7.1 and Bards got nothing...

[Nezerius]

So your point is saying that because there is 2 jobs following by an inch behind, then BRD's damage is doing "relatively good dps"? All those 3 jobs are all 10% behind the top group.

The bolded part here entirely depends on what FFlogs data you decide to use when it comes to the dps of all the jobs in the current Savage tier.

To elaborate, you've posted the 90th percentile cDPS ranking of standard comp parses, from patch 7.1. This shows BRD at a dps of 26,287 dps, which isn't actually that crazily behind SMN (26,529) or RDM (26,963), both of which saw potency buffs with the patch.

The issue with using this data, is that you're looking at parses during a catch up patch, one that has dropped 4+ months into a current tier. A significant part of the progression-minded raiders (who, in turn, are likely to parse higher) will be done gearing their main job by then. They'll either be raiding (and parsing) on alt jobs, or be done with savage until the next tier.
Using the same percentile cDPS ranking, but shifted towards the standard comp parses from patch 7.05 (the tier release patch), will suddenly paint a different picture. This shows BRD at a much higher dps (29,468), placing it above VPR, RPR, BLM, RDM, DNC, SMN, and MCH (in that order). Considering the absence of changes to BRD with 7.1, and a sudden drop of roughly 3k dps, it's pretty clear that a significant amount of these parsing BRDs are either done with savage, or playing on non-BRD jobs until the next tier).

And it's not like BRDs aren't being brought to ultimate either, considering 5 of the current top 10 FRU clears brought one.

[Valence]

I mean by restrictions and caveats that Bards being pigeonholed into an extremely specific and unsatisfying ‘middle ground’ concept where they want somehow want it to perfectly fit in a balance between Machinist and Dancer instead of ever just being it’s own job. And that’s purely conceptual; in terms of gameplay there’s everything from ‘it has to easy’ (ironically) to ‘the support has to be entirely passive’ (because apparently non-passive support is a Dancer thing lol). It has to be lower dps than melee and casters but it also has to somehow compete with the majority of them having better/equal raid buffs and utility.

I’d argue the only reason they even bothered to shift slightly was because there was a ton of negative feedback about them trying to make Bard some weird personal dps-er so Dancer could be the only support. Pretty sure even JP were fairly negative about things like no song buffs. But I’d also argue the changes they made were primarily performative and not actually indicative of them somehow changing their stance on where/what Bard should be.

I just don't understand this specific statement. How is BRD passive? The songs? Sure, but the bulk of the buffs exist and happen in the exact same way DNC's buffs happen: through buttons your press every 2min during burst, which in the case of BRD is Battle Voice and Radiant Finale. And DNC also has passives as well, being the partner buff and if your argument is that it's not passive because it gets refreshed by standard step, then so are the song buffs when you change songs.

I do not know what their stance is on where BRD stands because I don't read their minds, but if their actions are to be taken at face value, since the release of Endwalker and consolidated in Danwtrail, both jobs have been granted very similar profiles in the buff department.

The bolded part here entirely depends on what FFlogs data you decide to use when it comes to the dps of all the jobs in the current Savage tier.

To elaborate, you've posted the 90th percentile cDPS ranking of standard comp parses, from patch 7.1. This shows BRD at a dps of 26,287 dps, which isn't actually that crazily behind SMN (26,529) or RDM (26,963), both of which saw potency buffs with the patch.

The issue with using this data, is that you're looking at parses during a catch up patch, one that has dropped 4+ months into a current tier. A significant part of the progression-minded raiders (who, in turn, are likely to parse higher) will be done gearing their main job by then. They'll either be raiding (and parsing) on alt jobs, or be done with savage until the next tier.
Using the same percentile cDPS ranking, but shifted towards the standard comp parses from patch 7.05 (the tier release patch), will suddenly paint a different picture. This shows BRD at a much higher dps (29,468), placing it above VPR, RPR, BLM, RDM, DNC, SMN, and MCH (in that order). Considering the absence of changes to BRD with 7.1, and a sudden drop of roughly 3k dps, it's pretty clear that a significant amount of these parsing BRDs are either done with savage, or playing on non-BRD jobs until the next tier).

And it's not like BRDs aren't being brought to ultimate either, considering 5 of the current top 10 FRU clears brought one.

Point taken considering that a lot of jobs dipped by similar amounts while some didn't change much.
However people picking a rphys for ultimate isn't indicative to anything to me as far as I'm concerned. It's part of the social contract we have with SE and their party bonus. 5 out of 10 makes sense considering it's currently the less crappy rphys to take from.