Offseason To-Do List

[PlayerFormerlyKnownAsMousecop]

So with the season officially over after Pittsburgh finally being eliminated, and after much deliberating over my fanhood of this organization, like an abused housewife that keeps coming back, I'm still here.

What a junk season this was. Watching the team consistently lack toughness in key moments was probably the most difficult part for me. In a game that is centered around violence, teams that are not tough stick out like sore thumbs.

My To-Do List for this offseason would have started with firing Marvin Lewis, Ken Zampese, and giving Pauly G the option to leave or stay. Now that that clearly isn't going to happen, I suppose we should move on....

So here goes:

1) Re-sign Zeitler and other key players at all costs

If this means losing Whitworth, then so be it. But with the current state of this garbage offensive line, we need all the young talent we can get. I would throw the kitchen sink at Zeitler with our cap space and see what sticks.

2) Nail free agency at all costs

I'm still not completely sure what this would entail, but certain players like Le'veon Bell and Eric Berry are up for new contracts. Does this mean that I think we will/can/should sign these top tier guys? No. But the only way that we will be back into contention within the next couple of years is if we kick it into gear and bring in quality players from other teams (not the Karlos Dansbys of this years market). Look at the difference Alex Mack made for the Falcons and Matt Ryan this year.

3) Pick up an impact player at 9

Don't trade down. If anything, trade up. But we need Mike Williams, Reuben Foster, or Dalvin Cook if any of these guys are on the board when we pick IMO. I'm a little skeptical of taking an LB at 9 due to the Keith Rivers debacle, but Foster seems like a game changer and I've had little fantasies in my mind about him and Burfict on the field at the same time.

Besides that, Williams and Cook need to be priorities. We can get o-line depth in later rounds as well as secondary depth, and this run of 1st round corners needs to end as the results have been underwhelming. I truly believe that Willims and Cook will be elite players at their positions as soon as this year with the right players around them.

I'm open to other options here, but this draft needs to give us immediate impact players. Enough with this wait and see BS.

4) Revamp the F.O. and Let Tobin do his thing

This won't happen, but this front office is seriously lacking and during down years the lack of cohesion and organization on this team is glaringly obvious.

Overall, with the right moves, there is plenty of talent on this team for a 10 win season or more. No reason we can't pick up right where we left off before Dalton went down in 2015.

But if this F.O. continues to lallygag, the talent will be wasted and we will continue to lull in the AFC's bottom tier of franchises.

Now's the chance to make a difference and show your true mettle, Cincinnati Bengals. Young fans like me with their lives ahead of them will only put up with so much before we begin to flock to proven winners. And that's a promise.