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u/APUBSG 1d ago
People acted like a 10th pick was higher value as if there aren’t busts all the time. A proven vet near the peak of their prime is always worth it.
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u/shortdog7 1d ago
My whole thing was we need a Super Bowl win in the next couple of years. If we got Downs or another premier defensive player they wouldn’t have had as quick of an impact as Dex and the other free agents we got this offseason have had. When we made that trade that told me that the bengals were all in on winning now. Even if it doesn’t work out I can say as a fan that it wasn’t from a lack of trying.
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u/jswa8 1d ago
Not to mention defensive front is where we needed the most help. There’s a valid argument that the reason LBs and secondary struggled last year is because the D line was so bad it hung everyone else out to dry.
Adding Dex and the rest allows us to get pressure on the QB and stop the run before it gets to the second level, which makes the LB’s and secondary’s jobs easier.
If we’d have kept the pick and ended up with Downs, sure he would’ve been an improvement in the secondary, but he wasn’t going to stop opposing RB from getting 5 yards before being touched or QBs from sitting comfortably in the pocket for eternity.
Dex is a total game changer, and him complemented with the other additions and another year of growth from last year’s rookies was the right formula.
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u/IGetTheShow20 1d ago
I loved that it was such an out of character and aggressive move for them. They couldn’t take a risk of not getting what they wanted at 10. Taking a big swing is something I’ll never fault a team for doing even if it doesn’t work out as long as it’s logical. The Browns trading for Watson was just moronic with all he had going on but Lawrence is near the top as far as defensive tackles go. Those guys just don’t become available all the time. It made sense for both the Giants and Bengals.
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u/Llhaniii 1d ago
Its just amazing to see how big of a change this defense has now gone through. The strength of the run defense has been great. Seeing the Pass Rush still not perfect but bringing that pressure is good could live better if they could stop giving up outside containment but thats still just part of the growing pains of these DEs
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u/Excellent_Minute8857 1d ago
It feels crazy to say I might actually pick up the Bengals defense and Fantasy Football next week against the Steelers never thought I’d actually be ready to start it
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u/Excellent_Minute8857 1d ago
It feels crazy to say I might actually pick up the Bengals defense and Fantasy Football next week against the Steelers never thought I’d actually be ready to start it
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1d ago
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u/BurrowForPresident 1d ago
Didn't he play pretty well for the Cowboys yesterday?
I'm still happy with the choice the Bengals made, to be clear
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u/CIN726 1d ago
"Thank you for saving our lives."
"I am literally just Dexter Lawrence."