What An Ideal Bengals Offseason Looks Like
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
The Bengals are approaching a critical point in their franchise’s direction. After losing out on a playoff spot for the 2023-2024 playoffs, they will look to return to their previous elite form next season. Zac Taylor will spearhead the charge into 2024 with high hopes.
“We look forward to rewarding them with championship-level football next year” Zac Taylor on the Bengals fans who turned out Sunday at Paycor for the season finale pic.twitter.com/9PEPkYiUn6
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) January 7, 2024
With the offseason officially underway for Cincinnati, there are several critical moves that the Bengals need to make to fully ensure their Super Bowl hopes remain alive and well.
Maintain the skill level of the wide receiver corps from the past three years
Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd were critical for Joe Burrow over the past three seasons. It has become undeniably clear, however, that their time together has likely come to a close.
"They know what I want. It's what (Tee and TB) want."
Ja'Marr Chase spoke on Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins heading into free agency.
"Those are my brothers. I love them to death." #Bengals @fox19 pic.twitter.com/gHfFJBZjRp
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) January 4, 2024
If either Higgins or Boyd depart this offseason, the Bengals have plenty of financial wiggle room, as they have over $68 million in cap space. They will want to find options to replace Boyd, the aging-but-reliable slot receiver, or Higgins, who is a WR1 for most teams and can beat defenses from anywhere on the field when he’s on his game.
It’s highly possible that the Bengals retain Tee Higgins via the franchise tag, leaving Boyd as the odd man out when the free agency period arrives. In that case, acquiring a reliable option in free agency or the upcoming draft, which is expected to be loaded with wide receiver talent, would help Joe Burrow not feel the expected loss of one of his targets too deeply.
Retain DJ Reader
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has already said that he would like to retain his mountain of a defensive tackle heading into the 2024 season. It appears as if the feeling is mutual.
Q: You hope to be back?
A: “Yeah. I hope so.”#Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader talks about his future in Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/Y6pPBylShb— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) January 8, 2024
Reader has been a cornerstone of the Bengals defense ever since he arrived in 2020. When he went down with his season ending injury against the Vikings, Lou Anarumo made it incredibly clear how valuable the defensive tackle is to the defense.
“We’re not oblivious to the things that come with all of this for our players,” Anarumo said. “It’s something that maybe everybody doesn’t see, but we see it. He’s a part of our family and it’s heartbreaking when you look at the scope of all of it. And so we’re definitely sensitive to it and hoping he has a full recovery, obviously.”
Focus on keeping Joe Burrow upright
Another possible Bengal that could be on their way out this offseason is Jonah Williams, leaving a major hole at the right tackle position if that is indeed the case. The fifth year tackle out of Alabama was a reliable asset to the Bengals’ o-line after making the transition from left to right tackle to make room for Orlando Brown.
If he does in fact hit the open market, he is slated to be one of the top options at offensive tackle, especially given his experience playing both sides.
“He’s set himself up to be the premier guy at tackle in the class” Ted Karras on Jonah Williams, hoping Bengals can bring him back. pic.twitter.com/ik5OctSMI6
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) January 7, 2024
After investing heavily in their offensive line via free agency over the last few years, the Bengals would be wise to get younger and invest a top pick in a lineman in this upcoming draft. They’ve only selected one lineman in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft since they drafted Joe Burrow, and that player (Jackson Carman) was a healthy scratch for a good chunk of the 2023 season.
Address the tight end position
Brock Bowers is likely to be well out of reach for the Bengals in the upcoming draft, and the next best option in the draft isn’t projected to be taken until the middle of the second round. Given that, combined with the Bengals’ cap flexibility, they could dip their toes in a decent tight end market in 2024.
Tanner Hudson was an extremely serviceable tight end for the Bengals in 2023, but he enters his age-30 season in 2024, and Drew Sample had small-but-critical contributions in 2023. That said, the Bengals biggest TE investment last offseason, Irv Smith, was largely a disappointment this season. If they choose to get younger going into next season, there will be plenty of affordable options. Among them are Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki, and Austin Hooper.
Allow the secondary to grow as a unit
The Bengals have a young and very talented secondary that is loaded with potential. However, their youth and inexperience seemed to be their undoing. While they were instrumental in the Bengals being tied for the fifth best turnover margin in the NFL (+10), they also gave up way too many big plays that were the deciding factor in several of the Bengals’ losses in 2023.
The movement will be led by CB Cam Taylor-Britt, who was the Bengals’ most reliable corner of 2023 when healthy, and safety Jordan Battle, who emerged as one of the top overall defensive players from the 2023 NFL Draft class.
Jordan Battle received a 90.0 PFF grade in week 18 after collecting 3 tackles, a sack, an INT and allowing 1 catch on 4 targets.
The Bengals rookie ended up being the highest graded defender for Cincinnati (82.5) after playing 524 snaps this year.
Of ALL rookie defenders this… pic.twitter.com/HmNeIfpT96
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) January 8, 2024
Veteran Mike Hilton, youngster Daxton Hill, and 2023 draftee DJ Turner will also be returning next season. With no player leaving, the secondary should have no problem making a leap as a whole in 2024.
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