DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Player News Continued.....

My post wasn't so much to say I agree with you about everything. Just that I understand the reasoning for why you feel as you do. I really don't have an issue with those who are optimistic about the future nor those who are pessimistic.

Some people feel that optimism is all they have to cling to and hope Berry can turn the ship around. I get that.

Some look at it as Berry is the one who got us to where we are now and Berry has given them no cause to give them optimism. I get that too.

And the 2 are not mutually exclusive
I feel Berry is the one who got us to where we are now and Berry has given me no cause to give optimism
But I have no choice but to hope Berry can turn the ship around

I understand that as well. It's like something my dad taught me..... "Hope for the best but be prepared for the worse. That way if the worse happens you won't be so disappointed."

I fully support your view despite my skepticism about Berry. Hope is the best a human can have when the future is dark.

I'm very interested to see how these two deals play out in terms of what CIN will be able to do with building other parts of their team. Their interior line is terrible IMO and their defense (even with Hendrickson) was one of the worst in the NFL. It will be great for Cincy to have their QB/WR combos set up for a next handful of years but wonder how that will dictate decisions elsewhere.

The Bengals fired most of their defensive coaches and their oline
Coach..so it sounds it was the scheme not the players that hindered
The defense last year.
The Bengals offense is so lethal . You don't need a 85 Bears defense
To get to the SB

Yeah... but you need something.

They went 9-8 with Burrow and Chase absolutely going OFF last year. And the few games Chase's statline wasn't ridiculous, it was because Higgins was going off.

Bengals were ranked top ten last year (#9 per quick google search). I thought they'd be top 5 because they did end up finding their running game second half of the season.

Defense ranked 25.

You are correct. You don't, but you need an avg to above avg one. It feels like for the past 3-4 years Joe Burrow and that offense has struggled early on..... and if that continues, the defense might be a liability when it comes down to the end of the season trying to stay healthy and make the playoffs in a tough AFC.

Yeah I agree completely. Their offense was absolutely lethal last year, but how many games did Burrow play absolutely lights out, where the Bengals ended up losing?

Just looked it up: Bengals lost 4 games last year where they scored 33+ points. That's insane.

It goes to show you can have an absolute behemoth of an offense, but still fall prey to losses when your D doesn't get it done.

It's also not about scheme either. Everyone was amazed at how Anarumo was a nobody who had the defense playing at a high level when he first came on board. They lost a significant amount of personnel and then all of a sudden, sucked. It was definitely a talent issue, not a scheme issue.

The salary cap numbers don't matter do they?

As the salary cap increases so do player salaries. That's how it was intended to work. And Jaylen Waddle is nowhere close to the WR that either Chase or Higgins are.

It’s pretty good draft for d-line and o-line depth. Might be able to build back fairly cheap if they hit on their picks this year.

Probably not for long. Hill's contract is over in 2026 and Waddle just signed a rookie contract extension that is supposed to pay him through 2028. At the time it was a very nice extension taking him to $28.25M per year, which was good until a slurry of top WRs started the dominos falling in 2024. Higgins average per year is only $500k more than Waddle. Chase took it to a whole other level, beating #2 Justin Jefferson by $5.25M per year. Although Hill was also 30 when he signed, compared to Chace being 25, so there is that as well.

These contracts keep amazing me.. higher and higher.. I don't know where it will end.

Yikes. I wonder what those salaries and NFL ticket prices are going to be by the time our new stadium is built.

Not sure many in Cleveland would say that he was even above average.

A new Steeler villain.

Ironically enough, right after the Browns tossed him to the trash.

How will we ever replace all those INT's he made as a Brown????


Oh wait two years 22 games played 12 games missed and ZERO INT's I think we found another weak spot in the Steelers D.

But, but, but, he played for the Chiefs, an excellent organization. He won Super Bowls. We need leadership like that on our team.

I find it odd that a team with much more success than the Browns want someone this FO discarded and people act like they're the fools.

Wouldn’t be the first time. Joe Haden went there and a DL we had was signed by them too.

Cam Heyward not digging the Rodgers Drama

I found this kinda amusing.

Unless we hit on a QB in the draft, and that doesn't work by an "insert name here" scenario, how are our options any better?

I have no idea what options the Browns have. I have no idea what they're thinking, who or who not they're considering to sign in the FA market nor who they are considering at the #2 position in the draft. If you have any actual insight to those things please let me know. Actually that Tweet about the Steelers doesn't include all of their options either.

I like that the steelers want to be cheap and still win, until the right guy comes along.

The details of the Tee Higgins contract are very favorable to the Bengals and give them a lot of flexibility.



https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/inside-the-tee-higgins-deal

DAMN I was hoping he resigned with us.

details....