Reedy's 12 days left - Rosterology

[Cincyfan78]

With 12 days left, projecting the Bengals? 53-man roster | Bengals Blog

 

[CrashDavisSports]

With 12 days left, projecting the Bengals? 53-man roster | Bengals Blog

I agree with all that, but I would really like to keep Charles, so making him the 3rd TE again seems like the best idea. Smith is getting up there in age and all our TE's are decent at blocking, maybe not awesome, but decent, besides, our TE position is going to be used more for catching and opening things up for the WR's now.

Then I would liek to find a way to keep Burkhead somehow without endangering him to practice squad and being taken.

 

[cincygrad]

Spot on.... I like that he mentions our previous failures with having a tight end play fullback. We don't need that again -- I hope Charles sticks around, but at this point he is not necessary. We already have two pass catching tight ends.

I also agree that Boom should be ahead of Rex. Though it's hard to figure how they'll actually be able to dress four tailbacks on Sunday. You'd figure at least one of them would have to be inactive. That means you'd be keeping Boom because he's a better ST player even though he doesn't get to play ST on Sundays.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Spot on.... I like that he mentions are previous failures with having a tight end play fullback. We don't need that again -- I hope Charles sticks around, but at this point he is not necessary. We already have two pass catching tight ends.

I also agree that Boom should be ahead of Rex. Though it's hard to figure how they'll actually be able to dress four tailbacks on Sunday. You'd figure at least one of them would have to be inactive. That means you'd be keeping Boom because he's a better ST player even though he doesn't get to play ST on Sundays.

I do not mind Burkhead being inactive, I just really do not want to lose Burkhead by having to release him to practice squad. He would be gone in a heartbeat I think.

 

[cincygrad]

I do not mind Burkhead being inactive, I just really do not want to lose Burkhead by having to release him to practice squad. He would be gone in a heartbeat I think.

I suppose he could stick on someone's 53.... But he was a 6th round pick for a reason. It's not like he's a can't miss prospect.

 

[Tubbs1518]

I suppose he could stick on someone's 53.... But he was a 6th round pick for a reason. It's not like he's a can't miss prospect.

Again that was because of an injury this past year and his lack of a good 40 time. Nothing else. If put on the practice squad I see very little chance he doesn't get taken.

 

[cincygrad]

Again that was because of an injury this past year and his lack of a good 40 time. Nothing else. If put on the practice squad I see very little chance he doesn't get taken.

Injury has nothing to do with it. If scouts value your talent, they'll overlook it. Hell, Gresham missed his entire senior year and didn't drop out of the first.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Again that was because of an injury this past year and his lack of a good 40 time. Nothing else. If put on the practice squad I see very little chance he doesn't get taken.

McGahee blew his knee up and was still drafted 1st round, right? There are other instances of injured players going despite injuries.

You have to be a bit more objective with him. We all know you like him, but the plain simple fact is, he's not better than Herron. The only reason Herron gets the edge is because he's got more special teams experience. A blocked punt, a near block, and while maybe he doesn't get the stats of tackles on ST, he obviously does well enough as he's earned that spot. Burkhead simply hasn't show enough to make it worth while to lose a key guy on ST.

I would love to have Charles in at H-back, but I have to agree that at this point Conner has to be the choice.

 

[bengaldoug]

Whoever wins between Herron and Burkhead is mostly going to be inactive on Sundays so special teams should have little to do with the decision, unless Peerman gets hurt. It's a good problem to have though, as both Herron and Burkhead have looked good this preseason. There are still two preseason games left so an injury may make the ultimate decision.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

I think they should just do this:

RB BJGE
RB Bernard
RB Peerman
RB Herron
RB Burkhead (make inactive on Sunday's)

TE Gresham
TE Eifert
TE Charles

Do not have any FB's, use Charles as the H-Back if needed and just keep the dang slow ass clogging FB out of the RB's way for the most part so they can find their own lanes to run in, and use Benard more anyways, so he can be a pass catching threat out of the backfield anyways.

Besides, Peerman is a pretty good blocker, he can be a lead blocker if needed from time to time as well. Which would also freeze a LB when Peerman starts to move.

 

[bengaldoug]

Respectfully disagree. Conner has been awesome throughout camp, getting pancakes everywhere. He's obviously healthy now, and is better than Pressley, who is going to be pupped anyway. I think Charles should make the team ahead of Smith, but one of Herron or Burkhead is not going to make the 53, barring injury.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Respectfully disagree. Conner has been awesome throughout camp, getting pancakes everywhere. He's obviously healthy now, and is better than Pressley, who is going to be pupped anyway. I think Charles should make the team ahead of Smith, but one of Herron or Burkhead is not going to make the 53, barring injury.

I am gonna modify what I said above a little bit to analyze it a little bit more. Plus, while I think Conner has been good at FB, a FB is almost a wasted position on this team with an OC who is going to install a lot more two TE sets to utlize the amazing talent we have at TE.



Go with NO FB's, use Charles at H-Back when needed, or even use a Peerman, who is a good blocker, from time to time in the FB / H-Back role. Get these slow clunky FB's out of the way so the HB can find his own running lanes, go with more two TE's sets for running plays. Also, it allows us to get Eifert on the field more, along with Green and Sanu. The more weapons you can have on teh field who can catch a ball, the less "in the box" personnell you are going to have on defense anyways, because you have to be prepared to cover...Green, Sanu, Bernard, Gresham, Eifert, and that will just be impossible to do with slower run stopping LB's and DL.

I do not want to lose Burkhead, as I think he can be a really good ball player, but maybe not ready to crack our active roster because of Peerman and Herron's special teams ability. Plus, I think Charles can be nearly a starting TE in this league if it wasn't for two TE's that were taken in the mid 1st and first at their positions in each draft. Too much talent at TE (never thought I would hear myself utter that phrase).

But with some training at H-Back, and his ability as a TE, he is worth holding on to versus trying to keep around a blocking only TE, who is getting older and has injury problems. Let's go young, let's diversify positions, and let's just pound teams with our youth, enthusiasm and talent.

 

[Cincyfan78]

The problem with using Charles as the 3rd TE is that usually that is reserved for a good blocking TE, which Smith is a very good blocking TE. Charles' struggles at H-back have been with blocking. It doesn't make sense to keep Charles at TE in a role that requires blocking when he's already struggling. Connor has the inside edge here.

The only thing Burkhead has in his favor is that Herror would likely slip through waivers, where Burhead would be more likely to be claimed.

Reedy also said today that he thinks Hamilton will get cut, and they will hope to re-sign him to the PS. He's been far to inconsistant catching the ball to warrant a spot on the 53. Whalen could be another cut, who is brought back when Hawkins' is IR'd with designation to return. Sanzenbacher gets Hawkins' spot.

 

[Cincyfan78]

I am gonna modify what I said above a little bit to analyze it a little bit more. Plus, while I think Conner has been good at FB, a FB is almost a wasted position on this team with an OC who is going to install a lot more two TE sets to utlize the amazing talent we have at TE.



Go with NO FB's, use Charles at H-Back when needed, or even use a Peerman, who is a good blocker, from time to time in the FB / H-Back role. Get these slow clunky FB's out of the way so the HB can find his own running lanes, go with more two TE's sets for running plays. Also, it allows us to get Eifert on the field more, along with Green and Sanu. The more weapons you can have on teh field who can catch a ball, the less "in the box" personnell you are going to have on defense anyways, because you have to be prepared to cover...Green, Sanu, Bernard, Gresham, Eifert, and that will just be impossible to do with slower run stopping LB's and DL.

I do not want to lose Burkhead, as I think he can be a really good ball player, but maybe not ready to crack our active roster because of Peerman and Herron's special teams ability. Plus, I think Charles can be nearly a starting TE in this league if it wasn't for two TE's that were taken in the mid 1st and first at their positions in each draft. Too much talent at TE (never thought I would hear myself utter that phrase).

But with some training at H-Back, and his ability as a TE, he is worth holding on to versus trying to keep around a blocking only TE, who is getting older and has injury problems. Let's go young, let's diversify positions, and let's just pound teams with our youth, enthusiasm and talent.

They did that once in 2010, I think it was when a FB got hurt. It blew up on them big-time, and since then, I think Lewis has been of the mind to have an actual FB on the roster. Charles will either block and unseat Connor, or he'll be cut.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Respectfully disagree. Conner has been awesome throughout camp, getting pancakes everywhere. He's obviously healthy now, and is better than Pressley, who is going to be pupped anyway. I think Charles should make the team ahead of Smith, but one of Herron or Burkhead is not going to make the 53, barring injury.

Also, I just hate throwing away a draft pick we made this year. I just hate it. We may as well have traded up with that pick to get something that would have had a chance to stick on the roster.

Fragel and Johnson I think can be PS away, maybe even Hamilton. But I don't think there is a chance in hell Burkhead makes it to our practice squad at all, more less remain on it most of the year. It would just be throwing a pick away completely. I just think he is too talented, too good of a kid, with too much drive to even survive 24 hours on the waiver list (they have to clear like 72 hours before they can be signed to the practice squad), then at any time during the year they can be plucked from the PS by any other team as long as they plan to put them on their 53 man.

Burkhead will be gone instantly. I think we need to get creative to keep our most talented players, rather than just releasing them so some other team can basically have 3rd round quality players for free.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

They did that once in 2010, I think it was when a FB got hurt. It blew up on them big-time, and since then, I think Lewis has been of the mind to have an actual FB on the roster. Charles will either block and unseat Connor, or he'll be cut.

They didn't use two TE sets with the quality of TE's we have now either. Our TE's sucked back then minus Gresham, as I consider how much better Gresham has gotten at blocking, and worse at catching it seems.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

They did that once in 2010, I think it was when a FB got hurt. It blew up on them big-time, and since then, I think Lewis has been of the mind to have an actual FB on the roster. Charles will either block and unseat Connor, or he'll be cut.

He may not be as talented at FB as Conner, but he is a good TE for the most part. Versatility will go a long ways on this young and hungry team. Charles now has versatility where Conner is a straight up lead blocker on run packages only.

 

[Cincyfan78]

They didn't use two TE sets with the quality of TE's we have now either. Our TE's sucked back then minus Gresham, as I consider how much better Gresham has gotten at blocking, and worse at catching it seems.

Yes, but he's a liability. You can't keep him over another guy who fits the job discription better just because you like him. That's how you end up with a bad roster. Smith is a better TE than Charles. Period. If Charles can't play FB, he'll be cut.

Agreed with cutting a draft pick, but I'm also not going to keep a kid just because I drafted him over another player who has more immediate value. RB's are a dime a dozen in the NFL anymore. If he can't contribute on ST (only way he'll ever be activated) then there's no reason to keep him. If he doesn't clear waivers, sucks, but that is life.

Regardless of who it is, the Bengals have several players that are going to be cut that would normally make this team. That's not exactly a bad thing.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Yes, but he's a liability. You can't keep him over another guy who fits the job discription better just because you like him. That's how you end up with a bad roster. Smith is a better TE than Charles. Period. If Charles can't play FB, he'll be cut.

Agreed with cutting a draft pick, but I'm also not going to keep a kid just because I drafted him over another player who has more immediate value. RB's are a dime a dozen in the NFL anymore. If he can't contribute on ST (only way he'll ever be activated) then there's no reason to keep him. If he doesn't clear waivers, sucks, but that is life.

Regardless of who it is, the Bengals have several players that are going to be cut that would normally make this team. That's not exactly a bad thing.

He is a good special teams guy from all accounts too. Maybe not "quite" as good as Herron there, but good.

I am getting closer to the point the more I argue this....

Just go..

BJGE, Bernard, Herron, Burkhead.....and cut Peerman.

 

[vancelot23]

I'd keep Burkhead over Herron, and probably over Peerman. If it's 4, I'm keeping Gio, BJGE, Peerman, Burkhead.