Game Thread: NFL 2017 Draft

[Tubbs1518]

O/U on games Ross + Eifert miss this season. I'm starting at 14

 

[alf8478]

O/U on games Ross + Eifert miss this season. I'm starting at 14

I'll take over. 18

 

[ckhokie]

O/U on games Ross + Eifert miss this season. I'm starting at 14

10 for Eifert
5 for Ross due to injury, 2 he just doesn't play in because he may not be Special Teams ready.

17 total

 

[ckhokie]

LOL.

JFC, Cleveland

 

[Be Weary of Query]

Browns just traded back into the 1st round.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

Ross is straight electricity. I love this pick. He makes DBs look stupid. The speed is obvious. But his crisp route running and good hands make him the whole package. He can be an X factor for an offense that needs splash plays. Isn't everyone tired of dinking and dunking our way to red zone to settle for a (missed) FG attempt?

Obviously this pick is a risk. He's had some injuries. But so did pretty much every one of the defensive players on the board. I'll take the risk on a guy that can totally change the way defenses defend this offense.

 

[Gypsumstack]

It's going to be hard to have much of a deep threat when Dalton will be picking turf out of his facemask before he can finish a 3 step drop.

 

[DanBengalfan]

I like the pick. but you're right about dalton not getting much time to throw when we play good defenses.

we finally got our Chris Henry.

was just reading hobs article on it.... I wish people would stop talking about Eifert as if he was actually part of the team. he's always going to be injured.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

Totally acknowledge the offensive line woes. It's the key to the season. I have no doubt they will struggle protection wise.

But Ross isn't just a fly route, chuck it to him deep guy. He runs great routes, and is very good after the catch. Dalton needs guys he can get to ball to quickly. Ross can shake lose on a quick slant or bubble screen and take it to the house.

And yes, Eifert will be hurt. He already is hurt. But whenever he does get on the field, he will have a hell of an opportunity to feast in the middle of the field with defenses having to account for both AJ and Ross outside.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Good pick.

I don't love it, but I don't hate it, either. I guess, though to me, I don't love it because I would have preferred to grab him around 12-15 with a trade, but you have to have a dance partner. They didn't have one, so it is what it is. I honestly thought the pick was going to be Allen once he fell to them.

A couple of thoughts:

I would have preferred them to trade down, but no one wanted to trade up. KC did, but no way the Bengals would have wanted to drop to 27th. Trading back 4-5 spots would have been ideal, as they could have still landed an impact guy, and gotten a player at a better value, but with all that said, when you are picking in the top 10 that guy has to have game changing ability. Ross has that ability with his speed.

He immediately opens up the passing game for Green, Eiffert, and Boyd and also prevents teams from going 8-9 in the box which will help the run game. His ability to get open quickly also means that Dalton can do what he does best, and that is get rid of the ball quickly which will also be needed with the OL issues.

I think the injury thing is a bit over played. He played in 13 of 13 games in 2013, 13 of 14 games in 2014, missed 2015 with the ACL, and played in 14 of 14 games this year, despite the shoulder. Not only that, the ACL clearly is healed up and just fine. Dude broke the combine record, and more impressively than that (to me) is his ability to start, stop, and get back up to full speed again in a short burst. Add that into his ability to change direction, and he's not just a sprinter who is playing WR. He's a WR who has sprinter's speed.

 

[futballiscool]

I think the injury question is legit.

He had reconstructive knee surgery and now shoulder surgery in less than 2 years.

He's fragile but that's part of having the body type to run past any corner in the league. DeSean Jackson hasn't played 16 games since his rookie year.

 

[Cincyfan78]

I think the injury question is legit.

He had reconstructive knee surgery and now shoulder surgery in less than 2 years.

He's fragile but that's part of having the body type to run past any corner in the league. DeSean Jackson hasn't played 16 games since his rookie year.

And here is where I'll differ: It would be one thing if it were chronic issues where he was missing games here and there because of injuries. He didn't. The one thing that kept him from playing was the ACL. Played in all 14 games this past year, even with the shoulder. In all the games his Freshman year, and 12 of 13 his soph year (assuming last game is where he tore his ACL, but I have no clue).

I think it's fair to wonder with his body type, how well he can hold up, and I think it's fair to scrutinize the ACL and shoulder to a point, but the ACL has passed all the tests and he's 2+ years out from that injury. Again, if he had nagging issues, that would be a different story. He doesn't.

To question his durability at 190lbs and at 5'10" (or whatever it is) is fair, but to immediately state (as others have, not specifically you in general) that he's going to miss 4-5-6 games a year because of injuries holds no water. There's no evidence to suggest otherwise.

 

[futballiscool]

To be fair, he didn't have much of a chance to get injured his freshman and sophomore season. He combined for a little over 30 receptions over those 2 years.
I think he's an injury risk but I still love the pick. If he misses games here and there the offense won't run through him. They can survive with AJ and Boyd.

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

Don't like the pick at all. How are we suppose to rush the QB? And we can't stop a pass rush either. Late 90-early 2000 Bengals here we come. Ugh. Fuck this. And fuck you Mike Brown.

 

[cincygrad]

I wonder what will happen with Eifert's contract. His agent would be wise to go to the Bengals and sign something with middle-of-the-road guaranteed money right now. The Bengals would be wise to either not do a deal or have it heavy with incentives. I'm just not sure what team will overpay Eifert next year if he misses significant time again.

 

[DanBengalfan]

I expect Boyd to be getting more snaps than him. he's not going to be given the green like like AJ was, we like to groom our WRs so that they will have more value when they hit the free agent market so we can get comp picks... or some nonsense like that.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Don't like the pick at all. How are we suppose to rush the QB? And we can't stop a pass rush either. Late 90-early 2000 Bengals here we come. Ugh. Fuck this. And fuck you Mike Brown.

Lots of depth on defense in this draft. They can still land a rusher, or two.

In theory, a quick WR who can get open fast, helps the QB and the OL. The less time you have to block the better.

To be honest, there wasn't a DE worth taking at 9. Allen would have been good there, but the Bengals have a few guys at DT they like, including Billings from last years draft, who many thought could have been a 1st (Pro Football Focus had a round 1 grade on him). Even if not a 1st rounder, many believed he would be gone in the 2nd round. Point being, the Bengals may have felt they already have their DT.

Anyway, Ross...I don't love it because I'd would have preferred to trade down to get him, but as I've said all along, you can't trade with no one. Someone has to be willing to do the dance with you, and no other team wanted to move up (Well, KC may have, but the Bengals didn't want to drop to 27th). Considering what his potential brings to the offense is at least intriguing. AJ will see less safety help, Eiffert would get the middle of the field along with Boyd, and the safeties in general will have to keep back or defenses risk any of them getting by their CB/LB with no help on the back end. It also means that safeties can't cheat up to the LOS and crowd the box helping the running game. Again, all in theory.

Was it a Home Run pick? No. I don't even know if there was one of those in the draft for the Bengals at #9, but it was a good pick. Time will only tell how it works out.

 

[JBUCK66]

my 1st glance overview is that we have won the draft

 

[Be Weary of Query]

Day 2 bump

 

[Be Weary of Query]

Y'all ready for Mixon to be the pick?