Big-Name Hunting Isn’t the Way Forward In Cincinnati
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to Who Dey Nation: Where both our passion and delusion know no bounds. We ride the highs and lows like we’re on The Beast at Kings Island, and every offseason, we turn into NFL general managers from the comfort of our couches. It might be time to put down the Miller Lites and pump the brakes on some of these free-agency dreams I’m seeing lately.
It happens like clockwork. A big-name free agent hits the market – or is merely rumored to be available – and within minutes, some Photoshop wizard on Instagram has him in a Cincinnati Bengals jersey. This year alone, I’ve seen Khalil Mack, Cooper Kupp, and… J.J. Watt??? wearing the Orange and Black. I swear, in two years, Bengals Reddit will be debating whether LeBron James would fit into Al Golden’s defensive scheme.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The Bengals will be making big moves this offseason, just not in the way some fans are hoping. Duke Tobin, the Bengals’ front office General, has already made it clear: the priority is keeping the Big 3 in the Queen City.
Step one is making Ja’Marr Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, and that will be no small task. He’s about to cash a check so big that even Joe Burrow might flinch. Chase is gonna have more money than that Prince after he scammed your aunt over Hotmail in the ‘90s.
Next, they have to somehow, some way, figure out how to keep Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson around. Burrow himself has said it’s possible with a little restructuring magic, turning owed money into signing bonuses and shifting contracts around like a salary cap Tetris game. Bengals fans hear this and immediately start believing in miracles. I mean, at this point, I think some fans expect Mike Brown to walk on water straight into Paycor Stadium, tossing out blank checks like Oprah.
But here’s where we need to check ourselves: outside of the Bengals’ current roster, things get a little unrealistic. Actually, A LOT unrealistic. Every year, fans convince themselves that Cincinnati is a prime destination for every impact free agent. Let’s be honest, you and I both know the Bengals aren’t exactly known for splurging on outside talent. This is Mike Brown we’re talking about, not Madden Franchise mode.
Yet, despite all of this, I still see Bengals fans listing off dream targets like me drunkenly rattling off my order at the Taco Bell Drive-Thru.
Hey, we just signed Chase to a historic deal, locked down Higgins and Hendrickson, and it looks like Mike Gesicki is staying. But what if we also got Aaron Donald? Maybe we bring back Vontaze? Oh, and we should totally pick up Gronk while we’re at it.
Would it be nice to land a superstar out of nowhere? Sure. But let’s not set ourselves up for heartbreak by thinking Cincinnati is the automatic landing spot for every available player. We’re not the Miami Heat, and this isn’t South Beach. The biggest selling points the Bengals have in recruiting free agents are Burrow’s ability to throw dimes and the Skyline Chili (okay, maybe just Joe Burrow).
We also have to face the fact that the Bengals didn’t find themselves out of the playoffs because of a lack of star power. Beyond Burrow/Chase/Higgins, they also had Chase Brown enjoying a breakout season while Hendrickson put up a career-high 17.5 sacks for the second straight season. The problems were all in the boring areas of the game: the trenches — particularly the defensive line depth beyond Trey — and the secondary.
And that’s good news, because those are easier (and cheaper) problems to fix than having no impact players to speak of. Cincinnati has their foundation down, and is working to lock them in for the long term. Now is the time to fill in the rest of the roster and accentuate those stars, not keep loading up at every flashy name that becomes available.
The Bengals are in a great spot. They’ve got a young, elite quarterback, a front office that’s publicly committed to keeping the main guys together, and a team that is (or at least, should be) consistently in the mix for a deep playoff run. That’s a lot to be excited about!
So let’s ease up on the Photoshopped jerseys and the unrealistic free agency wish lists. Instead, let’s focus on what actually is happening: Cincinnati securing their own impact guys and finding ways to improve the defense so that they can make another run at the Super Bowl.
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