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The Cincinnati Bengals have taken an extreme risk in NFL free agency so far by...doing very little.
Now, the question becomes whether the Bengals can salvage the start to the offseason in what is generally considered one of the most important stretches in franchise history before the 2025 season.
So far, the Bengals have primarily focused on locking down their own with names like tight end Mike Gesicki and defenders Joseph Ossai and B.J. Hill. Newcomers T.J. Slaton and linebacker Oren Burks on the defensive side of the ball are rotational players at best. Big needs like offensive line have gone unaddressed.
But with free agency essentially starting on Monday, the league is technically in the third or fourth wave of players already. So while guys they reportedly have an interest in such as Teven Jenkins remain out there, they might not for long.
Considering the Bengals appear to have needs at both guard spots in front of Joe Burrow and across the defense, there's not a lot of wiggle room to actually salvage free agency now. There's also the matter of choosing to do it with Tier 3 and Tier 4 players during such a critical time, putting more pressure on a rookie draft class to have an instant impact too.
Don't forget the contract extension drama for Trey Hendrickson, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, either. Getting at least one of those done (preferably Higgins to bring down that $26 million franchise tag cap hit number) would have provided a better cap outlook and long-term outlook.
In short, one big guard signing won't change the vibe now. Neither will just one extension, either. The team has decided, despite the public pleas from Joe Burrow and supposed win-now standing of the team, to hinge fixing problems on the offensive line and on the defense on specific coaching and scheme changes with a light sprinkling of later-wave free agents and rookies.
To their credit, being "offseason winners" doesn't work out for teams like Cleveland often, if ever. But it's understandable if fans feel they're going about this the wrong way and the risk does feel immense.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Can Bengals salvage brutally slow start to free agency?
Continue reading...
Now, the question becomes whether the Bengals can salvage the start to the offseason in what is generally considered one of the most important stretches in franchise history before the 2025 season.
So far, the Bengals have primarily focused on locking down their own with names like tight end Mike Gesicki and defenders Joseph Ossai and B.J. Hill. Newcomers T.J. Slaton and linebacker Oren Burks on the defensive side of the ball are rotational players at best. Big needs like offensive line have gone unaddressed.
But with free agency essentially starting on Monday, the league is technically in the third or fourth wave of players already. So while guys they reportedly have an interest in such as Teven Jenkins remain out there, they might not for long.
Considering the Bengals appear to have needs at both guard spots in front of Joe Burrow and across the defense, there's not a lot of wiggle room to actually salvage free agency now. There's also the matter of choosing to do it with Tier 3 and Tier 4 players during such a critical time, putting more pressure on a rookie draft class to have an instant impact too.
Don't forget the contract extension drama for Trey Hendrickson, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, either. Getting at least one of those done (preferably Higgins to bring down that $26 million franchise tag cap hit number) would have provided a better cap outlook and long-term outlook.
In short, one big guard signing won't change the vibe now. Neither will just one extension, either. The team has decided, despite the public pleas from Joe Burrow and supposed win-now standing of the team, to hinge fixing problems on the offensive line and on the defense on specific coaching and scheme changes with a light sprinkling of later-wave free agents and rookies.
To their credit, being "offseason winners" doesn't work out for teams like Cleveland often, if ever. But it's understandable if fans feel they're going about this the wrong way and the risk does feel immense.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Can Bengals salvage brutally slow start to free agency?
Continue reading...
