You have only won six games in the last two years, but there are many reasons to be optimistic.
Second year quarterback Joe Burrow has the chance to become a star in the NFL. This team has other quality pieces like Jessie Bates, Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins.
The Bengals must do everything possible to bring as many talented players as possible to Burrow this off-season.
They seem to understand the importance of building around their star passerby, but that hasn’t stopped them sending mixed messages ahead of the NFL’s open negotiation period, which begins at 12 noon on Monday.
« We will certainly not be sitting on our hands, » said Bengal’s director of the player’s staff, Duke Tobin, last week. « We’ll be ready to jump in and see what we can do. Hopefully we can do the things we envision. »
That sounds like a team ready to move forward and be aggressive, but are they ready to step out of their comfort zone for a second off-season?
The organization has a cap range of between $ 40 million and $ 43 million, but according to Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson, almost half of that appears to be for their eight selection drafts and other seasonal items.
« With the ceiling lowered by about $ 15 million after the pandemic, the Bengals have recognized that they appear to be in better shape than most of the teams, » Hobson wrote on Sunday. « With the cap at $ 182.5 million, the Bengals will have to spend about $ 20 million in caps after spending $ 11 million on draft picks and other things like injuries, practice players and incentives . »
The Bengals have many needs. They need to add three new starters to the offensive line and urgently strengthen their pass rush and defensive line.
Using just $ 20 million in cap space is not enough to get the team around Burrow that introduces itself the most.
This is exactly what they should do with Burrow under center. They have to spend money, be aggressive, and put high quality pieces around their franchise star.
The Bengals will have the opportunity to attack the free hand. You can pursue Trent Williams, Joe Thuney, or any number of free agents when the NFL’s open negotiation period begins.
This is arguably the most important low season in Bengal history and starts at 12 noon on Monday.
We’ll have the latest free agency rumors and updates all week. Make sure you bookmark AllBengals.com and follow us on Twitter!
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