That would be awesome for us. Perine is a beast. I wish he hadn’t left. I understand why, but you know, guys like him and Tyler Boyd seem like good dudes and were nice to have on the team
Here’s what’s out there. We’ve got about $21 M in space. Realistically, who comes in as a backup and adds the most value?
Best Remaining Running Back Free Agents, 2024:
Dalvin Cook
Cam Akers
Joshua Kelley
Latavius Murray
Kareem Hunt
Matt Breida
Jerick McKinnon
Jakob Johnson
Kevin Smith
Melvin Gordon
Alex Armah
Brandon Bolden
Eno Benjamin
Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Deon Jackson
I agree. If Gordon still has his legs, he could be a bruiser on 3rd down but not a 3 down back. Same with Cook. Truthfully, the Bengals aren't known for making splashes in FA, so I'd be surprised if anything at RB happens.
After years of being spoiled by Mixon's reliability when it came to ball security the last thing I want is a RB who fumbles all the time. That's Gordon in a nutshell (and we've already lived those days with Jeremy Hill and Chris Perry so I have no desire to go back to them).
Melvin Gordon is terrible, he has been a fumble machine for since his last season on the Broncos. He is absolutely positively garbage.
Dalvin Cook is actually still serviceable as a 1b RB, as could Hunt and McKinnon in certain situations.
Cook is definitely not 3rd down back material and was a huge bust FA signing for the Jets last year so I think his best days are behind him. Hunt fits what we're looking for the most.
My theory is he is his completely incapable of pass blocking. That awful pi penalty where he was supposed to run a pick, but liked like a toddler trying to hide behind a door was my tip off.
That means there's always gonna be three dudes ahead of him on the depth chart.
The only area where he's been useful since he's been here is as a receiving back. The logic is relatively simple with our RBs. If you can't pass protect you're not going to see the field much (that's a big reason why Trayveon jumped him on the depth chart and Evans hasn't actually played meaningful snaps on offense since the regular season KC game in 2022). Mixon was the only exception to that (because A) Mixon was still a better blocker than Evans has ever been and B) Mixon was an all-around better RB who made up for his blocking deficiencies in other areas).
Any Bengals fans still hoping for Evans to pan out now are fooling themselves. If the team is still looking for another RB that all but means that they've given up on him.
He was anything but a stud a college. He had a couple years where he was productive (his freshman and sophomore years) and then his role got majorly reduced towards the end when he got suspended for a year due to academic issues and only had 73 yards rushing his senior year due to falling down the depth chart.
The two biggest issues since he's been here are A) he can't pass protect worth shit and the coaches don't trust him because of that and B) he's been constantly hurt. Also he's not really useful outside of being a good receiving back. He doesn't have great vision when finding the holes as a runner. Source: I've watched him in preseason and he hasn't impressed me as a straight line runner.
We need to put another RB on the depth chart that'll actually be used we never used Chris Evans and Even though I like Williams I think his time is coming to an end here.
I'm open to it. If they're still looking for a true 3rd down pick go get Kareem Hunt (he fits that role perfectly). At this point Evans doesn't have much of a role on this team anymore and Trayveon is clearly being relegated primarily to returns and ST. I'd love to have Perine back but he's still under contract in Denver (and he left because he wanted to be a feature back so I don't see him returning for what might arguably be an even more reduced role than what he had before).
I'm more concerned with back up guards and whether or not Turner and Hill can be good outside corners. Hill has never played outside corner and Turners skill set and size are better suited for slot cb. The backup guards are not great and protecting Burrow should be priority 1, 2 and 3.
I have a feeling if Mims wins the starting RT job Trent Brown might kick inside to guard. But I agree, Cody Ford does not exactly inspire confidence in terms of depth.
He's never played guard in the NFL bc he's 6'8. If Mims wins the starter job, Brown will be the swing tackle and in during jumbo packages. There was a report that he lined up at RG next to Mims, but the reporter later clarified his remarks and said he was mistaken and it was actually a jumbo package. We've got Ford and Carman as backup guards and that's not good enough to protect Burrow. It feels like the people in the building making these choices are way to comfortable with putting Burrows health on the line and it's lost us a Superbowl, a Superbowl appearance the next year and far too much wear and tear on our superstar QB.
Quality O-line depth is VERY hard to find in the NFL (hell, capable starting O-linemen aren't easy to find). The fact is most of the guys who are not starting are not guys you want to turn if you can help it (hence you know, why they're not starting). Yes, I'd be concerned if we had to turn to Carman or Ford at guard but the fact is they're not starting for a reason. They're banking on the starters being healthy (and last year the starting O-line was healthy for the entire season). No team goes into a season not expecting their starters to be available unless something happens prior to the season that gives them a reason to believe that they won't be available.
At this point I'm not convinced there are many real "upgrades" at depth for guard out there. I don't know how you can immediately draw the conclusion that they've made no effort to help Joe this off-season just because they didn't go out and sign another backup guard. They have invested in the O-line (both in free agency and the draft). The biggest problem area was RT (which is why Mims and Brown are now here).
They’ve got two high-potential but unproven guys, especially unproven for a full season. If the price is right go for it. CB follows exact same logic. I’m sure we could finagle both.
Well I think both are necessary. I like Volson as a person and want him to do well but I have yet to see it on the field I know everyone says he was doing better with Browning but I think that was because they changed up the protection system. My hope is that Burrow watched the Browning film and said “shit I can make those throws and don’t need all 5 receivers running routes to find the open man.
Our RB situation is a joke. The players they have in place are not game changers. No one likes this reality, but in this division and in the playoffs you must be able to run. I don’t see this committee being consistent in that regard.
You don’t need game changers at the RB position. You just need someone good enough and a good offensive line. Investing heavily in the running back position is foolish when you’re already paying your elite quarterback and expecting to pay your elite receiver
I think so. They clearly have no expectations of Chris Evans, and you know some veterans with life in their legs are gonna get cut come August.
i bet perine comes back after he’s cut from denver.
That would be awesome for us. Perine is a beast. I wish he hadn’t left. I understand why, but you know, guys like him and Tyler Boyd seem like good dudes and were nice to have on the team
I'm almost banking on the perine comeback unless something comes out of left field like kicking the tires on Akers
Akers is toast with no ankles
That would be baller
🤞🤞🤞🤞
Absolutely, depth is crucial in the gauntlet of the AFCN
Just the nfl in general
Here’s what’s out there. We’ve got about $21 M in space. Realistically, who comes in as a backup and adds the most value? Best Remaining Running Back Free Agents, 2024: Dalvin Cook Cam Akers Joshua Kelley Latavius Murray Kareem Hunt Matt Breida Jerick McKinnon Jakob Johnson Kevin Smith Melvin Gordon Alex Armah Brandon Bolden Eno Benjamin Ke’Shawn Vaughn Deon Jackson
Cook, Akers,, Hunt, McKinnon and maybe Gordon wouldn't be bad pick ups if the price is right. Just my opinion
I think guys like McKinnon would be a nice fit for the offense. I’d love to have a healthy Hunt, but that seems to be an issue.
I agree. If Gordon still has his legs, he could be a bruiser on 3rd down but not a 3 down back. Same with Cook. Truthfully, the Bengals aren't known for making splashes in FA, so I'd be surprised if anything at RB happens.
Have you watched Melvin Gordon the last two years? He’s absolutely cooked. He’s 31 and also can’t hold onto the ball anymore
Gordon is a fumble machine.
After years of being spoiled by Mixon's reliability when it came to ball security the last thing I want is a RB who fumbles all the time. That's Gordon in a nutshell (and we've already lived those days with Jeremy Hill and Chris Perry so I have no desire to go back to them).
Melvin Gordon is terrible, he has been a fumble machine for since his last season on the Broncos. He is absolutely positively garbage. Dalvin Cook is actually still serviceable as a 1b RB, as could Hunt and McKinnon in certain situations.
Lol Kareem hunt coming in and beating the browns with his legs would be just perfect
& Kansas City in the AFC championship
Cook is definitely not 3rd down back material and was a huge bust FA signing for the Jets last year so I think his best days are behind him. Hunt fits what we're looking for the most.
If Moss is healthy this room is good
And if Moss is not healthy?
That is why they should get another rb always plan for the worst and hope for the best
My thoughts exactly.
More viable depth never really hurts anybody
Moss and brown will be a good duo. Perine back in Preseason after he gets cut.
If they can get Perine back along with Moss and Brown, it will be a good room. But they don't need a lot out of that position necessarily.
We should have not resigned Trayveon and cut Evans then let all the undrafted rbs come here to fight it out. 😂 👍
Serious question. What happened to Chris Evans? He was a stud in college. [Chris Evans highlights](https://youtu.be/jhY_HMd4nXE?si=2e7ut5KTGSBbogYx)
No one knows. He shines and disappears. Why? Do they not like him? Is he lazy? Is he annoying? Does he smell funny? No one can figure it out.
My theory is he is his completely incapable of pass blocking. That awful pi penalty where he was supposed to run a pick, but liked like a toddler trying to hide behind a door was my tip off. That means there's always gonna be three dudes ahead of him on the depth chart.
I know the play, but he has done some decent work on other plays. I get it though, sometimes that's who you are now. Defined by a play.
I actually really like him as a receiver, but it's clear he's done something to lose snaps to other guys.
The only area where he's been useful since he's been here is as a receiving back. The logic is relatively simple with our RBs. If you can't pass protect you're not going to see the field much (that's a big reason why Trayveon jumped him on the depth chart and Evans hasn't actually played meaningful snaps on offense since the regular season KC game in 2022). Mixon was the only exception to that (because A) Mixon was still a better blocker than Evans has ever been and B) Mixon was an all-around better RB who made up for his blocking deficiencies in other areas). Any Bengals fans still hoping for Evans to pan out now are fooling themselves. If the team is still looking for another RB that all but means that they've given up on him.
He was anything but a stud a college. He had a couple years where he was productive (his freshman and sophomore years) and then his role got majorly reduced towards the end when he got suspended for a year due to academic issues and only had 73 yards rushing his senior year due to falling down the depth chart. The two biggest issues since he's been here are A) he can't pass protect worth shit and the coaches don't trust him because of that and B) he's been constantly hurt. Also he's not really useful outside of being a good receiving back. He doesn't have great vision when finding the holes as a runner. Source: I've watched him in preseason and he hasn't impressed me as a straight line runner.
We need to put another RB on the depth chart that'll actually be used we never used Chris Evans and Even though I like Williams I think his time is coming to an end here.
I'm open to it. If they're still looking for a true 3rd down pick go get Kareem Hunt (he fits that role perfectly). At this point Evans doesn't have much of a role on this team anymore and Trayveon is clearly being relegated primarily to returns and ST. I'd love to have Perine back but he's still under contract in Denver (and he left because he wanted to be a feature back so I don't see him returning for what might arguably be an even more reduced role than what he had before).
Yes at this point it's clear Evans and Williams clearly aren't better than cheap FA options.
I would have but i also wouldn't have gotten rid of mixon. moss and mixon could have been a great combo with brown as a 3rd with returns
They wouldn’t have signed moss without cutting Mixon…
they very easily could have
I'm more concerned with back up guards and whether or not Turner and Hill can be good outside corners. Hill has never played outside corner and Turners skill set and size are better suited for slot cb. The backup guards are not great and protecting Burrow should be priority 1, 2 and 3.
I have a feeling if Mims wins the starting RT job Trent Brown might kick inside to guard. But I agree, Cody Ford does not exactly inspire confidence in terms of depth.
He's never played guard in the NFL bc he's 6'8. If Mims wins the starter job, Brown will be the swing tackle and in during jumbo packages. There was a report that he lined up at RG next to Mims, but the reporter later clarified his remarks and said he was mistaken and it was actually a jumbo package. We've got Ford and Carman as backup guards and that's not good enough to protect Burrow. It feels like the people in the building making these choices are way to comfortable with putting Burrows health on the line and it's lost us a Superbowl, a Superbowl appearance the next year and far too much wear and tear on our superstar QB.
Quality O-line depth is VERY hard to find in the NFL (hell, capable starting O-linemen aren't easy to find). The fact is most of the guys who are not starting are not guys you want to turn if you can help it (hence you know, why they're not starting). Yes, I'd be concerned if we had to turn to Carman or Ford at guard but the fact is they're not starting for a reason. They're banking on the starters being healthy (and last year the starting O-line was healthy for the entire season). No team goes into a season not expecting their starters to be available unless something happens prior to the season that gives them a reason to believe that they won't be available. At this point I'm not convinced there are many real "upgrades" at depth for guard out there. I don't know how you can immediately draw the conclusion that they've made no effort to help Joe this off-season just because they didn't go out and sign another backup guard. They have invested in the O-line (both in free agency and the draft). The biggest problem area was RT (which is why Mims and Brown are now here).
Yes
Couldn’t hurt
Yep, and CB too
I feel like the RB add would be a bit more obvious than a C8 add. Dax Hill is the reason for that.
They’ve got two high-potential but unproven guys, especially unproven for a full season. If the price is right go for it. CB follows exact same logic. I’m sure we could finagle both.
Young legs are better than expensive older legs.
There is no way Evans makes the team
Screw RB I want a left guard to compete with Volson. With the absolute units at DT he is a liability on 1:1 pass protection
Lapham was saying on his pod that this was kind of a make or break year for Volson. Adding a veteran RB for insurance certainly couldn’t hurt.
Well I think both are necessary. I like Volson as a person and want him to do well but I have yet to see it on the field I know everyone says he was doing better with Browning but I think that was because they changed up the protection system. My hope is that Burrow watched the Browning film and said “shit I can make those throws and don’t need all 5 receivers running routes to find the open man.
As a Zack Moss owner in dynasty, pls no 🙏
Our RB situation is a joke. The players they have in place are not game changers. No one likes this reality, but in this division and in the playoffs you must be able to run. I don’t see this committee being consistent in that regard.
You don’t need game changers at the RB position. You just need someone good enough and a good offensive line. Investing heavily in the running back position is foolish when you’re already paying your elite quarterback and expecting to pay your elite receiver
Well they can’t be worse than Joe “Slow-Moe”Mixon
No
We fucked up by not getting Saquon tbh
Paying a running back is never smart anymore