ECHornet

I think it’s obvious we didn’t want to get rid of Shaq or CMC this year.

I’m fine with the risk. Throw him out there and if it doesn’t work, you’re likely sitting with a top 5 pick in 2023. Would also be likely to flip Willis for a 2nd/4th/6th a year or two later it he’s not the guy. As we learned the hard way there will be a team desperate enough to take a chance on a 1st round QB still on his rookie contract.

Not a prediction of who will end up best, but pure excitement level list for me… 1. Willis 2. Howell 3. Pickett 4. Ridder 5. Strong 6. Corral 7. Zappe 8. Purdy

Josh Allen didn’t win a damn thing at Wyoming. If he couldn’t elevate his team in the Mountain West, what good is he right? No, I don’t think Howell is anywhere close to Allen, but at least use a stronger argument.

This is a tough decision. IMO, if you don’t have a lengthy contract with a franchise QB, you should never pass an opportunity to select the first QB off the board. Especially if you may be down to the 3rd tackle on your board like some mocks show as a possibility.

Compare Trevor Lawrence’s stats to Howell’s and then re-assess why you believe Howell was underwhelming. Unless, of course, you didn’t think Lawrence was the golden child QB prospect in college.

Yes, both teams getting an equal opportunity is what he wants.

How would you describe the Bengals OL performance yesterday? Looked a lot like us up front.

I can see that argument. I’d counter with one has an already established ceiling in the NFL while the other could be better.

They made it to the Super Bowl with that line. You get there and mission has been accomplished from a team building perspective.

For those who want Mayfield, why not trade back in the first and go after Howell (if he stays lower first Rd projection)? They are very similar. Drafting Howell = acquiring more picks + cheap contract for years Mayfield = trade away more picks + expensive contract

I'm fine with that. Just thinking it over, I don't see the downside with signing him five years to provide stability in the QB room with at minimum a solid backup option. He'd be 32 at the end of that contract. Playing a role in my thought process is I still believe he's a mid to bottom third starter in the league, and we can get him here for cheap. Why not?

Oh no! Winning more games? The horror

It’s 5mil a year for a guy who has proven to be a strong backup QB at minimum. With the expanding cap looming, that’s nothing. Personally, I’d much prefer to lock him up for cheap than deal with PJ/Grier backups.

I vote for Trubisky at 5 years/25 mil. $5 mil would put him in top 10 of backup QBs. We would lock up a strong backup who has potential to be a mid tier starter.

My two appealing considerations for resigning Gilmore… 1. It sounds like his wife wants to be in Charlotte closer to home and he could be attainable for cheaper than he’s worth. 2. He would be an ideal example for our young CBs to learn from in the secondary.

I’m still waiting to see what we do with Gilmore. I’m expecting D Jackson to be a free agent. If we resign Gilmore on a team friendly deal, I would look to move one of our plethora of CBs to FS.

Sign James Daniels in free agency. 24 year old guard with experience at center. 5 years/50 mil. This locks up a guard spot with positional flexibility. Then we can try Elf at center and see if it works through the first third of the 22 season. Im currently undecided between targeting a QB or T in the 1st. Right now I would love to trade back and pick Cross somewhere in the 10-15 range and acquire some day 2 picks. I would be hopeful with a line of Cross-Christensen-Elf-Daniels-Moton QB in 23 and try to sign Trubisky to compete with Darnold in 22 (aka start over Darnold).

Your suggestions would have us trade away our best player while crippling our cap. There aren’t a ton of promising outlooks for 2022. Fortunately, things could change quickly with our cap situation going into 2023 and, if played right this off-season, plenty of draft capital + comp picks.

Error

Give me the young guards in free agency. Connor Williams and James Daniels. Both are 24. Let them grow with Moton, Christensen, and perhaps Deonte Brown. Daniels can also play center. Then we can go BPA in the draft. From pff… Connor Williams: Contract Projection: Three years, $20 million ($6.67M per year, $12.5 million total guaranteed) Bottom Line: Another offensive lineman who took a couple of years to get going, Williams stepped up his game with a top-20 grade in 2020 and he's continued that success in 2021. He's a better run blocker than he is a pass-blocker, and he's a mid-tier starting option with scheme diversity. James Daniels Contract Projection: Five years, $50 million ($10M per year, $24M total guaranteed) Bottom Line: Since 2018, Daniels has been productive at both guard positions. He also has experience at center and will turn 25 just after opening day in 2022. Daniels is an excellent fit for a zone-blocking scheme and has been one of the best pass-blocking guards in the league over the last two seasons. His best football may still be ahead of him.

They don’t call him the punt god for no reason. I’ve seen a video where a team has two returners back to account for his long distance and he still punted it over their head.

I’ll take CMC

Could sign Vander Esch for cheap this off-season.

The pundits are often wrong