Cincinnati Bengals Offseason Thread: Protect Joe Burrow

[Ohayou]

As of yesterday, Ken Riley is pretty much a lock for the Pro Football HoF.

[RiverRat13]

The offensive line has serious depth issues (and maybe starter issues if Collins isn't healthy). Time to use some of that cap space.

[KoryMac5]

The offensive line has serious depth issues (and maybe starter issues if Collins isn't healthy). Time to use some of that cap space.

Every offensive line in the league has depth issues though...most teams keep 9 or 10 offensive lineman and hope none of their starters go down. Carmen, Prince, Hill, Smith most likely will have bench roles and have all gotten playing time in the regular season.

I did hear Prince and Hill got banged up at practice I would think if those injuries are serious they would sign someone.

If I was in a dream reality the Bengals would pick up the phone for Tretter and move Karas to Guard.

[Tony Cloninger]

Every offensive line in the league has depth issues though...most teams keep 9 or 10 offensive lineman and hope none of their starters go down. Carmen, Prince, Hill, Smith most likely will have bench roles and have all gotten playing time in the regular season.

I did hear Prince and Hill got banged up at practice I would think if those injuries are serious they would sign someone.

If I was in a dream reality the Bengals would pick up the phone for Tretter and move Karas to Guard.

Still befuddles me they keep rosters so low with the extra game. Thursday games. We want to keep players safe. It should be 60 man rosters. All available on game day. Maybe 6 man PS. Even now I think teams should keep 10 if not 11 OL.

Yes every team has some depth issue but this team has to be the worst depth wise at OL.

[RedTeamGo!]

Carman, like John Ross, was a terrible draft pick from the moment he was selected. Everyone knew it, except for the Bengals. Possibly except for Mike Brown. By most accounts both of those picks were purely MB and MB alone.

There were actually quite a few folks on here who defended the Carman pick. Mostly people that do not watch college football and focus on PFF grades. The folks who watch a lot of college football and saw him play at Clemson said "nah, horrible pick"

[Sea Ray]

Still befuddles me they keep rosters so low with the extra game. Thursday games. We want to keep players safe. It should be 60 man rosters. All available on game day. Maybe 6 man PS. Even now I think teams should keep 10 if not 11 OL.

Yes every team has some depth issue but this team has to be the worst depth wise at OL.

I've been pushing for 60 man rosters for yrs. I agree 100% with you

[KoryMac5]

There were actually quite a few folks on here who defended the Carman pick. Mostly people that do not watch college football and focus on PFF grades. The folks who watch a lot of college football and saw him play at Clemson said "nah, horrible pick"

There were also a lot of people who laughed at taking a kicker in the 5th round too….and that worked out really well.

The issue I had with the pick was it felt like a reach at the time…he had mostly 3rd and 4th round grades. I buy what others above have said in reality it was Mike Browns final act of meddling. It was a favor to both Paul and Willie…it hasn’t worked out thus far…

[RiverRat13]

There were actually quite a few folks on here who defended the Carman pick. Mostly people that do not watch college football and focus on PFF grades. The folks who watch a lot of college football and saw him play at Clemson said "nah, horrible pick"

Yep. He was on a decent trajectory as a sophomore but was not good as a junior. It was a bad pick from the jump. The only way to salvage it IMO is to put him back at tackle. Collins isn't going to play 17 games and Carman may turn out to be a better right tackle than Isaiah Prince.

I'd go sign Spain as a placeholder, let Volson hopefully earn the job midway through the year, and move Carman back outside.

[bucksfan2]

There were also a lot of people who laughed at taking a kicker in the 5th round too….and that worked out really well.

The issue I had with the pick was it felt like a reach at the time…he had mostly 3rd and 4th round grades. I buy what others above have said in reality it was Mike Browns final act of meddling. It was a favor to both Paul and Willie…it hasn’t worked out thus far…

If you draft a kicker in the 5th he has to be Justin Tucker. And well, he looks to be Justin Tucker. McPherson looks to be a fantastic pick, I am glad I was wrong about that one!

I have no issues with teams who take fliers a little later in the draft. It makes sense, especially if you have extra picks and comp picks. You aren't going to keep 10 or so draft picks on your roster, swing for the fences on some. That said, I don't like fliers in the first couple of rounds.

FWIW Carman has COVID right now which isn't ideal for his development.

[Tony Cloninger]

I've been pushing for 60 man rosters for yrs. I agree 100% with you

If you want safety and no future lawsuits then more players to a reasonable limit. So no one is playing when they should not. Concussions are not the only thing that’s long term. 60 is reasonable to me. You have what? 80 in college. The teams are not short on money to pay extra players. They could be in lawsuits.

Which to me also brings up the issue of how could anyone not know repeated hits. Especially in the 70s-80s on astroturf was not going to cause LT damage. Spearing. Clotheslines. Head slapping. All legal for the most part except the Deacon Jones slap up through the 80s. You had to know this would not end well just being versed in any medical knowledge.

[Tony Cloninger]

Yep. He was on a decent trajectory as a sophomore but was not good as a junior. It was a bad pick from the jump. The only way to salvage it IMO is to put him back at tackle. Collins isn't going to play 17 games and Carman may turn out to be a better right tackle than Isaiah Prince.

I'd go sign Spain as a placeholder, let Volson hopefully earn the job midway through the year, and move Carman back outside.

I agree. The best way to save this is to try him at his original position.

Also drafting projects when you’re history of winning. Developing OL. What are you thinking?

WR sure. They are great at drafting those. DL? Very great track record.

LB and OL. Blah.

[Tony Cloninger]

If you draft a kicker in the 5th he has to be Justin Tucker. And well, he looks to be Justin Tucker. McPherson looks to be a fantastic pick, I am glad I was wrong about that one!

I have no issues with teams who take fliers a little later in the draft. It makes sense, especially if you have extra picks and comp picks. You aren't going to keep 10 or so draft picks on your roster, swing for the fences on some. That said, I don't like fliers in the first couple of rounds.

FWIW Carman has COVID right now which isn't ideal for his development.

McPherson is to me the opposite of what Chris Bahr was. Babe was drafted in the 2nd Round in 1976. They had 4 picks out if the first 60 or so of that draft. They had a bunch more as well.

But they wasted one on Bahr that high. He LOST games for them. I can barely recall the couple he won and I can remember them but I know how many he LOST for them. In the pre era of sophisticated kicking techniques and ST teaching he missed Extra Points that cost games.

Especially in 78-79. And sure instead of 4 wins they win 7-8. But he was a demoralizing force like you couldn’t believe.

He missed an extra point in the 1978 opener at home against KC. A bad KC team that used the wing T offense under Marv Levy. They lost 24-23.
Next week he missed a FG in OT within reasonable range of the 30-40ish. They lose at CLE in OT.

4th week they lose at home to NO when he misses 2 FG again with reasonable range on the Astro turf. 20-18 loss.

They lose 5-0 to the Bills at home and he misses 2 FG in that game.

1979 he misses an Extra Point in a 28-27 loss at CLE.

Misses a FG in OT against Houston at home. Reasonable range again. They lose.

Reasonable to me was 30-40 range. On the turf.

He ends up getting cut and goes to the Raiders and managed to settle in there for years while Breech gets picked up after the Raiders cut him after 1979 rookie season.

Fun fact. Nick Lowery was also in camp in 1980 for 2 weeks. Somehow they decided Breech or Ian Sunter? We’re better options than Lowery. Who had an obvious great leg and was more accurate.

[membengal]

Hill will play Sunday. D'ante Smith will play Sunday. Collins was in 11s today. Collins said Volson is maybe the best rookie he's even been on a line with.

I am sure the sky is still falling tho.

[RedTeamGo!]

There were also a lot of people who laughed at taking a kicker in the 5th round too….and that worked out really well.

The issue I had with the pick was it felt like a reach at the time…he had mostly 3rd and 4th round grades. I buy what others above have said in reality it was Mike Browns final act of meddling. It was a favor to both Paul and Willie…it hasn’t worked out thus far…

Not sure what this has to do with a kicker, but yeah drafting a kicker in the 5th round is a bad idea 99.9999999% of the time. It is almost always a mistake. McPherson is a huge exception.

[WVRed]

Not sure what this has to do with a kicker, but yeah drafting a kicker in the 5th round is a bad idea 99.9999999% of the time. It is almost always a mistake. McPherson is a huge exception.

Not any worse than drafting a kicker then cutting him to and watching him go on to win a Super Bowl ring.

The Bengals did that too.