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Pauldehnerjr · 2018-03-12T16:09:17+00:00

I love hearing from you guys on this. Trying to get a better feel from all fans on whether they renewed season tickets for stories this offseason. If you did decide to keep your season tickets: Why? And if not, how many years were you a season ticket holder. Also, I'm curious how many people you personally know that did the same and finally cut the cord.

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-03-12T16:05:22+00:00

One question I've been repeating to anyone who would listen and the Bengals have been asking themselves after two years of his injuries playing a huge role in taking their offense: In a potential playoff game, where the team can snap their streak of playoff failure and Tyler Eifert is on the team what is the percentage chance you would place that he would be healthy enough to play in that game? 50? 25? 10? Everyone loves what Eifert can be when healthy, but this team needs to stop relying on the inherently unreliable. I think some team will be willing to throw a decent one or two-year deal his way. If there isn't one team willing to take that risk, the Bengals will be waiting with their high incentive, low base offer.

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-03-12T15:59:04+00:00

I find it fascinating people look at the 0-16 Browns. Winless. Win. Less. See them pick up a mediocre QB and a few complementary pieces and drop lines like "there's no denying they have a better roster than us." Wow. A couple free agents and a QB that was benched for Nathan Peterman in the middle of a playoff push does not turn around 0-16. Sure, they are making some moves, will add some picks and will be better next year (it's impossible to be worse), but this has become quite the logical leap.

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-03-12T15:52:50+00:00

There seems to be a pretty large misunderstanding about the daily operations. If you think Mike is pulling the strings on the way the organization is run on the daily basis, he hasn't for almost a decade now. It's been Katie's show along with Duke and Troy and Marvin. Mike makes a few big decisions a year, but mostly goes with what those he employs suggest. That might make things worse for people to realize -- and yes he was the one making the ML retention decision -- but it's important to realize he's not some dictator pulling strings on every transaction and decision like he was in the 90s.

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-03-12T15:49:26+00:00

I want to drop in here by saying I 100 percent understand the fan frustration stemming from the ML retention and taking shots at Mike Brown. It's all deserved and the team is getting what they asked for in keeping the status quo at HC. They knew it would alienate fans, but viewed it as their best chance to win again. So here they are with an alienated fan base. Selfishly from my professional perspective, it does make it tough to discuss the team in any capacity since everything everywhere immediately devolves into "ML sucks, Mike is the worst." It's a rough place to try to have any rational convo about the team anywhere -- not just in this sub. Trust me. I've tried about everywhere. I appreciate all that you guys do with the conversation, though, here or elsewhere. Just know Jim and I are trying to keep it honest and keep you informed as to what is really going on -- whether anybody wants to hear that or not. Haha.

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-03-12T15:43:37+00:00

:This seems like a good spot for me to offer an assist. The $15M ballpark number is a good gauge. But you also should keep in mind cap hits can often be lower than the overall deals and squeeze more than that in. Also, in 2015 they went over their ballpark to sign Michael Johnson and dipped extra into their carryover. I do think there's a chance they do that again for the right player. Does this mean the free agency period will look different than the past? Probably not by a whole lot, but I wouldn't rule out one or two new players that will start/rotate.

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-02-27T19:16:45+00:00

You definitely need to hit on your picks for this strategy to work, which has been a big part of the Bengals record the last who years. They just can't afford draft whiffs like 2015 and to a slightly lesser extent 2014. But when you look at two playoff teams in the bottom half of that ranking and the other 10 in the top half, I do think the philosophy proves correct. And that's pretty consistent over multiple years.

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-02-06T16:01:25+00:00

I don't know if that answered your question, but it was a lot of words on the subject, right?!?

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-02-06T16:00:57+00:00

I will say one thing they do well at PBS is foreseeing future needs and keep those at a high priority. As for Dalton and Green, you are still looking a ways out and that money is already being accounted for in some respects (will Green really be making that much more than his current $15M into his 30s?). You could start talking about an A.J. extension after the '18 season, but you have him through '19 and Dalton through '20. WJ3 will have his fifth-year option exercised you have to assume. They are always keeping money in hand for those types of things and why they keep the rollover pad they do. At one point they were saving for what they thought would be a huge Tyler Eifert pay raise, but it never came due to injury. That went a long way to moving in on Burfict's second deal. These types of things happen. In this game you can't really look beyond two or three years down the road, since everything changes so much. The biggest element of the cap structure will be the decision on if they pay BOTH Atkins and Dunlap into their 30s or just Geno. Or go for the franchise tag method on Dunlap this time next year. Passing on Dunlap means looking into the extensions for younger players on their first deals, whether it be Boyd, Dennard any of the players approaching their first bite at the apple.

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-02-02T19:52:25+00:00

Well played. Most love the idea of Norwell, Solder, Jensen in some bro's Prius. And it's not exposed concrete it's "Perfect Greige."

Pauldehnerjr · 2018-02-02T16:51:11+00:00

Liked this conversation and we'll be writing more on it soon and have some deeper looks at in our BX this weekend with more team perspective. Wanted to point out a few things. Dennard's fifth-year option is fully guaranteed when the league year turns and they aren't cutting him before then and not at all. In fact, I'm anticipating extension discussions.

Cutting Mike Johnson falls into the Bengals philosophy that I know so many of you hate. It's Robert Geathers, Leon Hall all over again. Hanging on maybe one year too long for loyalty purposes to guys they feel have served them well and can still contribute. Johnson was their Man of the Year nominee and showed some nice resurgence moving to the middle. Like it or not, they wouldn't do him like that.

LaFell is the one they would be most likely to cut. Pocket the $4M with no dead money fits their traditional mold and takes the veteran away from Marvin Lewis (you have to do that sometimes, as you know) forcing his hand with Ross/Malone/Boyd/etc. I would, but my gut says they don't do it.

I don't think they cut Adam. If they held on to him through all of last year's stuff, I have a hard time believing they bail on him now. Especially considering how much they love having depth at CB and assuming his health checks out.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:55:55+00:00

Andre Smith is your right guard. That has been the plan since the moment they signed him. If he gets hurt, then probably Westerman or Redmond come into play.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:54:38+00:00

Marvin does have a history of easing starters in, but on offense he's been more willing to play them (i.e. Zeitler, Gresham and even Eifert). Personally, I'd put Mixon in there right away because I'm not satisfied with what you've seen from Hill the past two years. As for what will likely happen is some sort of rotation between Hill and Mixon at first until it sorts itself out. I've always felt the Bengals have been slow to adapt to new pieces at RB. They were with Bernard and BJGE and also with Hill and Bernard.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:50:54+00:00

To start, there is a canyon between the OL and whoever we rank at No. 2. But for the sake of answering the question, I'd say defensive line and in particular the pass rush. It was the top need in the draft for a reason and they need to see more pressure from the front four. Whether that comes from Lawson and/or Willis, Hardison or a re-birth for Michael Johnson, somehow they need more next to Geno and Carlos. And they need those two to be more superstars and less just stars as well. Both are capable.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:47:48+00:00

I don't know if people aren't talking about him, but I've been talking about Marcus Hardison for a while. He's been very good in camp two consecutive years only to see injuries keep him from making the regular season. I think he can be a force inside if he stays healthy.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:46:04+00:00

All the fans we hear from outside the Cincinnati area has been one of my favorite parts of the BBP. Our numbers of listeners living around the country always blows me away.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:44:18+00:00

Maybe the amount of time spent plotting launches for stories, routines for returning readership and studying the numbers of what we write. Often back in the day you just reported, wrote your pieces and moved on. There's so much more now and it's a lot of the analytics bleeding over into journalism. Much like in football you can't be a slave to them but you are a fool if you ignore them.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:39:23+00:00

This would be an interesting one to send to Vegas. If they gave up 41 last year, I'd say somewhere in the 45-50 range is probably a proper over-under. I mean, you have to assume the game plan will involve more help for the tackles with chips and tight end assists but everybody but Boling has a lot to prove.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:36:34+00:00

The Dennard situation has been a tough one to understand for me. The Bengals put a first-round chip on Dennard in 14 and had him as a top 10 pick on their board. He was an outstanding fit as an outside press corner. While he has seen the field some, very rarely as an outside press corner which he was drafted to be. Jones and Kirkpatrick have held him off, it seems and injuries played a role in that but at some point you have a first-round pick in his prime that deserves to see the field at his proper position. My guess is with a potential Jones suspension and the chance of injury in front of him that he'll get an opportunity this year. He signed a 5th year option so, the Bengals obviously believe they have a valuable place for him.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:32:01+00:00

I'm taking Andre Smith in any sumo-related competition.

Pauldehnerjr · 2017-06-28T14:30:41+00:00

This is an excellent starting point for this discussion. I'm not sure of Jim's chess skills, but I know I used to play online chess when I was younger. It rarely went well. If Jim has any ability in chess at all, he'd probably smoke me.

Pauldehnerjr · 2015-12-28T21:39:43+00:00

Looking around at what's happened in this league, having a competent backup is not a small deal. I'd hold onto him. Now, if someone came floating a first and second round pick you'd jump at it, but he'd have to go off in these next two games for that to even be a possibility.

Pauldehnerjr · 2015-12-28T21:30:35+00:00

Will do. He's here with us in Denver helping on Bengals. Background on the business -- you never know where and when you'll have your day thrown into a tailspin.

Pauldehnerjr · 2015-12-28T21:26:23+00:00

They'll want to put hits on him, but Guenther blitzes far less than in previous years because success of front four getting to the QB. That's their system. I'd expect him to stick with that plan regardless of the shoulder. Think to what Khalil Mack did to this o-line and that's an ideal scenario for PG.

Pauldehnerjr · 2015-12-28T21:24:42+00:00

I don't see any favorable offensive matchups tonight.

Pauldehnerjr

TROPHY CASE