Mock Draft

[MHS831]

5 hours ago, Daddy_Uncle said:

Rhule has pretty much said himself the focus will be more on defense because of free agency moves we have made

He did---and it is a no brainer even if he did not.  We have 1 CB, no DT rotation, and we could really use another pass rusher.  And a S and an LB and....

[ForJimmy]

Unless our staff is in love with Tua...  Our defense has Shaq, Burns, KK, Jackson, Whitehead, and Boston. The rest are depth guys that hopefully play into starters given an opportunity. We need help on defense in a bad way. DT and CB really need another starter.

[pantherj]

To me QB is the top priority. Every other position is secondary. We're not marching to the SB or making the playoffs with this team this season. Drafting a potentially elite QB is more important than being good against the run in the upcoming season. The NFL is set up for passing and top QBs are going to be increasingly more important. 

I think once we have our QB of the future we can focus on all the holes this team has on the roster.

What Rhule is going to do is not what I want. He's going to fill some holes in the roster with this draft, and probably start TB for several seasons.

[WOW!!]

39 minutes ago, pantherj said:

To me QB is the top priority. Every other position is secondary. We're not marching to the SB or making the playoffs with this team this season. Drafting a potentially elite QB is more important than being good against the run in the upcoming season. The NFL is set up for passing and top QBs are going to be increasingly more important. 

I think once we have our QB of the future we can focus on all the holes this team has on the roster.

What Rhule is going to do is not what I want. He's going to fill some holes in the roster with this draft, and probably start TB for several seasons.

All find and dandy if you think one of these guys is a franchise QB... But if there not then you've wasted a  top 10 pick..

[MHS831]

14 hours ago, 4Corners said:

I’m starting to think they just were trying to get rid of cam and the injury was a convenient excuse 

4 corners often speaks his mind, which causes concern for many of us--be he is consistent.  About this point.  I try to take a point someone else makes and instead of instantly refuting it, give it some credibility.  What if he is right?

I disagree that the injuries were not a reason--but to play along---let's say they were not the main reason.  Why would the team want to move away from Cam? 

1. Age:  He is a running QB on the wrong side of 30. 

2. The Locker room.  The new coaches may have wanted control of the locker room and saw Cam as a threat to that.  I doubt that the coaches did not want his leadership, but maybe they wanted a different kind of leader.

3. Marketing.  Maybe this was more about Tepper than Rhule.  Maybe he saw Cam from a different lens before arriving and did not like the branding behind it. 

4. Behind the scenes.  Maybe we do not know what was being said by both sides.  Maybe Instagram and Twitter did not tell the whole story.  Maybe we don't know enough to assign blame.

5.  Contract demands/money.  Cam wanted a financial commitment--a deal to end his career in Carolina in all likelihood.  Extending Cam would cost the team way more money and time than they felt comfortable investing. The Bridgewater deal is easier to escape and does not require such a commitment.  Is it fair to the new coach to force a player on him that he must play?

6. Playing style: Regardless of his health or not, Cam's playing style is dangerous.  His brain will continue to tell his body that he is still 24 and he will continue taking risks with his body in the heat of the battle.  That is simply Cam. This does not take into account what has happened to Cam, but based on his on-field decisions, what might happen based on the instincts of the player. 

7.  Fit. Maybe Cam was not a good fit for the new Brady offense.  Period.

8.  Tepper's ego.  Maybe Tepper wanted to build a team with his own players and not those he bought.  Remember, he was a kid in Pittsburgh in the 1970s when the Steelers were being molded into the greatest dynasty of their time.

9. Race.  I threw this in because it was mentioned so often as an immediate reaction to all who were not firmly-suctioned to Cam's scrotum throughout this process.  Is there evidence that suggests any part of this was racial?  Not based on the 2 QB signings that followed, but perhaps it should be mentioned here to dismiss such a stupid response.

10.  Cam's best interests:  What if they saw this turnaround as one that would hurt Cam's stock. So keeping him on another year, he would be older, more banged up, and more exposed.  I doubt this, but I wanted 10 reasons.

So there are many possible reasons other than injury history that probably (some of these) worked into the equation. 

I say this to put this issue to bed. In all likelihood, Cam will be a Jaguar in a few days/weeks.  My prediction, so we need to start treating him as if he is another team's QB.

[MHS831]

1 hour ago, WOW!! said:

All find and dandy if you think one of these guys is a franchise QB... But if there not then you've wasted a  top 10 pick..

Can't that be said for any QB ever drafted in the top 10?

I get the point---Burrow is off the table, and if he were not, what are his concerns?  We have all seen the one-year wonder--the confident, award winning college QB that flounders at the next level on a bad team.  How successful are top 10 draft picks who were starters for only 1 season in college?

List (going from recent memory):

Cam Newton

Kyler Murray

Dwayne Haskins

Mitch Trubisky

Mark Sanchez

(I am sure there were others, but I cannot recall that they had 1 year of college starting experience)

Based on this list, it is hit or miss--even in the top 10.  SO this is not a home run for the Bengals.

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Tua--His injury history is the issue.  However, drafting a proven leader and accurate thrower on a rookie contract is worth the risk--even if you lose a first rounder to discover he IS injury prone.  There is no other position that is worth that kind of risk--if you miss, you are out a total of about $5m per year for 4 years.  If you hit on it, jackpot.

Herbert---I look at the Oregon QBs of yesteryear and cringe---Akili Smith, Harrington, Dennis Dixon, Kellen Clemmons, etc.  Dan Fouts may be their only great one.  I say this:  Herbert has all the tools.  In the right system, he is a winner. I think the Patriots are going to make a strong play to move up to get him.  Long shot prediction of the week--that and Cam to Jaguars.

[MMA]

2 hours ago, WOW!! said:

All find and dandy if you think one of these guys is a franchise QB... But if there not then you've wasted a  top 10 pick..

You can say that to every single player in this draft

[WOW!!]

4 hours ago, MHS831 said:

Can't that be said for any QB ever drafted in the top 10?

I get the point---Burrow is off the table, and if he were not, what are his concerns?  We have all seen the one-year wonder--the confident, award winning college QB that flounders at the next level on a bad team.  How successful are top 10 draft picks who were starters for only 1 season in college?

List (going from recent memory):

Cam Newton

Kyler Murray

Dwayne Haskins

Mitch Trubisky

Mark Sanchez

(I am sure there were others, but I cannot recall that they had 1 year of college starting experience)

Based on this list, it is hit or miss--even in the top 10.  SO this is not a home run for the Bengals.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tua--His injury history is the issue.  However, drafting a proven leader and accurate thrower on a rookie contract is worth the risk--even if you lose a first rounder to discover he IS injury prone.  There is no other position that is worth that kind of risk--if you miss, you are out a total of about $5m per year for 4 years.  If you hit on it, jackpot.

Herbert---I look at the Oregon QBs of yesteryear and cringe---Akili Smith, Harrington, Dennis Dixon, Kellen Clemmons, etc.  Dan Fouts may be their only great one.  I say this:  Herbert has all the tools.  In the right system, he is a winner. I think the Patriots are going to make a strong play to move up to get him.  Long shot prediction of the week--that and Cam to Jaguars.

I agree but some have better resume then others.. JMO every QB in this draft has a warning signal on their resumes.. There is a thing called a perfect prospect.. Example Andrew Luck..

1. Years of production and tape..

2. Physical and mental attributes.. of course..

3. Intangibles..

4. Situational experiences.. (big game performances, competition faced)

5. A high floor with a big upside.. What this player can be in the future while having a clear identity what he can be/do coming in...

6. Durability/ availability 

Only a few playes in this draft check the boxes..

Again any freak thing can happen but usually if a playe has these things he succeeds...

 

[WOW!!]

3 hours ago, MMA said:

You can say that to every single player in this draft

In different level and contextual factors...

[Madwolf]

15 hours ago, steven8989 said:

Maybe he shouldn't be making dumbass Instagram posts. Ever since he went vegan and started that crap he went downhill.

[MMA]

21 hours ago, ForJimmy said:

Unless our staff is in love with Tua...  Our defense has Shaq, Burns, KK, Jackson, Whitehead, and Boston. The rest are depth guys that hopefully play into starters given an opportunity. We need help on defense in a bad way. DT and CB really need another starter.

Rhule and Marty have addressed both side of the ball evenly. I’m not sure how people see that our offense is fixed. 

[ForJimmy]

24 minutes ago, MMA said:

Rhule and Marty have addressed both side of the ball evenly. I’m not sure how people see that our offense is fixed. 

Rhule was just interviewed saying that “defensive depth” would be a priority in the draft. On offense he replaced the QB, signed 3 WRs (only one is capable of being a starter), signed an experienced TE, traded for a LT, and Signed a guard who was starting experience. So a starting QB (which is pretty significant), a starting WR, a starting TE to compete with Thomas, a starting LT, and possibly a starting guard. The only positions he didn’t change on offense were HB (obviously) FB (the night not use) and C. We signed a safety, retained Boston, signed Whitehead, and a DE who has experience as a rotational player. We lost Luke (our best player on defense), Addison (our best pass rusher), Bradberry (our best CB), Reid (one of our leaders on defense, Irvin (probably our second best pass rusher, Elliott and Cockrell (our nickel/consistent CB), and Poe (our run stuffer who was overrated). I mean it seems clear our defense needs way more help...

[MMA]

26 minutes ago, ForJimmy said:

Rhule was just interviewed saying that “defensive depth” would be a priority in the draft. On offense he replaced the QB, signed 3 WRs (only one is capable of being a starter), signed an experienced TE, traded for a LT, and Signed a guard who was starting experience. So a starting QB (which is pretty significant), a starting WR, a starting TE to compete with Thomas, a starting LT, and possibly a starting guard. The only positions he didn’t change on offense were HB (obviously) FB (the night not use) and C. We signed a safety, retained Boston, signed Whitehead, and a DE who has experience as a rotational player. We lost Luke (our best player on defense), Addison (our best pass rusher), Bradberry (our best CB), Reid (one of our leaders on defense, Irvin (probably our second best pass rusher, Elliott and Cockrell (our nickel/consistent CB), and Poe (our run stuffer who was overrated). I mean it seems clear our defense needs way more help...

Teddy is the starter at QB. Robby Anderson will be the #1 wr. Kirkwood and Roberts are probably fighting for the #4. Miller will probably get the chance to start. Cooper is a ST guy. Ian Thomas’s stats are almost identical to Devalve and Ian has two less seasons. Everybody named above are legitimate bench warmers other than “Teddy, Robby and Miller”. On defense,  we signed Whitehead, Weatherly, Burris and Kerr. All four men will likely be starters. If not, see significant time on the field. That’s 4 to 3. Do you really think that Rhule is coming out and really telling the truth to the world? There are 7 rounds and we got 8 picks. Rhule could go offense with the first 2 picks and the rest on defense. 

[WOW!!]

1 hour ago, MMA said:

Rhule and Marty have addressed both side of the ball evenly. I’m not sure how people see that our offense is fixed. 

No they haven't... 4 Olinemen 4 Wr 1 QB 1 TE acquired  compared  to 2 DE 1 DT 1 safety  1 LB.. That not even close.