In response to a lot of your posts…. the Eagles can do their own thing. FA isn’t by nature bad, but not all teams are built through it. There will be a lot of extensions coming hopefully next year (not Dalton and Green) but Gresham, Dunlap, Johnson, Andre Smith, and Atkins. Good core of young players.

Andre Smith is a solid, top-10 Right Tackle. He had a great year last year and if he can produce again he will get some money. He is not a perennial pro bowler, but will be solid enough to extend.

As far as the divisional record of 2-4, we beat teams that we should beat. Philly did finish strong, but lost to Arizona and Buffalo (2 teams we beat) and lost to teams like Seattle (losing record). So, at 8-8 and 9-7 respectively, you really can’t say either had a better year by much, but you are what your record says you are. Both teams could have been 11-5 if they had some breaks and played better for one quarter per game. Overall, the point is moot.

Dalton fell off…. don’t all rookies for the most part? Also considering he lost AJ green for a couple games as well as Shipley for the year? Plus, Benson provided NO help whatsoever with the run, and the interior line was horrible. The kid had a decent year. He isn’t the second coming of Elway, but he can be solid…. let’s see what he does this year. That said, Vick isn’t exactly dominant like he used to be… he can be…. but has proven himself injury prone and somewhat inconsistent.

Lastly, The Bengals aren’t loosing key pieces. Rucker and Fanene were part of a rotation. Livings was a starter, but not a good one. All three can be replaced. McGlynn was a bum. Nelson is the only FA we haven’t resigned that concerns me a great deal. Sims would be nice, but with no word of him visiting anyone, no one is freaking out.

Overall, my point is there is no reason for anyone to freak out. The comparison to the Eagles is pointless due t a difference in team philosophy with the way the approach FA. Which, any Eagles fan should be able to admit, they did not meet expectations last year. Thats not to say they won’t be good this year… but last year is an example of how a good FA season does not guarantee a title. Isn’t every team 0-0 for 2012?

I totally see why Jerry Jones didn’t want to support teams like this with revenue sharing. I think it was probably Mike Brown whom he singled out back in 2006 saying he could make the team more than $10-$15m in the next ten minutes if he was running the show (naming rights to the stadium).

I do feel bad for fans of that team. It really is disgraceful.

& last offseason EVERYBODY (except, well, me … who was predicting a “shock the world” season) was saying that My Preciousssss Harlequin Warriors would be lucky to even win 2 games and were the de facto default winners of “Suck for Luck” going in.

So if anyone should be accused of upsetting the “competitive balance” it should be the rest of the league for ‘allowing’ the Bengals to somehow make it into the playoffs?

Anyone other franchise coming off a playoff appearance & with coaching continuity on both sides of the ball & a good young core & extra high picks going forward & enough cap space to burn for a couple of seasons would be looked upon as pure geniuses.

& @firemarshal1 – we already have an acronym for our illustrious owner/GM (who happens to be a Harvard Lawyer & former Dartmouth QB): MFB

Not a Bengals fan whatsoever but they did just fine with the roster they had last year in a very competitive division. Great defense and the makings of a good offense with Dalton and Green. They have the #17 and #21 pick in the upcoming draft, I don’t think they need to throw around money in free agency.
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to repeat what I said before in shorter form:
Bengals were 2-4 in that competitive division, with both of those wins coming against the not-so-competitive Browns. In the second half of the season they went 3-5, with those wins coming against the Browns, Rams, and Cardinals. Dalton started off well for a rookie QB, but fell off noticeably in the second half of the year. Hopefully it’s just normal rookie issues, and not a repeat of Derek Anderson where a QB fails to adapt once teams have some tape on him and can actually game plan against him. They’ve lost some players. Some matter, others don’t. So, all things being considered, they really need to nail those draft picks or they’re likely to have some real problems this season.

SO QUICK to act with emotions MY UNEDUCATED BENGALS FANS… The only loss I didn’t like was Fannene.. but he was overpaid for as was Livings!!… YOU CAN MANAGE with emotions OR OVERPAY for talent.. see DALLAS AND WAS..

What Happens next- DUNLAP< GRIESHEM, ADKINS, GREEN, DALTON – ALL EXTENDED CONTRACTS. Mark my Words! I JUST HOPE WE HAVE ENOUGH CASH FOR ALL!

Our lines are still Solid on D with Pecko, Adkins, Geathers, Dunlap, Johnson, Sims,

We will draft Cordy Glenn- Coach Alex loves GA and the SEC linemen.. big and Fast…
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Ok, I have to throw the challenge flag here. You call others uneducated, and then say "mark my words" that the Bengals are going to run out and extend the contracts of two people who just finished their rookie years? Can we get an official review here?

Be patient!! The Bengals will address their needs through a combination of the draft and FA. FA is not over. You will see them sign some key positional players from other teams and resign some of their own FAs. It is not a given that spending big money in FA guarantees a play-off team. Look at the Eagles last year, 8-8, sitting at home during the playoffs while spending a ton on FAs.
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1. The Eagles had all that money to spend last year because of years of excellent cap management, not because they were cheap. The one year they did go crazy in FA, it was the best collection of FAs I’ve ever seen. They may not have had their acts together at the beginning of the season, but judging by how the season ended, those acquisitions were a nice investment.

2. The Eagles have been contenders almost every year since Reid took over, so it’s not like we have the mediocre record in recent years that the Bengals have had.

3. We had a new DE, new DT, 2 new CBs, and a first time defensive coordinator. As much as people were talking up the idea of a dream team, it’s not surprising that it took a little while for everything to gel.

4. Last year was not a one year all or nothing gamble. Again, their cap management has seen to it that they were able to hold on to the FAs they signed…at least the ones that matter.

5. Be careful when comparing team records last year. Yes, the Bengals finished the season 9-7, while the Eagles finished 8-8…but there’s more to it than that. The Bengals finished 2-4 within their division (both wins against the Browns) while the Eagles finished 5-1 (swept the cowboys and redskins, and split with the giants). In the last 8 games of the season, the Bengals went 3-5 (those 3 wins coming against the browns, rams, and cardinals) while the Eagles went 5-3 (including a 4 game win streak to end the season…all of them decisive wins or outright blowouts). I’m well aware that a season is 16 games, but I point out the way their seasons ended because it’s a better determinant of how good the teams became over the season. God knows the Eagles kept shooting themselves in the foot in the first half of the season, but they were able to get their acts together. The Bengals started out strong, but started to fall apart as the season went on. Furthermore, the Eagles have managed to hold on to their good players while the Browns have been watching their decent FAs leave. I have to say, between the two teams, I prefer the Eagles chances this year.

The Bengals need that money to re-sign their core players. They will have to eventually re-up Dalton, AJ Green, Geno Atkins,Carlos Dunlap, Andre Smith, Michael Johnson and Jermaine Gresham. These guys are the future of the team and three of them will command top dollar at their respective positions.
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Dalton and Green are just coming off their rookie seasons. They’re not getting a raise for a while now. Andre Smith? I wouldn’t be giving him a big contract again until he proves he can stay in shape and not break his foot because he’s too heavy. Gresham is decent, and has potential to be better, but he’s nowhere near the likes of Graham or Gronk. Oh, and keep an eye on Dalton. I saw something that worried me. He started off really strong for a rookie, and then fell off noticeably later in the season. It kind of reminded me of another QB who used to play in Ohio…a guy named Derek Anderson. Once teams start to get some tape on you the real game begins. You’re no longer an unknown quantity then, and they can actually game plan for you. I’m not saying Dalton will end up like Anderson. I’m just saying the possibility is there. This year will be the real indicator of Dalton’s potential.

So taking money away from teams and giving to teams
Who notoriously don’t spend is “competitive balance” and would give a competitive edge to the redskins and cowboys? Whatever Roger Palpatine. You know that you all hijacked the skins and
Cowboys money like John gotti took cargo outta Kennedy airport. Mike brown had better spend that money or I will be super ticked about the fact that they whacked the skins 18 mill from the salary cap.
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If you want to blame Goodell, fine, but blame him for something that was his decision. The league office did not file the complaint against the Cowboys and the Redskins. It was 28 of the other owners who demanded they be punished. Seeing as how it’s the owners who vote to determine whether or not Goodell has a job, when 28 of them demand that two teams be punished, they’re sure as heck going to be punished. If not, they cut him loose and find someone who will do as they say. That’s why I believe that the Commissioner should be both chosen and paid jointly by the owners and the players. If you want the Commissioner to be a true protector of the league, he has to have the freedom to do what’s in the best interest of the league as a whole. The way things are set up, however, the Commissioner is beholden to the owners and acts in their best interests.

Do the Pats make big spending spree’s? NO!

PS how did that work out for the Eagles last year? aka Dream team

Katie tells MCBB (Mike Cheap Ba$tard Brown), hey dad shouldn’t we paid someone? Maybe, you can pretend NOT TO BE A CHEAP A$$. Again Dad? Do I have pay for the bus faire for the both of us. MCBB states, hey it’s only 3 PM, we can catch the early bird dinner special at the Big Boy diner. Dad, shouldn’t we have real scouting staff? Should we get an indoor practice facility? MCBB, that cost money, maybe we can get the players and the taxpayers to paid for it? They don’t call me Cheapo by accident.

We let two rotational D-Linemen go elsewhere, where one got a starting job. Note the term rotational. We still have two solid DTs and two solid DEs. (M. Johnson, Atkins, Peko, and Dunlap). Not a bad, young starting 4.

We let two bum guards go in McGlynn and Livings, where we will likely go in the draft with Glenn or DeCastro (should he be there). Both guards were not good. Boling should step in for Livings and do fine…. I still wonder why we let Mathis go.

I would like to see us get Reggie Nelson back, but if someone gives him $6 mil per year, oh well. He had a decent year. He is not a perennial pro bowler. If we can get him back great, if not move on.

We did not overpay for anyone (because we haven’t paid yet) – aka Antonio Bryant. But we are looking at Bush (who I would love to sign) and a few decent CBs (Terrence Newman excluded). Along with D- Linemen, and a Guard or two for depth…. what is wrong?

Free agency isn’t just one week. Most key, non-flashy signings will happen in the next three weeks.

How many times do you hear about the Steelers, Patriots, or Ravens (who have lost a bunch of good players as well) freak out about not getting a high priced FA? Yup. None. We also have a lot of our good young players coming up for extensions in the next year…. where cap room would come in handy.

Can’t believe I just defended Mike Brown…. hell must have frozen over…. but there you go.

Katie: C’mon Dad, we can use my car. I’ll take you home.

MB: Absolutely not, Katie. The bus will be here in 10 or 15 minutes. See, I have an umbrella in case it rains. Gas is expensive, dear.

Of course, there is no reason why they couldn’t have signed Tracy Porter and Langford. It’s not like these guys were that great anyway. They need to get help on the offensive line and secondary ASAP and so far they have flat out failed.

Looking forward to the 2nd and 3rd tier free-agents that do sign because all the money has dried up elsewhere.

What Happens next- DUNLAP< GRIESHEM, ADKINS, GREEN, DALTON – ALL EXTENDED CONTRACTS. Mark my Words! I JUST HOPE WE HAVE ENOUGH CASH FOR ALL!

Our lines are still Solid on D with Pecko, Adkins, Geathers, Dunlap, Johnson, Sims,

We will draft Cordy Glenn- Coach Alex loves GA and the SEC linemen.. big and Fast…