2024 Bengals: What Can Brown Do For You?

Rudy's Curve

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The Bengals enter the offseason off a very disappointing 9-8 year for a team who had Super Bowl aspirations, but also a lot of optimism given Burrow was only fully healthy for five games and the coaching staff took a big step forward making Jake Browning a serviceable option. While they lost OC Brian Callahan, I'm excited to see QB coach Dan Pitcher fill that role and they brought in two outside voices (which were needed in my opinion) in pass game coordinator Justin Rascati and consultant Jordan Salkin. That being said, there are still a number of things they need to shore up to be playing deep into January and February again. Most importantly, Burrow expects to be full-go by May which should eliminate any concern despite what doctors on Twitter looking to sell things said. Hopefully, he can finally have a normal offseason and camp as he's dealt with something every year (2020 rookie QB during virtual offseason, 2021 ACL rehab, 2022 appendicitis in camp, 2023 severe calf strain in camp).

As expected, Tee Higgins was franchised. While a trade is probably best for the long term, I don't expect it to happen given the very deep receiver class and the Bengals' traditionally lofty return expectations. An extension is possible, but they don't have the best relationship with his agent David Mulugheta and it will require more guarantees than they've been willing to shell out for players of his caliber. I'd say the most likely option is him playing out the year and the team reassessing at that point. Even though Ja'Marr Chase is now eligible for an extension, I don't think it'll happen this offseason given Jefferson/Lamb/Aiyuk are still up from the class before - the only first-round WR since the 2011 CBA to sign an extension before their fourth year was Tavon Austin, and he wasn't particularly good. The only possible extension is Evan McPherson, as the rest of the 2021 class has not been worthy.

The big offensive decisions are at RB, TE and RT. Joe Mixon still has something left, but he lacks explosion and is due a higher cash and cap number than they may be willing to pay. We'll find out soon as he has a $3 million roster bonus due a week into the new league year. Regardless, fifth-rounder Chase Brown needs around 50% of the touches as he brings a dimension not seen in this offense since early Giovani Bernard. I would expect them to bring back Drew Sample and Tanner Hudson at TE, as Sample is an excellent blocker who found a role in the backfield as a pass protector and Hudson gave them a receiving dimension where Irv Smith sorely failed. Neither are full-time starters though, meaning they have to spend resources there after going bargain basement shopping the last two years. Brock Bowers is probably a pipe dream at 18, so they're going to need a legitimate vet (Noah Fant?) combined with a mid-round pick to turn this into an area of strength. Jonah Williams looks to have priced himself out of their range and I'd say OT is where they likely go at 18 at this point given the depth of the class there.

The biggest reason for the fall-off last year was the DL went from a strength to a giant weakness. Trey Hendrickson is an elite pass rusher, but they had no one to complement him and the lack of depth was really exposed against the run. The hope is first-rounder Myles Murphy takes a second-year leap while Joseph Ossai rebounds from rehabbing and dealing with injuries last year. Sam Hubbard is a good player and a great edge-setter when he's healthy (which he wasn't last year), but he just doesn't have the bend of the good pass rushers and needs to either kick inside or be off the field in passing situations. I would expect them to sign at least two legitimate DTs, as they badly need bodies there and haven't been able to replicate the pass rush they lost from Larry Ogunjobi a couple years ago. I'd also like to see them bring back DJ Reader, who was a top nose tackle before suffering a second severe quad injury in December - he may need to start on PUP, but they could certainly use him when he gets healthy. A first-round DT could also very well be in play if Jer'Zhan Newton and/or Byron Murphy are available.

Another huge reason for the defensive collapse was the repeated breakdowns in the secondary. Free agent Nick Scott was a bust and 2022 first-rounder Dax Hill really struggled in the deep safety role vacated by Jessie Bates. I wouldn't be surprised if they signed a more traditional FS in a deep market which would allow Hill to better use his talents covering tight ends and around the line of scrimmage. They're also thin at outside CB - Cam Taylor-Britt is certainly a starter but beyond that second-rounder DJ Turner struggled after a hot start and Chidobe Awuzie heads to free agency. I'd expect them to sign one (Buffalo's Dane Jackson and Carolina's Donte Jackson are possible fits) while Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold may be possibilities at 18.

It's obvious to say, but shoring up these weaknesses and a healthy Burrow could have them right back in the AFC Championship game as they face a last-place schedule and six new coaches outside the division. In the division, Baltimore lost a ton of coaches/will lose some key personnel (Zeitler, Queen, Stone) and I just can't see how they replicate the defensive success under a new coordinator they had with street vets while Cleveland and Pittsburgh have QB issues. If narratives are more your thing, there are quite a few connections to Louisiana and the Superdome where the Super Bowl will be next year.
 
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Dogman

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Your work with the Bengals thread every year makes this board a better place and it is sincerely appreciated.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Your work with the Bengals thread every year makes this board a better place and it is sincerely appreciated.
100 percent. I’ve enjoyed following, and in some cases rooting for, the Bengals from afar the past several years. Thanks for keeping your much more well-informed torch aflame.
 

Rudy's Curve

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Your work with the Bengals thread every year makes this board a better place and it is sincerely appreciated.
100 percent. I’ve enjoyed following, and in some cases rooting for, the Bengals from afar the past several years. Thanks for keeping your much more well-informed torch aflame.
Thank you guys - I certainly appreciate it. While they haven't won it yet, it's nice to know they definitely can as opposed to the early-middle Dalton years where they had a great roster but were badly held back by the QB/HC (my god, Dalton's playoff numbers are just astoundingly bad every time I look). This is a really important offseason though, as Burrow and Chase's cap hits will rise significantly next year. They also need to just generally hit more in the draft - their best Day 3 selections the last decade were McPherson (a kicker, albeit a really good one) and CJ Uzomah (a decent player who made a nice career for himself, but nothing more). While it certainly helped to have AJ Green, a big reason they went to five straight playoffs with Dalton was the guys they found on Day 3 - Geno Atkins, Clint Boling, Marvin Jones and George Iloka were all really good players. As much as I've complained about Zac's play-calling sometimes, he's built a great culture that will give them a chance to have sustained success. Unfortunately, Baltimore and Pittsburgh are never going to be consistently bad and although the Watson trade/contract is a disaster, the Browns have been competitive (and certainly given the Bengals fits) recently.

They're a boring organization as a family-run business who are poor by NFL standards, but they've become more modern the last few years coinciding with Burrow's arrival. I'm always open to talk about the team if anyone has any questions and hopefully they can finally get one this year.
 

Rudy's Curve

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His agency and their philosophy just do not mix. It's a shame since I think they could've done a small extension (years-wise) that only ends up with slightly more guaranteed than he'd make on the tag this year anyways. They should trade him because it's been the best thing for the organization since last year, but by golly you are just not going to move Mike Brown with words. Jonah Williams requested a trade last year after being moved to RT and they told him to kick rocks. Jessie Bates' contract situation hung in the air for two years. Hell, he wouldn't satisfy Carson Palmer's trade demands sitting at home until Al Davis died and he could scam Hue Jackson out of a 1 and a 2. A trade is certainly possible, but it won't be because they caved to the request.
 

Arroyoyo

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Higgins gives me JJ Stokes vibes. Just seems like a guy that gets the looks he gets because the #1 is otherworldly. He was tied for 11th in drops last season despite playing in only 12 games and has never had a season where he hit 75 receptions.

Not sure I’d want to pay him #1 type of money, let alone also give up premium draft capital.
 

Rudy's Curve

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Higgins gives me JJ Stokes vibes. Just seems like a guy that gets the looks he gets because the #1 is otherworldly. He was tied for 11th in drops last season despite playing in only 12 games and has never had a season where he hit 75 receptions.

Not sure I’d want to pay him #1 type of money, let alone also give up premium draft capital.
Health is certainly a question as he's never completed a full season. He's played 16 games twice, but he pulled a hammy the last game of 2020 and although he played 16 games in 2022 (the Bengals only played 16 because of the Hamlin game), he left one game after one snap, another after 10 and last year was just a nightmare of one injury, drop and penalty after another. That being said, he's a big-body contested catch winner who can also house a slant and has made plays like this in big games (and would've been Super Bowl MVP had they won a couple years ago). He's also gone 35-511-3 on only 44 targets in the five games Chase has missed. Given he just turned 25, I wouldn't be surprised if there's one team that values him very highly.
 

johnmd20

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Higgins gives me JJ Stokes vibes. Just seems like a guy that gets the looks he gets because the #1 is otherworldly. He was tied for 11th in drops last season despite playing in only 12 games and has never had a season where he hit 75 receptions.

Not sure I’d want to pay him #1 type of money, let alone also give up premium draft capital.
I am baffled by the Higgins discourse. Every NFL podcast I listen to talks about Higgins like he's a top 12 WR. But he has never come close to having a spectacular season. (career high is 74 catches) He's also had some weird issues with injuries where he plays like 2-6 plays in the game and then is out for the rest of the game. So his games played are a mirage, too.

You say JJ Stokes. I say Juju. Does what he does because there is a big #1 on the other side. He's not worth a big contract.
 

Rudy's Curve

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I am baffled by the Higgins discourse. Every NFL podcast I listen to talks about Higgins like he's a top 12 WR. But he has never come close to having a spectacular season. (career high is 74 catches) He's also had some weird issues with injuries where he plays like 2-6 plays in the game and then is out for the rest of the game. So his games played are a mirage, too.

You say JJ Stokes. I say Juju. Does what he does because there is a big #1 on the other side. He's not worth a big contract.
I've pointed out his flaws, but he's much better than Juju - I know Juju had one year that tops all of Tee's, but there's a reason he had to settle for consecutive one-year deals after his rookie deal expired and could be out of the league pretty soon. Health has been an issue for Tee, but he's a proven big-game performer and has been great when Chase is out. There's a chance some team thinks he's a #1.
 

johnmd20

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View: https://twitter.com/SharpFootball/status/1767200357375988220


"Joe Burrow's splits last 3 years with...
Tee Higgins ON the field: +0.05 EPA/att, 46.0% success, 7.7 YPA
Tee Higgins OFF the field: +0.12 EPA/att, 47.3% success, 7.5 YPA

ON the field: 40.1% 3rd down conv %, 5.1% TD rate
OFF the field: 44.1% 3rd down conv %, 7.0% TD rate."

This perfectly sums Higgins up. The team is generally better without him.
 

johnmd20

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I've pointed out his flaws, but he's much better than Juju - I know Juju had one year that tops all of Tee's, but there's a reason he had to settle for consecutive one-year deals after his rookie deal expired and could be out of the league pretty soon. Health has been an issue for Tee, but he's a proven big-game performer and has been great when Chase is out. There's a chance some team thinks he's a #1.
I just don't see him being a big game performer. His career high in yards is a little over 1000 and catches is 74. Puka was 105 for 1486. That is a big time performer.
 

Rudy's Curve

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I just don't see him being a big game performer. His career high in yards is a little over 1000 and catches is 74. Puka was 105 for 1486. That is a big time performer.
Big game was referring to his playoff performances. He's had a couple duds, but he's had two big AFC Championship Games and would've been Super Bowl MVP had they won. I'm not saying his best season would've matched Puka's this year, but you also have to account for the AFC North being the only all-cold weather/outdoor division and generally a very tough one defensively. He would feast in domes against weaker defenses too.
 

Arroyoyo

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Agreed with John. I don’t know how someone with a career-high of 74 catches and so many dropped balls can demand the kind of #1 WR money he appears to want. He’s the kind of guy mediocre teams sign as a #1 because none of actual #1’s want to play for their franchise.

Maybe we are that team though. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

Rudy's Curve

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The Bengals finally got on the board (externally) by adding Ravens S Geno Stone on a two-year, $15 million deal. This was in-line with the mid-tier safety market as the Bengals get their center fielder, which will allow Dax Hill to move into a hybrid role where his talents are much better used. Hopefully this has the same ripple effect as the last time they took from a divisional rival when they signed Mike Hilton in 2021. There's concern Stone hadn't done a ton before breaking out last year, but he's still very young (hasn't turned 25 yet) and may have his best football ahead of him.

Elsewhere, blocking TE extraordinaire Drew Sample is back on a three-year deal for $10.5 million. The price tag felt a little steep at first, but Josh Oliver got 3/21 last year (with a lower cap) and tight ends have been getting paid so far. They lost CB Chidobe Awuzie to the Titans, as he took a three-year deal there. I wanted him back for one year to see if he could reestablish his value off a 2022 ACL where he was elite prior, but that was too much for a player turning 29 who lost a step last year. Reports have them in on Kendall Fuller, who would certainly be a welcome addition as they need outside CB depth. Unfortunately, I fear they'll lose out on DJ Reader with the exploding DT market at their biggest position of need.
 

leftfieldlegacy

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The Bengals finally got on the board (externally) by adding Ravens S Geno Stone on a two-year, $15 million deal. This was in-line with the mid-tier safety market as the Bengals get their center fielder, which will allow Dax Hill to move into a hybrid role where his talents are much better used. Hopefully this has the same ripple effect as the last time they took from a divisional rival when they signed Mike Hilton in 2021. There's concern Stone hadn't done a ton before breaking out last year, but he's still very young (hasn't turned 25 yet) and may have his best football ahead of him.

Elsewhere, blocking TE extraordinaire Drew Sample is back on a three-year deal for $10.5 million. The price tag felt a little steep at first, but Josh Oliver got 3/21 last year (with a lower cap) and tight ends have been getting paid so far. They lost CB Chidobe Awuzie to the Titans, as he took a three-year deal there. I wanted him back for one year to see if he could reestablish his value off a 2022 ACL where he was elite prior, but that was too much for a player turning 29 who lost a step last year. Reports have them in on Kendall Fuller, who would certainly be a welcome addition as they need outside CB depth. Unfortunately, I fear they'll lose out on DJ Reader with the exploding DT market at their biggest position of need.
The upside is that with the anticipated heavy demand of first round prime draft positions (esp QB OT and WR) the Bengals should have their pick of DT in round 1 and probably a pretty decent choice in the second.
 

Rudy's Curve

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The upside is that with the anticipated heavy demand of first round prime draft positions (esp QB OT and WR) the Bengals should have their pick of DT in round 1 and probably a pretty decent choice in the second.
They need it to be a deep class since they also have a hole at RT at the moment. Jermaine Eluemunor was my preferred stopgap and he's gone - I imagine the starter will be a pick. Something like Murphy/Newton at 18 and Suamataia at 49 sounds pretty good right now.
 

Rudy's Curve

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And they've just agreed to terms with Zack Moss for 2/8. That will officially be the end of the line for Mixon.
 

Cellar-Door

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They need it to be a deep class since they also have a hole at RT at the moment. Jermaine Eluemunor was my preferred stopgap and he's gone - I imagine the starter will be a pick. Something like Murphy/Newton at 18 and Suamataia at 49 sounds pretty good right now.
I really doubt Suamataia makes it to 49... I'm worried he won't make it to 34. Patrick Paul maybe? Amendajie. The really interesting thing at OT will be.... CIN has a rep for basically never taking athletic OT, it's a running joke that if a guy gets a good RAS you can cross him off the CIN board.... but this year there are basically no bad athletes. Christian Jones is basically the worst and even he is pretty athletic.
 

Rudy's Curve

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I really doubt Suamataia makes it to 49... I'm worried he won't make it to 34. Patrick Paul maybe? Amendajie. The really interesting thing at OT will be.... CIN has a rep for basically never taking athletic OT, it's a running joke that if a guy gets a good RAS you can cross him off the CIN board.... but this year there are basically no bad athletes. Christian Jones is basically the worst and even he is pretty athletic.
Oh trust me, I know - there’s a graphic in last year’s thread that highlights the absurdity. The Latham rumors at 18 have already started - he seems like a very Bengals pick as a polished guy from a big school but apparently there’s some Ereck Flowers similarities on the downside. I don’t know shit so I’ll trust the people who do.
 

leftfieldlegacy

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They need it to be a deep class since they also have a hole at RT at the moment. Jermaine Eluemunor was my preferred stopgap and he's gone - I imagine the starter will be a pick. Something like Murphy/Newton at 18 and Suamataia at 49 sounds pretty good right now.
If DT/OT are going to be the first 2 picks I would take the OT in the first and wait on the DT until the second. The run on OTs is going to be fast and furious and at 18 the Bengals would get a very good one but still be able to score a quality DT in the second. As a Pat's fan I hope Cinc goes DT/OT.
 

Rudy's Curve

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Joe Mixon is being released, which accompanies the Zack Moss signing. Kind of an end of era with Mixon, always liked watching him run angry.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/bengals-will-release-rb-joe-mixon-after-seven-seasons
I can't call a career of a RB with 8500 total yards in seven years disappointing, but it feels like there was a lot of unrealized potential. He probably would've been a top-10 pick if not for the incident and was billed as an excellent receiver which never really came to fruition. I thought he was on his way to stardom after his second year when he averaged 4.9 a pop, but he stalled out after that and became mostly a compiler (the OLs didn't help, admittedly). I once heard someone say about Jarvis Landry if you need five yards he'll get you seven and if you need 10 yards he'll get you seven - that's what watching Mixon felt like.
 
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Rudy's Curve

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Mike Gesicki heads to Cincy on a 1/$3.25 million deal. It seems he can't block a lick, so he'll be more of a Boyd replacement as a big slot. They still need a TE in the draft who can do both things so they can run more 12 personnel. Burrow has gotten two total JAGs in CJ Uzomah and Hayden Hurst paid (who were cut two years and one year into three-year deals), so it's a good spot for Gesicki.
 

Justthetippett

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Mike Gesicki heads to Cincy on a 1/$3.25 million deal. It seems he can't block a lick, so he'll be more of a Boyd replacement as a big slot. They still need a TE in the draft who can do both things so they can run more 12 personnel. Burrow has gotten two total JAGs in CJ Uzomah and Hayden Hurst paid (who were cut two years and one year into three-year deals), so it's a good spot for Gesicki.
He's a major negative as a blocker. He should not even bother. Could be a nice target for Burrow, particularly in the RZ. He has good hands, but I would not expect much.
 

Rudy's Curve

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The Bengals addressed their most glaring need in a big way, signing Sheldon Rankins to a 2/26 deal. It's a bit outside their comfort zone as they really don't sign guys on the other side of 30, but he's still a productive player (he certainly kicked the Bengals ass when they played this year) and the options at DT were getting thin. Rankins brings the big interior rush threat they haven't had since Larry Ogunjobi in 2021 while lessening the load off BJ Hill, who has been way overextended the last two years as they've whiffed badly on picks there. They still have a glaring hole at nose tackle and DJ Reader remains out there. He's done an immense amount for this organization, but I wonder if they're just not willing to commit bigger money to three defensive tackles around 30. They also know his rehab better than anyone, as he did it at the stadium before the new year started.

Elsewhere, Vonn Bell is back on basically a vet-minimum deal as Carolina is paying his salary. He was a big part of the 2021-22 defenses and they missed his communication on the back end dearly last year, but I wonder how much he has left and what it does to younger players' roles. Newly-signed Geno Stone will be the FS and third-rounder Jordan Battle played very well down the stretch, so I hope it doesn't eat into his playing time. It also signals Dax Hill will be moved into a hybrid role, but they already have an excellent slot corner in Mike Hilton and Hill is way too talented to reduce to a bit part.
 
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Rudy's Curve

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As expected, DJ Reader is gone to Detroit after the Bengals signed Sheldon Rankins. That leaves them with a Reader-sized hole at NT, which is why they're meeting with Teair Tart today. Tart fell out of favor with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, but he's been a productive player and they need as much beef as possible up front in a division with Chubb and Henry and even Harris/Warren. I wonder if the Lions were weary of Reader's medicals, as he only got $9.5 million guaranteed and the Bengals did not go all out to retain him despite monitoring his rehab every day.

It may have been the right move to let him walk (time will tell), but my god I am going to miss Reader in stripes. He was their first big foray into free agency four years ago and delivered every dollar and then some. He almost single-handedly won the Titans playoff game in 2021 blowing up Henry's lanes and was the best Bengal in the Super Bowl. He was the biggest reason they held Henry, Chubb and Stevenson to a collective absurd 2.3 YPC and no TD in a five-week stretch in 2022, including blowing up the play Stevenson fumbled. He may not ever be the same player, but the Bengals have a lot of work to replace him.

They also met today with Mekhi Becton, who appears to be having a steak dinner with Burrow as we speak. Becton had his best (only good?) season his rookie year in 2020 with now-Bengals OL Coach Frank Pollack. He's an intriguing flyer as a former high pick with some great tape if he's over his injuries, but it should in no way preclude them from taking a tackle in the first round.
 
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Rudy's Curve

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After passing on Mekhi Becton (for now at least), Trent Brown is in for a visit today. It seems he frustrated many here with a lack of effort specifically last year, but it also seems there were stretches of high-end play throughout his time as a Patriot. He's also spoken highly of Ted Karras, so that certainly can't hurt. With Yosh Nijman going to Carolina, Becton and Brown are probably the last two starting-caliber tackles left. Signing Brown would allow them not to be pigeonholed into a first-round tackle (even though it'd still be the favorite) and create massive bookends with Orlando Brown Jr., as the two probably weigh a combined 700+ pounds. Hopefully they can close the deal and he comes in healthy and motivated.
 

Cellar-Door

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After passing on Mekhi Becton (for now at least), Trent Brown is in for a visit today. It seems he frustrated many here with a lack of effort specifically last year, but it also seems there were stretches of high-end play throughout his time as a Patriot. He's also spoken highly of Ted Karras, so that certainly can't hurt. With Yosh Nijman going to Carolina, Becton and Brown are probably the last two starting-caliber tackles left. Signing Brown would allow them not to be pigeonholed into a first-round tackle (even though it'd still be the favorite) and create massive bookends with Orlando Brown Jr., as the two probably weigh a combined 700+ pounds. Hopefully they can close the deal and he comes in healthy and motivated.
Brown is the best LT left for sure, he's an above average NFL starter... he's just got a rep for being mercurial and oft-injured.
 

Justthetippett

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After passing on Mekhi Becton (for now at least), Trent Brown is in for a visit today. It seems he frustrated many here with a lack of effort specifically last year, but it also seems there were stretches of high-end play throughout his time as a Patriot. He's also spoken highly of Ted Karras, so that certainly can't hurt. With Yosh Nijman going to Carolina, Becton and Brown are probably the last two starting-caliber tackles left. Signing Brown would allow them not to be pigeonholed into a first-round tackle (even though it'd still be the favorite) and create massive bookends with Orlando Brown Jr., as the two probably weigh a combined 700+ pounds. Hopefully they can close the deal and he comes in healthy and motivated.
Trent Brown has earned his reputation, both good and bad. Not only here but in SF and LV. He's a massive, agile human with great skills. He also flakes out and has not put anything together consistently over a long period of time. I actually like him for the Bengals though. He's been at his best when the Pats were playing well and competing. That's probably the best scenario to get the most out of him.
 

Rudy's Curve

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Brown is the best LT left for sure, he's an above average NFL starter... he's just got a rep for being mercurial and oft-injured.
Trent Brown has earned his reputation, both good and bad. Not only here but in SF and LV. He's a massive, agile human with great skills. He also flakes out and has not put anything together consistently over a long period of time. I actually like him for the Bengals though. He's been at his best when the Pats were playing well and competing. That's probably the best scenario to get the most out of him.
Brown signed. Good move for a one year commitment, you’ve firmly in a contention window and if he’s motivated/healthy Brown is an upgrade on Jonah Williams.

View: https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/1770136582604849639?s=46&t=1S4eWjX_rzBBrpPNddRPAg
And just like that, it's done. He'll be playing RT as Orlando Brown is the LT, but I'm excited. Hopefully a one-year deal playing for a contender gets the most out of him and gives him a chance at a bigger deal, as it's a position people are capable of playing at a high level into their 30s. They still need an early tackle as (Trent) Brown isn't a good bet to play 17 games and is only on a one-year deal, but it takes the pressure off a rookie being thrown into the fire immediately and gives them a chance to take the best player if that happens to be another position.

No one can replace DJ Reader, but they still really need more depth up the middle (especially at nose tackle) and most of those guys have signed. It's tough to see T'Vondre Sweat getting past them at 80 and he might even be an option at 49. They also need more depth on the outside at CB and maybe even a potential starter, depending how they feel about DJ Turner. Assuming Higgins isn't traded though and signs the tag which will be the case in all likelihood, this offense looks pretty ready to roll and should be the best one of the Burrow era.
 

Rudy's Curve

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@Rudy's Curve what's the latest on Burrow's rehab? He's the main thing standing between Mahomes and more accolades, so let's get that thing healed up!
The most recent update came here two weeks ago - he should be ready and throwing by OTAs in mid-May. Hopefully he can just get through the first week of camp where he's been hurt the last two years and be ready to roll Week 1.

On another note, given there are three Browns on their offense now and they also own the team, I think it's time for a title change.
 

Rudy's Curve

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The Bengals took a swing for the fences in selecting Georgia OT Amarius Mims 18th overall. Mims had only eight starts and 803 snaps in college, but possesses freakish athleticism at 6'8/340 and showed high-end ability on tape. While the Bengals have failed developing offensive linemen the last decade (I suppose Jonah Williams was an okay result for #11 overall), they've never had an athlete in the same universe as Mims. The inexperience isn't terribly worrisome either, as Ryan Ramczyk was the last first-round OL with fewer than 1000 college snaps and he turned out pretty well. Mims is somehow smaller than both Browns, meaning they clearly have a prototype at tackle. Zac made mention of him backing up both spots at his presser, as he'll likely be forced into action this year given Trent Brown's injury history and should replace him next year while he's also an option for the future on the left side if they want to move on from Orlando Brown after this year.

In other news, Trey Hendrickson (or at least Trey Hendrickson's agent) requested a trade Wednesday night. It was obvious intentional timing on the eve of the draft, but it's just not going to work. He signed a one-year extension last July, meaning he's not even eligible for a raise with additional years on his deal until a year passes. Hendrickson has certainly outperformed his deal, but he agreed to two deals including one not even a year ago. He's his agency's biggest client by far, so this whole thing kind of reeks of desperation. It's also the absolute last team that's going to cater to a player's trade demands just because. The two guys they've traded who wanted out were Carson Palmer (whom they got a first + second for while he was sitting on his couch) and Carlos Dunlap (who sabotaged the team on his way out and they were terrible). They're not going to trade Hendrickson from a Super Bowl contender.
 

tims4wins

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The Bengals took a swing for the fences in selecting Georgia OT Amarius Mims 18th overall. Mims had only eight starts and 803 snaps in college, but possesses freakish athleticism at 6'8/340 and showed high-end ability on tape. While the Bengals have failed developing offensive linemen the last decade (I suppose Jonah Williams was an okay result for #11 overall), they've never had an athlete in the same universe as Mims. The inexperience isn't terribly worrisome either, as Ryan Ramczyk was the last first-round OL with fewer than 1000 college snaps and he turned out pretty well. Mims is somehow smaller than both Browns, meaning they clearly have a prototype at tackle. Zac made mention of him backing up both spots at his presser, as he'll likely be forced into action this year given Trent Brown's injury history and should replace him next year while he's also an option for the future on the left side if they want to move on from Orlando Brown after this year.

In other news, Trey Hendrickson (or at least Trey Hendrickson's agent) requested a trade Wednesday night. It was obvious intentional timing on the eve of the draft, but it's just not going to work. He signed a one-year extension last July, meaning he's not even eligible for a raise with additional years on his deal until a year passes. Hendrickson has certainly outperformed his deal, but he agreed to two deals including one not even a year ago. He's his agency's biggest client by far, so this whole thing kind of reeks of desperation. It's also the absolute last team that's going to cater to a player's trade demands just because. The two guys they've traded who wanted out were Carson Palmer (whom they got a first + second for while he was sitting on his couch) and Carlos Dunlap (who sabotaged the team on his way out and they were terrible). They're not going to trade Hendrickson from a Super Bowl contender.
FWIW, @SMU_Sox LOVES Mims.

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/2024-nfl-draft-patriots-discussion.41494/post-6087932

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/three-day-out-check-in.42457/post-6087975

@DJnVa

Here is my writeup on him FWIW:

View attachment 81411

I debate grades in my notes. also that should say he moves in ways that he should NOT at his size.



This is his RAS. Just a ridiculous human being.
 

Rudy's Curve

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Yeah, I'm excited. I was really worried they'd take Fautanu as an experienced player from a bigtime school which has been their prototype, but he'll be 24 this year with arms suggesting a move to guard. The common themes among their failed high OL picks the last decade are poor athleticism and/or lack of testing. Whatever Mims' issues are, they're not that. It's the same reason I was weary of Latham as he didn't test, although if Bill Callahan (up there with Scar as the premier OL coach of the century) signed off on him at #7 he might know something.
 
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SMU_Sox

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He’s one of my favorite players in this draft. Love Mims! I think he can play LT too. I hope he stays healthy because he is a joy to watch!
 

Rudy's Curve

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He’s one of my favorite players in this draft. Love Mims! I think he can play LT too. I hope he stays healthy because he is a joy to watch!
That's obviously the drawback or else he's a top-10 pick, plus he had the hammy after the combine. He'll be able to ease in a bit assuming Trent Brown doesn't get hurt right away, but do you have any reservations about him being thrown into the fire immediately if he has to be?
 

SMU_Sox

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That's obviously the drawback or else he's a top-10 pick, plus he had the hammy after the combine. He'll be able to ease in a bit assuming Trent Brown doesn't get hurt right away, but do you have any reservations about him being thrown into the fire immediately if he has to be?
None. He is actually pretty polished for a guy with 8 starts. He could start at RT day 1. LT too maybe but you never know.
 

Rudy's Curve

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None. He is actually pretty polished for a guy with 8 starts. He could start at RT day 1. LT too maybe but you never know.
Excellent, and that corroborates everything I've heard. I doubt he'll play much LT this year as Orlando Brown never misses games but they can get out pretty easily from his deal after the year if his performance declines, so that's in play for the future too. They've fallen on rough times there the past decade, but this is the franchise with the best offensive lineman to ever play the game and two other guys who should be HOFers in Willie Anderson and Andrew Whitworth. It's time to get back to that standard.
 

Rudy's Curve

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The Bengals took their shot at shoring up their run defense Friday, taking Michigan DT Kris Jenkins Jr. at 49 and Texas A&M NT McKinnley Jackson at 97. Jenkins should be able to play the run from the get-go and may have some unrealized pass rush juice. Jackson seems like more of a reach as a pure nose they definitely could've gotten on Day 3, and they haven't had any success at all with those kind of guys (Renell Wren, Tyler Shelvin, Zach Carter) in the mid-rounds. They must really believe in LG Cordell Volson to not bring in any Day 1-2 competition and need to find something there tomorrow.

In between, they took Alabama WR Jermaine Burton at 80. The reason he was available is entirely due to character, as you could've made an argument for him as WR4 in this class outside of that. The old adage about the Bengals and character concerns is entirely from the Marvin Lewis era, as they've almost exclusively shied away from those guys and emphasized high character under Zac. That gives me hope the strong locker room can rein him in, and I've never seen Zac as excited as when he banged the table after the selection. Burton should immediately start in 11 personnel (which they run predominantly) and is a long-term Higgins replacement if he pans out. Any thoughts on these guys, @SMU_Sox?

I also don't know what they're planning to do at corner having ignored the position so far. They don't have a third outside corner on the roster, which is a position that generally sees 800+ snaps. I don't think a Day 3 selection can move the needle a ton there, so they have to be in on a veteran whether it's Stephon Gilmore or Xavien Howard (whom DC Lou Anarumo coached in Miami his first two years).
 

Rudy's Curve

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The Bengals did what they almost always do at a position of need Saturday - double up on it. This came at TE via the selections of Iowa's Erick All in the fourth round and Arizona's Tanner McLachlan in the sixth. All is a hometown kid whose film probably warranted a higher selection, but he had back surgery his last year at Michigan before transferring to Iowa where he tore his ACL midway through last year. If the knee is healed, he has a chance to compete for snaps right away as their most complete TE. McLachlan was Daniel Jeremiah's TE2 who should take Mike Gesicki's role next year with better blocking. Fifth-round CB Josh Newton out of TCU gives them much-needed depth there and might've been a higher pick if he came out last year. They took a pair of Ole Miss teammates in DE Cedric Johnson and S Daijahn Anthony in the sixth and seventh rounds. Johnson seems like a developmental project as an athlete without much of a pass rush arsenal while Anthony should be able to compete on special teams with nickel upside. It looked like they were going to let a pretty good iOL class go to waste at a big position of need until they took Miami C Matt Lee with their last pick. Draft Twitter certainly loved him, and if he's as good as they think he can potentially be Ted Karras' replacement at C next year. They also signed a punter in Austin McNamara to challenge Brad Robbins, whose rookie season was unacceptably bad (just how?).

I mentioned in the previous post they're very short at outside CB. The Newton selection helps a little, but the big news out of Zac's post-draft presser was Dax Hill will be moving to corner - it was trending that way with the free agency additions at safety and none at corner and now it's official. I still think Hill's talents serve him best closer to the line of scrimmage in a Kyle Hamilton role, but at least he'll have a full offseason to train at CB as opposed to when he was thrown into the fire there in 2022.

Injuries will probably happen and they'll claim player(s) after cutdown, but here's a crack at the initial 53:

QB (2): Joe Burrow, Jake Browning
RB (4): Zack Moss, Chase Brown, Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans
WR (6): Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Jermaine Burton, Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones, Trenton Irwin
TE (4): Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, Erick All, Tanner McLachlan
OT (4): Orlando Brown Jr., Trent Brown, Amarius Mims, Jackson Carman
IOL (5): Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, Cody Ford, Matt Lee
DE (5): Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample
DT (5): Sheldon Rankins, BJ Hill, Kris Jenkins Jr., McKinnley Jackson, Zach Carter
LB (5): Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Devin Harper, Joe Bachie
CB (5): Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner, Mike Hilton, Dax Hill, Josh Newton
S (5): Geno Stone, Vonn Bell, Jordan Battle, Tycen Anderson, Daijahn Anthony
ST (3): Evan McPherson, Austin McNamara, Cal Adomitis
 
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SMU_Sox

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I was high on Burton. Burton would have been my WR2 last year. I just listened to reception perceptions podcast on him and they are also bullish. Burton had like the 3rd or 4th best % beating man and zone coverages of all the rookie WRs and they think without his off-field stuff he would have been a first rounder. (I do too by my grade). Now they meant a back half of the first round first rounder (same here) but still... If he can mature and stay on the field and on the team he is going to be EVEN BETTER than Tee Higgins. Man... I freaking loved the Bengals draft. Gets me all excited in my inside parts. If he shows up during camp or early in the season and they feel he is ready to start contributing imo they should trade Higgins. You could probably get a 2nd rounder for him during camp. Again this is a major jump and leap of faith for my guy but he's an X and I think will be a top 30, top 25, and in some years have top 15 production.
 

Rudy's Curve

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Weren't there some major off-field concerns with Burton?
He hit a female fan who stormed the field at Tennessee in 2022, but nothing came of it. Beyond that, it seems like it’s just been immaturity - he went to a bunch of high schools, then transferred from Georgia to Alabama and neither staff seemed to have glowing things to say about him (@Brand Name, you’re more than welcome to chime in here). The Bengals have had an excellent locker room under Zac which gives me hope they’re comfortable with him (I’ve never seen Zac as excited about a pick), and he’s also worked for years with Bengals great TJ Houshmandzadeh who will hopefully help keep his head on straight now that he’s there. As SMU (and many others) have said, the talent is undeniable and he should be more dynamic than Boyd with better hands too - he didn’t have a drop last year.
 
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SMU_Sox

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A lot of folks thought he was going to slip into day 3 or not be drafted at all.

He isn't just an athlete either. Guy is a technician and really good details to so many elements of his game. When a guy is that polished it tells me that they put in the time and effort and that means they are at least mature about their commitment to football.
 

Rudy's Curve

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I was high on Burton. Burton would have been my WR2 last year. I just listened to reception perceptions podcast on him and they are also bullish. Burton had like the 3rd or 4th best % beating man and zone coverages of all the rookie WRs and they think without his off-field stuff he would have been a first rounder. (I do too by my grade). Now they meant a back half of the first round first rounder (same here) but still... If he can mature and stay on the field and on the team he is going to be EVEN BETTER than Tee Higgins. Man... I freaking loved the Bengals draft. Gets me all excited in my inside parts. If he shows up during camp or early in the season and they feel he is ready to start contributing imo they should trade Higgins. You could probably get a 2nd rounder for him during camp. Again this is a major jump and leap of faith for my guy but he's an X and I think will be a top 30, top 25, and in some years have top 15 production.
I didn’t have time to address this earlier but I just don’t see how they trade Higgins - in their mind, he can either show up and collect $21.8 million or kick rocks. It took six weeks into the season to trade Carson Palmer when he held out and he a) was never playing for them again, b) played a position where only one guy plays, c) wasn’t on a title contender and d) it took Al Davis’ death and Jason Campbell going down to make it happen where friend of the Brown family (and Palmer going back to college) Hue Jackson became de facto GM and gave them an impossible offer to refuse. I think they’re just planning on Burton showing he belongs this year and hoping Iosivas and/or Jones takes a step to replace Higgins next year, and they’ll likely draft one.

Nice to hear you were high on their draft. Couple questions if you don’t mind - did you have Jackson as a top 100ish player? RAS draft models hated him but it seems they’re not that useful for nose tackles and film guys like him more. Also, do you think Lee is a starter? Odds are generally against a seventh rounder but he checks the boxes athletically and film guys seem to like him too. They’ve just been so bad on Day 3 for a decade that I’ll believe it when I see it.
 

SMU_Sox

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Sorry, I did not watch those guys. I don't think Jones is going to replace Higgins - he's slot primarily and maybe Z. Maybe production wise? Still, I feel like that might be a stretch. I would guess Iosivas is that guy but he was a super developmental receiver coming out. Wouldn't shock me if he needs another year if he develops at all. Though, I would love to know if either of those two did anything their rookie years. Did they flash? I hope you get a chance to see him some in the pre-season and update this thread. Bengals receiving room is one of the more interesting stories this off-season for who becomes WR3.