ESPN gives us a....

[Tubbs1518]

B rating for Free Agency.

AFC North free-agency assessment - AFC North Blog - ESPN

 

[vancelot23]

I said B on Twitter yesterday when asked. I said B+ if we sign Okoye and Lawson back. We got Lawson, just need Okoye.

 

[Tubbs1518]

Yeah, sounds about right. There are still some players out there I would like to pick up but we have had a pretty productive offseason.

 

[vancelot23]

Don't tell people around here that. Apparently Fanene and Rucker are hall of famers and we signed a bunch of paraplegics.

 

[Tubbs1518]

I'd personally like to pick up Okoye and Sammie Lee Hill at DT. I'd like to look at Melvin Bullet and Reggie Smith at S. William Middleton and Justin King at CB. David Hawthorne, DeAndre Levy, Chase Blackburn and Jonathan Goff at ILB. Jake Scott and Vernon Carey at OG. Visanthe Shianco and Dallas Clark at TE. Ryan Grant, Joseph Addai, LT, and Justin Forsett at RB. Plaxico Burress, Jerricho Cotchery, Legedu Naanee, and Patrick Turner at WR. Aaron Maybin at DE/OLB.

 

[vancelot23]

No Plaxico

 

[cincygrad]

I said B on Twitter yesterday when asked. I said B+ if we sign Okoye and Lawson back. We got Lawson, just need Okoye.

You said C earlier this week. Did you take some happy pills?

I'm at a C-plus. The moves we did make were solid and we probably gained as much as we lost. I just don't think we made the team significantly better and don't think we are any more of a threat to make a run deep into the playoffs. With our cap situation, we were in a unique situation to make a push and we didn't do it.

 

[bengaldoug]

I said C+ earlier this week, and I haven't seen anything since to change that assessment.....ok, could have been better considering our cap situation......

 

[vancelot23]

I Did say C+ earlier, but re-evaluated after looking at everything for an article I wrote. Upgrade a G and RB, Sims Nelson and Lawson back, Jason Allen is an upgrade over the FA CB we havent signed whose name escapes me. Kept Nugent.

 

[flamingrey]

Don't tell people around here that. Apparently Fanene and Rucker are hall of famers and we signed a bunch of paraplegics.

Coming from the guy who went from C+, down to D, and now you're up to a B.

 

[flamingrey]

As for ESPN's grade:

From a high level view, that's an easy answer. Technically, yes we made upgrades at G and RB. We haven't lost anyone yet in the secondary, but added more players. We've "only" lost 1.5 backups on the d-line (Rucker as the half). Looks great.

But looking at a more in-depth view of our needs and their magnitude relative to the rest of the offense and defense, they failed. Whereas we needed major upgrades in the secondary and the o-line, we made minor ones - though I wouldn't even consider the secondary an upgrade per se. RB could have been even MORE improved for a small additional amount. And while we only lost backups on the d-line (the strength of the defense) our strength was in our depth and versatility - both things we lost.

Fail.

 

[Servo]

I'm counting the two personnel guys as part of FA so with that in mind I give them a B-. Add Akoye and my grade will go up to a B. Really, we all knew that the draft was going to be the most significant part of the offseason...if that goes well the offseason as a whole will be a success.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Guard was upgraded. We all knew the Bengals weren't going to splurge on Nicks and pay big money to a lineman. It's still to be seen if they take another guard in the draft.

CB was addressed. It is an upgrade. Granted, when you are starting from the bottom of the barrel, anything is bound to be an upgrade, but the defense wasn't horrendous last year, even after hall went down, they played pretty well. Allen will be a solid #3 press CB, and add more depth. Same with Jones, who is suited for the nickle/dime role much more than being a starter, as he was pressed into action last year. Really, I felt the play of the safeties lead to more issues down the stretch than the play of the CB's.

BJGE is an upgrade at RB.


The only thing that I think would have been better would have been to see the Bengals go after, and sign, a solid WR to be that #2 guy. However, with the additions to CB in F/A, there's a chance they Bengals could select a WR with any of their first 3 picks along with an additonal Guard instead of looking at an early round CB.

But, since we don't know how the draft will yet play out....with the upgrades that they made, and the real impact re-signings: Lawson and Nelson (though, not really to me) the Bengals are in a solid C+ to B- area right now.

 

[bengaldoug]

"Really, I felt the play of the safeties lead to more issues down the stretch than the play of the CB's."

This.......they must find a way to get Chris Crocker off the field, no matter what.....

 

[vancelot23]

Don't mind Flaming. He's just crying still that we didn't sign Bush.

 

[vancelot23]

I only said D because I was ticked about Newman an the possibility that Hall might not be back in time. I had said C+ and after looking at it, slightly upped it to B

 

[bengaldoug]

Imho, re-signing Lawson, Nelson, Jones, and Sims only deserves a C, since they lost Fanene and Rucker and once again imho replaced them poorly with Anderson and Harvey.....now you add BJGE, Allen, and Wharton and let Livings and McGlynn leave and you're moving into the C+/B- area.....they could have gotten an A if they had signed Nicks, Grubbs, or one of the top DBs available, but we all know that just isn't how we roll......

 

[kramer1]

I see a good 4 or 5 wins in 2012. Catch the Fever!

 

[CrashDavisSports]

I see a good 4 or 5 wins in 2012. Catch the Fever!

Love the reverse psychology man. Keep up the good work man.

 

[bengaldoug]

I see a good 4 or 5 wins in 2012. Catch the Fever!

McGlynn's gone, Livings is gone, if they can get rid of Crocker:


SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


LOL....