2025 Cincinnati Bengals Part 3: Can the Defense Get a Stop?

[MWM]

Trey was never in the same ballpark as Watt or Garrett or Crosby. There's more to playing edge than sacks. Trey is a beast on the pass rush, but he doesn't do much else well.

[RiverRat13]

The Bengals miss out on Devin Lloyd. But now that he signs, the market at LB is set. Hopefully they sign Leo Chenal.

[UKFlounder]

There was not many good interior DL pass rushing available and they did not get one. Will they have to take Peter Woods now just to address that position instead of going for the best available player?

[Sea Ray]

Any talk about Trey and where he might land?

[Redsfaithful]

There was not many good interior DL pass rushing available and they did not get one. Will they have to take Peter Woods now just to address that position instead of going for the best available player?

It doesn't feel like this front office values interior pass rush whatsoever. Geno Atkins is the only plus interior pass rusher I can ever remember on the Bengals going back to the 90s and that was sort of an accident given he was an undersized mid-rounder.

[RiverRat13]

There's no great path to an interior pass rush for them. Instead of forcing the issue, I'd rather them bring back Reader and play he and Slaton together on early downs to collapse the opponents' run game and then get creative with Shemar and someone else (perhaps a mid-round pick) moving inside on passing downs. Not ideal as teams can obviously make the Bengals pay by passing more on early downs, but I'd rather do something like that than overdraft a guy. Part of the reason the Bengals are in the mess they are in is drafting for need instead of taking the better player. I think Hill may regain some more of his earlier career pass rushing juice if they limit his snaps against obvious rushing situations, too.

[UKFlounder]

There's no great path to an interior pass rush for them. Instead of forcing the issue, I'd rather them bring back Reader and play he and Slaton together on early downs to collapse the opponents' run game and then get creative with Shemar and someone else (perhaps a mid-round pick) moving inside on passing downs. Not ideal as teams can obviously make the Bengals pay by passing more on early downs, but I'd rather do something like that than overdraft a guy. Part of the reason the Bengals are in the mess they are in is drafting for need instead of taking the better player. I think Hill may regain some more of his earlier career pass rushing juice if they limit his snaps against obvious rushing situations, too.

You expressed my thoughts better than I did. With their usual approach, i think they’ll feel a need to overdraft someone based on positional need. Maybe thats Woods or someone else.

[Rdirtypirates]

Any talk about Trey and where he might land?

Dallas or colts I heard

[Sea Ray]

Dallas or colts I heard

I'm hearing that no team wants to pay his price

[Rdirtypirates]

I'm hearing that no team wants to pay his price

Waiting for price to come down his agent needs fired.

[RiverRat13]

Welp, the linebacker market just thinned out.

[UKFlounder]

Welp, the linebacker market just thinned out.

Its a return to reality today. This is the Bengals we all know.

But hey. Maybe their coaching will develop Carter and Knight into almost average players. That seems to be their hope..

[WrongVerb]

I wonder if the Bengals might trade for a linebacker.

[Boss-Hog]

I wonder if the Bengals might trade for a linebacker.

I don't see why they'd do that when they could have signed any number of solid options without having to give up compensation and did not. Today was a reality check after yesterday's promising start to free agency.

[WrongVerb]

I don't see why they'd do that when they could have signed any number of solid options without having to give up compensation and did not. Today was a reality check after yesterday's promising start to free agency.

Well, trading picks for established players would be better than screwing up the picks at draft time.