I'm satisfied with our free agency

[cincygrad]

Good work. Kept our best FA (Boling) and added a guy that we really missed. Even better, we get a third round comp pick for Michael Johnson (from losing him last year) and only lose one year of him playing.

My only complaints are overpaying for two guys that could easily be replaced - Rey and Nuge.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

Yeah, gotta give credit where it's due. I'll stop bitching for a while

 

[BKBroiler9000]

We also should have enough cap space next season to resign most of our good young players. Assuming we get AJ done, we should be able to keep Zeitler, Iloka and Dre(if he proves worth keeping this season) To me the priority is Zeitler. Gotta keep the line intact.

That said, with the obvious focus being toward 2016 free agency, i feel like we could've still added Fairley or even Terrance Knighton, on a one year deal. Wouldn't have had any effect on next year's cap would it?

 

[futballiscool]

I love the Michael Johnson signing. It helps a weak area of the team. Also since he was cut by the Bucs he won't count against the Bengals 2016 compensatory pick compensation.

Otherwise it was a meh FA period

 

[Cincyfan78]

Not bad overall.

 

[Tubbs1518]

Meh this team isn't any better than the 1 and done playoff teams we have been putting out. We weren't good enough with Johnson before. I don't expect that to change this year.

 

[cincygrad]

Meh this team isn't any better than the 1 and done playoff teams we have been putting out. We weren't good enough with Johnson before. I don't expect that to change this year.

Yeah, but it's hard for me to see how free agency was going to help that problem. Their quarterback was going to be Andy Dalton and their coach was going to be Marvin Lewis no matter who they signed.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

Yeah, but it's hard for me to see how free agency was going to help that problem. Their quarterback was going to be Andy Dalton and their coach was going to be Marvin Lewis no matter who they signed.

This^

 

[Tubbs1518]

Yeah, but it's hard for me to see how free agency was going to help that problem. Their quarterback was going to be Andy Dalton and their coach was going to be Marvin Lewis no matter who they signed.

We needed impact pass rushers. Johnson isn't that. We needed an upgrade at LB that we didn't get. Hardy and Fairley would have both been major improvements and impact players. We could have gotten David Harris who is much better than Rey in the 2 down LB role. we could have made this team much better and didn't.

 

[bengaldoug]

We needed impact pass rushers. Johnson isn't that. We needed an upgrade at LB that we didn't get. Hardy and Fairley would have both been major improvements and impact players. We could have gotten David Harris who is much better than Rey in the 2 down LB role. we could have made this team much better and didn't.[/QUOTE

This can be said every year.

 

[cincygrad]

We needed impact pass rushers. Johnson isn't that. We needed an upgrade at LB that we didn't get. Hardy and Fairley would have both been major improvements and impact players. We could have gotten David Harris who is much better than Rey in the 2 down LB role. we could have made this team much better and didn't.

Hardy is facing suspension. No telling how this year works out for him. I'll take Johnson -- A guy that knows the system and has been a productive player. The last time he was on our line we had a fine pass rush. I was in favor of signing Fairley, but honestly he can't be count on. That's why he did a 1 year deal. Harris wasn't coming here -- He was re-signing or heading to Buffalo with Rex, so that's a moot point.

I could easily point to a number of great FAs and say we should sign them, but that's not how FA works.

 

[Tubbs1518]

Hardy is facing suspension. No telling how this year works out for him. I'll take Johnson -- A guy that knows the system and has been a productive player. The last time he was on our line we had a fine pass rush. I was in favor of signing Fairley, but honestly he can't be count on. That's why he did a 1 year deal. Harris wasn't coming here -- He was re-signing or heading to Buffalo with Rex, so that's a moot point.

I could easily point to a number of great FAs and say we should sign them, but that's not how FA works.

They already said Hardy is likely facing a 1 or 2 game suspension. Johnson has had 1 year over 6 sacks and is averaging 5 a year. He isn't a great pass rusher. Give me Hardy and it isn't even close. For someone who can't be counted on, Fairley had 11.5 sacks in the 2 years before last year. Last year he was just hurt. He is an impact player. If you want to win in this league, you take risks. We take none and we aren't winning. It's pretty simple.

 

[Tubbs1518]

And even if we couldn't get Harris, Brandon Spikes is still available and a much better 2 down LB than Rey as well. Could have also gotten him much cheaper.

 

[bengaldoug]

The best thing that can be said as it relates to the Bengals and free agency has nothing to do with the Bengals. It's that Haloti Ngata left the division, making the Bengals, Steelers and Browns better. The Browns of course negated that by bringing in Josh McCown. Call it addition by rivals' subtraction..............

 

[BKBroiler9000]

I wouldve taken Hardy and Fairley too. We couldve signed both with the money wasted on Rey, Hawk and Nuge.

Hall and Peko should be gone too. That's about 15 mil in cap space right there.

That's not how we do business. We resign marginal players because MB values loyalty over productivity.

Tubbs is right, MJ is not the pass rusher that Greg Hardy is. However, he's a productive all around player, can knock down passes, play the run, and is a high character guy.

I'd rather have MJ back then nothing. Which is what we wouldve ended up with if he didn't sign. We were not signing Greg Hardy. Ever. Not a chance on God's green earth. Hardy will command top dollar once his suspension is figured out. If we didn't sign Nick Fairley to a one year prove it deal, we weren't commiting 5 years for Hardy.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

And even if we couldn't get Harris, Brandon Spikes is still available and a much better 2 down LB than Rey as well. Could have also gotten him much cheaper.

Who says we couldn't still land Spikes? Not like he's gonna land a big deal, and we still need LB help. With Burfict possibly missing the start of the year, either Rey or Hawk will be moving to that spot. We could use a 2 down run stuffer in the middle to fill their spot.

If rather have anybody on earth but Rey Maualuga at linebacker. Or even AJ Hawk for that matter. Marvin loves Rey. He will be here a long as Marv is here. Hawk was the most predictable Bengal signing in recent years. Such as life in Bengaldom.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

We needed impact pass rushers

We needed an upgrade at LB that we didn't get. Hardy and Fairley would have both been major improvements and impact players.

We could have made this team much better and didn't.

Copy and paste for every Bengals offseason ever.

 

[bengaldoug]

Copy and paste for every Bengals offseason ever.

This........

 

[cincygrad]

If Fairley is an impact athlete, why is he signing a 1 year, 5 million dollar deal? Shitty agent?

If Hardy's suspension is no big deal, why isn't he signed?

Several teams were willing to back the truck up for Michael Johnson last year. Was it smart? Probably not (not at what they paid him).... But he was a better prospect on the open market than Fairley and a safer prospect than Hardy. Looks dumb now -- But Hardy and Fairly might as well. Let's see how it plays out.

 

[cincygrad]

Oh, and I'll be here J-Will style.