The more things change...

[Cincyfan78]

Alexander left, and at the end of last season guys like Westerman got shots to show what they could do with this horrid line.

The right side of the line has continued to be putrid, and yet Westerman can't get a crack at running with the 1's.

Per PFF:

Westerman has allowed 0 pressures in pass pro, and ranks 6th among all OL in the NFL this pre-season grading out at 83.7 in the RUNNING GAME.

He has been the Bengals highest graded OL this pre-season, and it's not even been close.

Yet he can't get a sniff?

The more things change......

 

[BKBroiler9000]

Pretty baffling. But keep in mind this is the same franchise that let Andrew Whitworth go to LA with Cedric Ogbuehi as his replacement...

Safe to say this organization may just not be very good at evaluating the OL positions.

It’s pretty pathetic that we are going into Week 1 with Trey Hopkins and Bobby Hart as the starters on the right side of the line. You get what you pay for.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Pretty baffling. But keep in mind this is the same franchise that let Andrew Whitworth go to LA with Cedric Ogbuehi as his replacement...

Safe to say this organization may just not be very good at evaluating the OL positions.

It’s pretty pathetic that we are going into Week 1 with Trey Hopkins and Bobby Hart as the starters on the right side of the line. You get what you pay for.

I'll say this...I can make a case for letting Big Whit go, but it only involves signing Zeitler. The fact that they let BOTH go is beyond baffling.

You sign one, or the other. Make your pick. I'd go with Z, only because of age, but I wouldn't argue leaning towards Whit, either. But you had to get ONE of those guys back.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

I'll say this...I can make a case for letting Big Whit go, but it only involves signing Zeitler. The fact that they let BOTH go is beyond baffling.

You sign one, or the other. Make your pick. I'd go with Z, only because of age, but I wouldn't argue leaning towards Whit, either. But you had to get ONE of those guys back.

The guard position isn’t a premium position according to Bengals front office.

One of the many Brown family philosophies that have contributed to zero playoff wins since the year I was born.

Keep in mind, the Steelers, an actual winning franchise, paid their 1st round guard from the same draft. The same Steelers that Hobs loves to remind everyone every offseason who don’t pay free agents.

 

[cincygrad]

The guard position isn’t a premium position according to Bengals front office.

One of the many Brown family philosophies that have contributed to zero playoff wins since the year I was born.

Keep in mind, the Steelers, an actual winning franchise, paid their 1st round guard from the same draft. The same Steelers that Hobs loves to remind everyone every offseason who don’t pay free agents.

The Bengals and Hobs are hilarious. How can a team that hasn't won a playoff game since George Bush Sr. was president have a meaningful 'philosophy' about anything? I love when Hobs rolls out little tidbits like the Bengals don't pay guards or the Bengals don't draft safeties in the first round. The damn franchise is pretty much defined by failing after letting go of all-pro guards....Montoya walked - The line fell apart. Steinbeck walked and the offense regressed. Zeitler walked and the offense regressed. How about changing the philosophy?

 

[BKBroiler9000]

The Bengals and Hobs are hilarious. How can a team that hasn't won a playoff game since George Bush Sr. was president have a meaningful 'philosophy' about anything? I love when Hobs rolls out little tidbits like the Bengals don't pay guards or the Bengals don't draft safeties in the first round. The damn franchise is pretty much defined by failing after letting go of all-pro guards....Montoya walked - The line fell apart. Steinbeck walked and the offense regressed. Zeitler walked and the offense regressed. How about changing the philosophy?

It’s quite humorous. Another one that tickles me is when they keep underachieving veterans (cough Michael Johnson) with bad cap numbers around. The thinking behind this is players are more likely to re-sign for cheap because they’ll see the end of their contract. Other teams restructure deals to create cap space to improve the team.

It’s gonna be great when they don’t keep Dennard and WJ3 because they overpaid Dre Kirk to give up 100 penalty yards a game.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

It’s quite humorous. Another one that tickles me is when they keep underachieving veterans (cough Michael Johnson) with bad cap numbers around. The thinking behind this is players are more likely to re-sign for cheap because they’ll see the end of their contract. Other teams restructure deals to create cap space to improve the team.

It’s gonna be great when they don’t keep Dennard and WJ3 because they overpaid Dre Kirk to give up 100 penalty yards a game.

Well, WJ3 is not due to become a FA for a few more years as a first round pick. Kirkpatrick only has 4 years left on his deal. I can imagine they will cut ties with Kirkpatrick when the time comes to keep WJ3.

Dennard on the other hand, he had the misfortune of being eligible for FA at the same time as Atkins and Dunlap.

I think AJ Green is up for FA after next year. You can't pay everyone. However, I can see them letting Eifert walk after this year, I can see Obuehi being let go. I can see maybe even Burfict being let go even though he is a dynamic player. He spends so much time on the suspended list you have to wonder if it is worth it, especially now that we have a couple LB's to work with.

4 players we need to work hard on before next offseason:

Atkins
Dunlap
Dennard
Preston Brown

 

[cincygrad]

Either Atkins or Dunlap need to be done by this week or we're losing at least one and possibly both.

Both players have signed fair deals the year before free agency in the past and I'm assuming they would both be willing to do it again. But, obviously the numbers aren't quite there yet or the deal would have been made. Hobs put out Labor day as the deadline. Couple days left.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

I can’t wait to hear the excuses when these cheap fucks let one of Geno or Dunlap walk.

Gotta roll over that cap space to sign blah blah blah next offseason. Until they don’t. Rinse repeat.

With the franchise tag, I’d reckon they’ll keep one of them even if no deals are reached by this weekend. But the Bengals haven’t used the tag in a few years. So no guarantees.

 

[cincygrad]

I can’t wait to hear the excuses when these cheap fucks let one of Geno or Dunlap walk.

Gotta roll over that cap space to sign blah blah blah next offseason. Until they don’t. Rinse repeat.

With the franchise tag, I’d reckon they’ll keep one of them even if no deals are reached by this weekend. But the Bengals haven’t used the tag in a few years. So no guarantees.

The story will be an obvious one.... They will move on because Lawson and Billings are actually good and they need all the money they can save to sign AJ Green. You know this storyline is coming.

 

[Cincyfan78]

I can see them letting Dunlap walk. They have more depth at that position than at DT.

Billings is not an Atkins replacement. He is meant to be an aid...playing next to Atkins. This team does not have a viable replacement for Atkins.

If it comes down to it, if you can only have one....I go Atkins.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Sign Atkins, tag Dunlap. Spend the following off season trying to renew Dunlap and Green.

 

[Cincyfan78]

Sign Atkins, tag Dunlap. Spend the following off season trying to renew Dunlap and Green.

Would you rather tag Dunlap or re-sign Brown?

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Would you rather tag Dunlap or re-sign Brown?

I would rather tag Dunlap see if you can't work out a contract with Brown in season or after season. He wants to be here, he is going to give Cincinnati every opportunity to match or retain his services.

 

[cincygrad]

Well, well, well.... How about sign them both! Good work by the Bengals.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Well, well, well.... How about sign them both! Good work by the Bengals.

Very good work indeed. And while they are big annual contracts, it doesn't look like either will hurt us long term, and even looks like both accepted fair market value rather than gouging the front office.

 

[BKBroiler9000]

Gotta give an atta boy to Mike, Katie and Duke. They needed to get this done. And they pulled it off. The core of the defense will remain intact for the rest of their primes.

 

[DanBengalfan]

Mike Brown must be losing control to his kids, this is a bit out of character not to let at least one of them go.