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

[WrongVerb]

I'm kinda expecting a trade back if all the top defensive players are off the board. I like the idea of getting Sadiq or Faulk around 15-20.

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The only guy designated as a top player that I'm leery of is McCoy, because of the injury risk.

[Redhook]

I'm kinda expecting a trade back if all the top defensive players are off the board. I like the idea of getting Sadiq or Faulk around 15-20.

The only guy designated as a top player that I'm leery of is McCoy, because of the injury risk.

Trading back would be ideal this year, but it seems unlikely that there will be a player available at #10 that's worth trading up for.

I'm leery of McCoy too, but he seems like the exact type of player the Bengals love to draft. "Let's outsmart everyone with this guy!". I'd be fine with Delane at #10 if all of the other studs are gone.

[Redhook]

While the Bengals got off to a solid start in free agency, it stalled and has been very disappointing since Day 1 although I'm happy Flacco is back. They desperately need a linebacker and it's just mind bogging (par for the course) that they haven't signed a vet yet. With a terrible pass rush and terrible linebackers, the corners and safeties are set up to fail.

[dfs]

We have OSU fans on here, I am curious if they think Sonny Styles is a top ten pick. I am a huge fan of Ohio state, he has been a linebacker for two years and really hasn’t been overly impressive in my eyes. Zero chance an average LB imo should go in the top ten.

The consensus is that Syles will be gone by the time the Bengals pick.
The reason he's so high on my list is because the Bengals so desperately need LB's who can play.

Trading back would be ideal this year, but it seems unlikely that there will be a player available at #10 that's worth trading up for.

An NFC contender that needs offense is likely their best hope. If there's a run on defensive players and somehow Love and Tate are available at 11, I could see the Vikings, Bears or Rams willing to trade up.

[Redhook]

An NFC contender that needs offense is likely their best hope. If there's a run on defensive players and somehow Love and Tate are available at 11, I could see the Vikings, Bears or Rams willing to trade up.

Right. I could definitely see someone trading up for Love if he was year, but not Tate.

[Redhook]

Last year, the only player I didn't want the Bengals to draft in the first round was Stewart. This year, it's McCoy and Faulk. There's no way I'd draft McCoy at #10 coming off a major injury and missing a season. And, Faulk looks like Stewart 2.0.

[RiverRat13]

Last year, the only player I didn't want the Bengals to draft in the first round was Stewart. This year, it's McCoy and Faulk. There's no way I'd draft McCoy at #10 coming off a major injury and missing a season. And, Faulk looks like Stewart 2.0.

By most accounts Faulk would be good against the run, which would be an improvement over Stewart who was terrible at everything last year. It sounds like Faulk would have a Sam Hubbard comp, which is obviously a useful player but not a profile you'd take at #10.

[Kingspoint]

I made one trade in a simulator trading the #10 for four picks of the Eagles and got this...

[dfs]

If Love and Tate are still there and all of the good defensive targets are off the board (Reese, Bailey, Bain, Styles, Downs, Delane and maybe McCoy) then a trade like that seems like a no brainer. The eagles, bears, vikings and dolphins all have surplus picks where the Bengals could get a 1,2 and a 4 for that #10 pick.

I doubt the Bengals would DO that because they are the Bengals, but in my world it seems like a better solution than paying a running back you don't really need.

(I've been playing with MockDraftHero, but all the simulators use the same gas.)

[Kingspoint]

If Love and Tate are still there and all of the good defensive targets are off the board (Reese, Bailey, Bain, Styles, Downs, Delane and maybe McCoy) then a trade like that seems like a no brainer. The eagles, bears, vikings and dolphins all have surplus picks where the Bengals could get a 1,2 and a 4 for that #10 pick.

I doubt the Bengals would DO that because they are the Bengals, but in my world it seems like a better solution than paying a running back you don't really need.

(I've been playing with MockDraftHero, but all the simulators use the same gas.)

The Center I wanted was taken 40th, right before my 41st pick. I really like the choices from #35-#100. Would love to have four picks from that group. If you notice, I pretty much stayed with Major schools in Major conferences. Don't like players who look good from poor competition. Even now, you have to be wary as Michigan didn't exactly play much of anyone last season....at least not often enough to make good judgements on players. I stayed away from Michigan players.

And, yes. It's a pipedream believing that our de facto G.M. would do anything reasonable, like seek a trade down from #10 to pick up multiple picks in the area I'm speaking about plus a lower 1st round pick to boot.

[dfs]

Yeah they've got 4 draft choices that might contribute next year and then another 4 in rounds 6 and 7 to do developmental flyers with but they need so much.

Help at Linebacker
Slot Corner
Edge Rotation
DL Rotation
Swing Tackle
New Center/Guard Depth
A real TE that can block and catch and isn't hurt.

plus it wouldn't hurt them to take a flyer on a slot WR and a QB.

They simply can't do all that with the picks they have. They don't have to use all of the first four picks on defensive players, but they have to hit on the swings they take. They just can't afford another Stewart or Murphy that might be a good player in 3 years. The future is now.

[Kingspoint]

Yeah they've got 4 draft choices that might contribute next year and then another 4 in rounds 6 and 7 to do developmental flyers with but they need so much.

Help at Linebacker
Slot Corner
Edge Rotation
DL Rotation
Swing Tackle
New Center/Guard Depth
A real TE that can block and catch and isn't hurt.

plus it wouldn't hurt them to take a flyer on a slot WR and a QB.

They simply can't do all that with the picks they have. They don't have to use all of the first four picks on defensive players, but they have to hit on the swings they take. They just can't afford another Stewart or Murphy that might be a good player in 3 years. The future is now.

Any G.M. with half a brain would recognize this and do whatever it takes to trade down from #10, even if it takes three trade-downs to do it, in order to acquire a 1st Round pick in the low to mid 20's plus two or three additional picks from 35-100 to make attempts at filling the needs you listed, improve the competition on Special Teams, and to keep enough lower cost players with upside on the squad to counter the exorbitant contracts of Burrow/Chase/Higgins.

I'd manipulate contracts in order to offer Joe Bittonio a contract he can't refuse.

[WVRed]

Couple of signings:

JaSir Taylor
Kyle Dugger

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[Kingspoint]

Couple of signings:

JaSir Taylor
Kyle Dugger

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

That's some pretty poor coverage there.

There's some real quality Free Agents there and they bring in this crap.

Tobin continues to go unchecked and be held unaccountable.

[Redsfaithful]

Dugger had a pick six against us and Tobin mostly scouts by watching Bengals games I think.