ESPN gives us a....

[Tubbs1518]

Lol I post 100 times more facts than you that I back up. And I have never been "butt hurt" by anything on this board. I argue with my brother all the time. In fact we rarely agree about the Bengals.

 

[bengaldoug]

 

[vancelot23]

Most everybody (sans this board) gives the Bengals a good grade for FA. Heavy spending in FA is not an automatic recipe for success (Redskins, Eagles). We have a good young team, brought back the important FAs, signed guys that upgraded the really bad positions (except S). I'm good with it.

 

[flamingrey]

From a high level view, it'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.

Therefore, I just cannot put stock into the opinion of someone whose job it is to follow multiple teams and gives grades with limited knowledge/information.

 

[vancelot23]

Not just people who follow multiple teams, but ok. We don't need MAJOR upgrades in the secondary either. We need a new S, but Hall, Clements, Pacman, Allen, plus a rookie (probably early round) at CB is fine. Rucker and Fanene were replaced, very well if Okoye signs. No loss there.

 

[futballiscool]

Most everybody (sans this board) gives the Bengals a good grade for FA. Heavy spending in FA is not an automatic recipe for success (Redskins, Eagles). We have a good young team, brought back the important FAs, signed guys that upgraded the really bad positions (except S). I'm good with it.

I'm not sure we have a good young team. I think we have a young team that went 3-6 in their last 9 games... Went 0-8 against playoff teams.. Lost by three TDs in the playoffs to another team's rookie QB

it's a young average team in my opinion. the way to get "good" would have been adding legitimate upgrades in FA..

some of the other financially conservative franchises (Buffalo, TB)even decided to spend money this offseason...

so... most cap space in the NFL and no (what i consider to be) upgrades is a bad offseason imo..

 

[flamingrey]

We still need a #2 CB. Clements, Pacman, and Allen are all nickels on an above average defense...unless of course you have Baltimore's or Pittsburgh's front 7, which we don't, nor probably ever will.

 

[vancelot23]

All three of those are above average and can start. Clements WILL start, and if you thought otherwise, you deserve the disappointment.

 

[vancelot23]

I'm not sure we have a good young team. I think we have a young team that went 3-6 in their last 9 games... Went 0-8 against playoff teams.. Lost by three TDs in the playoffs to another team's rookie QB

it's a young average team in my opinion. the way to get "good" would have been adding legitimate upgrades in FA..

some of the other financially conservative franchises (Buffalo, TB)even decided to spend money this offseason...

so... most cap space in the NFL and no (what i consider to be) upgrades is a bad offseason imo..

It's a good young team that struggled offensively at times with a rookie QB, a rookie WR, and a shitty RB.

 

[flamingrey]

All three of those are above average and can start. Clements WILL start, and if you thought otherwise, you deserve the disappointment.

Of course I thought he'd start. It's the Bengals. Never even suggested otherwise.

Btw, LOL @ "above average".

 

[flamingrey]

I'm not sure we have a good young team. I think we have a young team that went 3-6 in their last 9 games... Went 0-8 against playoff teams.. Lost by three TDs in the playoffs to another team's rookie QB

it's a young average team in my opinion. the way to get "good" would have been adding legitimate upgrades in FA..

some of the other financially conservative franchises (Buffalo, TB)even decided to spend money this offseason...

so... most cap space in the NFL and no (what i consider to be) upgrades is a bad offseason imo..

Spot on!

 

[cincygrad]

Not just people who follow multiple teams, but ok. We don't need MAJOR upgrades in the secondary either. We need a new S, but Hall, Clements, Pacman, Allen, plus a rookie (probably early round) at CB is fine. Rucker and Fanene were replaced, very well if Okoye signs. No loss there.

What??? We don't need major upgrades in the secondary? Our top corner will likely not play the beginning of the season and if he does its not likely he'll be in top form. Our other corners are a guy that was very good but past his prime (Clements), never very good (Allen), and never lived up to the hype (Jones). We have one average safety (Nelson). The defensive backfield is a serious weakness.

 

[vancelot23]

Safety is a serious weakness, at least Crocker's spot. Allen is better than people think, if used right. Jones played very well last year. Clements is solid. An upgrade wouldn't be bad but it doesn't need "major" upgrades.

 

[DanBengalfan]

I already consider Hall out for the season.

The Bengals staff will rush him back and he'll get hurt again.

He'll be back in 2013, but he really won't be as good as he was before. We need to draft our CB tandem this year and/or the next.

 

[cincygrad]

Safety is a serious weakness, at least Crocker's spot. Allen is better than people think, if used right. Jones played very well last year. Clements is solid. An upgrade wouldn't be bad but it doesn't need "major" upgrades.

Not to belabor the point, but I disagree with your assessment of the corners. Allen was a first round bust and a third corner with the Texans. Nothing 'above average' with being a third corner. PacMan struggled at times last year and cost us the 1st game against the Texans and then gave up the biggest play in the 2nd game against the Texans. He was also injured for a chunk of games. Nobody else wanted him in FA. I'd hardly call him above average. Clements is a good corner, but he's getting old. I hope we draft someone in the first round.

 

[cincygrad]

I'll also add that we played some bad quarterbacks last year which probably didn't expose our guys as much as they should have been. This year we have to face better passing teams.