sure at some point I will put those memories into words, but like I said, I don't share much about that time.
It was difficult just to write that, but like I said, for some reason it seemed to hit me so I did.

Over 50 active combat patrols during that time.  Fighting from the Hindu Kush mountains east of Kabul to the Registan Desert in Helmand and Kandahar provinces and beyond.  Temps above 140 with full combat load.  That's quite the challenge in an armored vehicle with no AC and you can't open windows. Not that you would want to.

Back when I was prepared to put my thoughts of being 10 ft tall and bulletproof to the test.
Now I'm older, pudgy and work at a desk in my basement !!!

The thoughts I put to the test now are, "Does the grass need cut", "Do I really need another bottle of Bourbon", "Should I get out and walk today", "I might call in sick just because", "Should I road trip to see the Bengals this year", "Why can't the water and weather in Cincinnati resemble the Bahamas" and things of that nature...

Somehow I still miss the Army.
Odd...

[HoosierCat]

It’s weird what you can get used to and as bad as it might have been, you can still miss it  because good stuff still happened too. It’s why I still sort of miss when the bengals sucked. Yeah the team was terrible and they drove us crazy but there was still a camaraderie there. I have no real desire to go back but at the same time…those were the days, y’know?

[COB]

44 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

It’s weird what you can get used to and as bad as it might have been, you can still miss it  because good stuff still happened too. It’s why I still sort of miss when the bengals sucked. Yeah the team was terrible and they drove us crazy but there was still a camaraderie there. I have no real desire to go back but at the same time…those were the days, y’know?

We can still joke about Mike being cheap, reference the Lumina, use a random Shula as our avatar, etc.  

[ArmyBengal]

It is true what you can get use to. 
It’s easier when you have others “Embracing the suck” with you. I think that’s been my saving grace. I’ve always had good people around me and have since made it a point to continue doing that.