ArmyBengal Posted February 24 Report Posted February 24 Hoping against all hope that Downs somehow falls. Everything I hear seems to indicate he won't, but he's still my #1. Here's something to consider from a Buckeyes fan perspective... I think most would agree that if Reese fell to #10, it's a no brainer. However, I don't get why that isn't the case with Sonny Styles. I've watched that kid play for 4 years now and he's at LEAST Reese's equal. If your a stat person and covet production, you should be screaming for Styles. Lets take a closer look from that perspective... Arvell Reese, LB, 6'4, 243lbs Played in 36 games, 112 Combined Tackles, 13.5 TFL with 7 sacks Sonny Styles, LB, 6'4, 235lbs Played in 53 games, 244 Combined Tackles, 22.5 TFL with 9 sacks Bottomline is that they are both stellar players, but I don't get the consternation over Styles not being worthy of a top 10 pick. However, with that being said I think adding a veteran LB like Devin Lloyd or Leo Chenal would help the youth infusion we got at the position in last year's draft. Free agency will be telling the direction they travel. 1 Quote
HoosierCat Posted February 24 Author Report Posted February 24 You and Mel are are the same wavelength. In his pre-combine mock, he has Downs going at 2 to the Jets and Styles at 7 to the Commanders. Bengals get Bain at 9, which works for me. Notably Mel has 3 safeties going in the first round, so for a supposedly "non-premium position" it's looking pretty costly to me. 1 Quote
HoosierCat Posted February 26 Author Report Posted February 26 A few "we figured this was the case but here's confirmation anyway" bits from Duke: Quote The Bengals are picking No. 10 in the April draft and need plenty of defensive line help. It looks like they can stock up in the draft, but that they don't have to get it in the first round. Plus, Tobin indicated that the first pick is so high that they can let the board dictate the position. Translation: the Bengals will once again "let the draft come to them," at least as far as round 1 goes. He explains their reasons thusly: Quote He says the rest of the draft is fairly solid with the Bengals ranking nearly 400 prospects draftable, an uncharacteristically high number. I'll be interested to see how that estimate matches up with others as we get closer to the draft. While ruling out going hunting at 10, Tobin does allow that they might trade down if the deal is right. Still... Quote When you're as high as we are in the top 10, you can't eliminate any position. You have to be open-minded to taking the guy that's clearly the best football player. Translation: they're taking a wide receiver. Quote
ArmyBengal Posted February 26 Report Posted February 26 The best available according to the smallest scouting staff in all of the NFL. Doesn't really inspire confidence in them getting that call right does it? 1 Quote
HoosierCat Posted February 27 Author Report Posted February 27 You go Sonny. Push Bain or Downs to 10! Quote
COB Posted March 1 Report Posted March 1 Someone call 911, NFL draft congnoscenti is currently in a short arm hysteria over Reuben Bain. 1 Quote
COB Posted March 1 Report Posted March 1 Reuben Bain has 31” arms. 33” is supposedly the standard for d line guys. Geno Atkins had 32” arms. 1 Quote
COB Posted March 1 Report Posted March 1 Correction, the 33” std is for edge guys. Bain is sort of advertised as an edge. I can see him ending up as a d tackle if he can gain some weight. I’m starting to lean towards pass on him. He looks like he’ll be a decent player but I worry that his ceiling is limited. Quote
ArmyBengal Posted March 2 Report Posted March 2 Especially if he's had 33 STD's. I mean Jesus, put a helmet on that Soldier... Oh wait, did I read that wrong? 1 Quote
COB Posted March 3 Report Posted March 3 13 hours ago, ArmyBengal said: Especially if he's had 33 STD's. Reuben Bain, what have you been up to? Quote
HoosierCat Posted March 3 Author Report Posted March 3 Well, Reid's post-combine mock still has Bain going well ahead of 10. Downs is also gone, despite reports of a partially torn meniscus, some blather about a degenerative condition and, I dunno, reports he killed like 100 people and loves Iran. (Sources say the reports were coming from a Miss Kay T. Burnblack, who has not been further identified...) He has us taking Delane in he first and DT Christen Miller in the second, which would be fine imo. Interesting new name pops up in the top 10 (going to the Clowns): Quote Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia Freeling's stock has skyrocketed since the end of the season. At 6-foot-7, 315 pounds, he's one of the few true left tackles of this class. He is also an excellent athlete who excels in space and on the move. His size, upside and athletic traits have prompted multiple teams to rank him as the top offensive tackle at the combine. The Browns have six offensive linemen hitting free agency and need help across the board, even after Monday's trade for Tytus Howard. Freeling is the first OT off the board. He has Mauigoa going at 11 and Fano falling all the way to 19. Again I wouldn't rule out OT at 10... Quote
ArmyBengal Posted March 3 Report Posted March 3 I wouldn't rule out an OT at 10 either. Might not be my preferred, but as always... it depends on who's on the board when they go on the clock. Just make him a guy capable of playing LT. That would be my only ask if they go that way. I heard about Downs' knee as well and chalk that up to someone wanting him to fall. The medicals will confirm for sure. 1 Quote
ArmyBengal Posted March 3 Report Posted March 3 We are still better than a month away and free agency has to shake out before the draft. That being said, here are the players that may or may not be there at #10 that I like. I will give them in my order: 1. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (Always been my #1) 2. Rueben Bain, DE, Miami 3. David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech (Dude is just high twitch and fun to watch) 4. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State (I have argued he's Arvell Reese's equal) 5. Monsoor Delane, CB, LSU 6. Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (He's a LT) Combine and competition faced moves him up. 7. Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah (He's a LT) Don't get it twisted, there are other players I like and in the event of a trade down, that list expands. Picking 10 and looking at the other players thought to go higher, I'm going to get one of those 7. In that event, my first round grade is already an "A+". The next thing is.... who falls to us in the 2nd round? Someone always falls. It's inevitable. 1 Quote
TJJackson Posted March 4 Report Posted March 4 https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinnati-bengals-news/187057/caleb-downs-injury-degenerative-acl-meniscus Quote
ArmyBengal Posted March 4 Report Posted March 4 Yeah, I don't care and still want Downs. Once the medicals actually come out the Buckeyes have their pro day in 3 weeks I will reconsider. Cory Kinnan is some dude like us who writes about the draft and football in general in Cleveland. Nothing personal, but I will wait this one out until the docs release the medicals. Quote
ArmyBengal Posted March 4 Report Posted March 4 Oh absolutely, honestly my heart sank a little bit because on top of the fact the Bengals don't value the safety position and I thought there was an equal chance of them passing on Downs even if he made it to #10, poor medicals would only ensure that to be the case. I want an impact safety so much for this defense and year after year we get mediocre play from that group. Fortunately there are some solid safeties outside of Downs I like. A.J. Haulcy from LSU is a guy that could be there in the second round. Even guys like Jalon Kilgore from South Carolina and Zakee Wheatley from Penn State. Guess we will see. Quote
HoosierCat Posted March 4 Author Report Posted March 4 Appears to be bullshit. https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinnati-bengals-nfl-draft/187102/caleb-downs-degenerative-acl-rumors Quote ESPN’s Pat McAfee said he reached out to multiple NFL teams about Downs, and they said there’s “nothing in the medical that would deter them from bringing Caleb Downs in.” Former NFL defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko also said that he spoke with an executive from an AFC East team, who referred to it as “bad reporting”: Spoke with an AFC East executive who has had a ton of in-person evals with Caleb Downs/Ohio State. “Bad reporting and example A of pre draft smoke and mirrors. Every player we get at the Combine is going to have some type of pre existing injury.” 1 Quote
COB Posted March 4 Report Posted March 4 Ha ha! Spy vs Spy stuff. I have a degenerative ACL. Self diagnosed. In fact every ligament in my body is degenerating. I hereby diagnose Caleb Downs with a degenerative PCL, MCL, and some CLs no one has even heard of. In both knees. And I’m undoubtedly right. Everything in our bodies is degenerative. 3 Quote
ArmyBengal Posted March 4 Report Posted March 4 I feel your pain COB. Degenerative disc disease from top to bottom. Waiting for my spleen to fall out any minute now. 1 Quote
COB Posted March 5 Report Posted March 5 6 hours ago, ArmyBengal said: Degenerative disc disease from top to bottom. Same. Already had discectomy and fusion done in my neck. The disc underneath the fusion needs done but I’m holding off as long as I can. Hopefully forever. It’s the same surgery Peyton Manning had. Quote
HoosierCat Posted March 9 Author Report Posted March 9 Comp picks out: Pit gets a 3, 4 and two 6ths. Baltimore gets two 5ths and two 7ths. Cleveland and Cincy get rocks. Quote
ArmyBengal Posted March 9 Report Posted March 9 You have to have quality players be wanted by other teams AND sign a lucrative deal. The Bengals don’t have that. They have players that wouldn’t be starting on other teams. That’s why they get released after one year of signing a deal with a new team. Quote
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