Official Game Thread - Preseason Week 2 - Bengals @ Commanders

The pro bowl and the pro bowl voting is such a joke, it doesn't really matter if he makes the pro bowl or not.

Though, the thought of who are the best players on the team is an interesting one.

1. JD5
2. Laremy Tunsil
....
I think, based on recent performance, it would be hard to argue anybody other than those two as the #1 and #2 players on the team.
After that, I think you have, in some order:
Bates
Sainristil
Biadacz
Wagner
Luvu
Ertz
Deebo (if healthy and motivated)
Terry (if he gets his shit together)

in the next group. I struggle to put anybody on the DL in that group yet. Clearly Payne COULD be in the group, others also, but I just don't know about it just yet.

Ekler and Lattimore are interesting cases. Ekler could be in that group, but his availability seems to be in question. Lattimore has been in that group but last year he didn't play well, so it's wait and see on him.

I'm probably forgetting somebody, but that's off the top of my head.
 
We definitely don't have the developmental 3rd string QB. Josh Johnson is ok as an emergency option, I guess, but Mariota is getting older and it would be good to have somebody to hold the clipboard who could learn for a year or two and be able to fill in in an emergency. Remember when we had 3 past and future SB QBs on the roster - Doug W, Ryp, and Humphries. Ok , that won't happen again.
 
Riggotoni said:
We definitely don't have the developmental 3rd string guy. Josh Johnson is ok as an emergency option, I guess. Remember when we had 3 past and future SB QBs on the roster - Doug W, Ryp, and Humphries.
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My bet is Mariota and Josh Johnson are on the 53, Hartman purely for "keep people who JD5 is comfortable with and why not" reasons will be on the PS this year. Then Hartman will be gone and you'll see a 5th or 6th round QB selected next year if we have a pick to do so. Or maybe another undrafted guy.

But this is clearly Hartman's last year on the roster and probably in the league. He can go become a male underwear model and make more money than he could in the NFL anyway... Hell, he could be the next Fabio.
 
Conn said:
The best blocking TE in the league doesn’t get to the pro bowl if he only catches less than 20 passes. Maybe not totally fair but that’s how it is, and that would be more than double what he did last year.

Guys like Kittle and Goedurt get recognition for their blocking because they’re 6th OL out there while also being studs in the receiving game (when healthy). Bates just has the OL part down. He had 8 catches last year lol.
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Yeah that seems right, but maybe it shouldn’t be that way. They could replace the fullback position with H-Back and include guys like Bates in the category. Most teams don’t even carry fullbacks anymore.
 
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I personally prefer to save the ‘receiving TE’ moniker for TEs that actually, you know, catch passes. 😉
 
Riggotoni said:
We definitely don't have the developmental 3rd string QB. Josh Johnson is ok as an emergency option, I guess, but Mariota is getting older and it would be good to have somebody to hold the clipboard who could learn for a year or two and be able to fill in in an emergency. Remember when we had 3 past and future SB QBs on the roster - Doug W, Ryp, and Humphries. Ok , that won't happen again.
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Would be kind of cool if our 2nd string QB was available to take at least one snap during preseason games.
 
Chris 44 said:
Would be kind of cool if our 2nd string QB was available to take at least one snap during preseason games.
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It sure would be. It would be nice to have a decent young QB3 with great potential to at least become a QB2 in the future.

It's also a shame there are no decent QBs in the league that have experience with Kliff that we could bring in
 
Chris said:
I personally prefer to save the ‘receiving TE’ moniker for TEs that actually, you know, catch passes. 😉
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I assume you mean Sinnott, but the guy was a great receiving TE in college. I’m really not sure why we haven’t seen that production from him yet.
 
Voice_of_Reason said:
My bet is Mariota and Josh Johnson are on the 53, Hartman purely for "keep people who JD5 is comfortable with and why not" reasons will be on the PS this year.
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Maybe. I think this regime will recognize the Hartman experiment is over and find a developmental QB cut from another team to take his place on the ps.

Someone correct me if the rules prevent that.
 
Faithful Fan said:
It would help with evaluating players, that’s for sure.
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I think this is a very valid point, we are not getting a very good evaluation of TE and WR with Hartman and to an extent Johnson in pre season game type action. Mariota not being healthy enough to pay a quarter in preseason has me concerned for his durability and availability during the regular season. He proved last year that he was a very capable fill in but it has me concerned that he has not seen the field at all in pre season when you would think he would be at his healthiest. Still think he is capable of stepping in as needed but it is a disservice to the receiving corps, especially guys down the depth chart or on the bubble, that they are not really getting a chance to shine.
 
No team has all the bases covered under the cap.

The fact Washington has a pro bowl caliber starting quarterback and a backup in Mariota who is just 31 and showed in games last year he can come in and win a game for us puts us ahead of the majority of NFL teams.

Right now there are teams that don't have a clear #1.

The fact we need to find a developmental quarterback (perhaps in the 2026 draft) is background noise for where this team is right now.

From what I have seen so far I am glad Peters decided to draft Croskey-Merritt in Round 7 rather than select a 6'4 quarterback that put up mediocre numbers in college and is a shot in the dark to contribute in the NFL.

We can leave that to Jerry Jones who is out acquiring any quarterback with athleticism (Trey Lance) or a big arm (Joe Milton) to try and shore up the position behind a 33 year old Dak Prescott that is set to count $65M against the cap despite not being in the first tier of NFL quarterbacks.
 
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From this angle it’s a lot easier to see how the safety didn’t light Jayden up on this play, he wasn’t stopping him
 
Simeon said:
Maybe. I think this regime will recognize the Hartman experiment is over and find a developmental QB cut from another team to take his place on the ps.

Someone correct me if the rules prevent that.
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I literally don’t care if they brought in a HS volleyball player to be the 4th string PS QB if it made everybody happy for 2025.

It’s a guy who should never play and runs the scout team, so whatever.

I expect Hartman to be back for the season and then there will be a parting of the ways.
 
Voice_of_Reason said:
I literally don’t care if they brought in a HS volleyball player to be the 4th string PS QB if it made everybody happy for 2025.

It’s a guy who should never play and runs the scout team, so whatever.

I expect Hartman to be back for the season and then there will be a parting of the ways.
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He'll be on the PS
 
Riggo44 said:
I may need to get a Bates jersey
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I didn't have any gear since I moved down here, so it's time. Now that Bates is locked in.
 
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