Options at 12?

[*ochocincos*]

(01-06-2018, 10:45 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: While you can never have "too many pass rushers", I think that it's also worth noting that the Bengals had big trouble stopping the run this season.  

Ya gotta put 'em in passing stiuations, in order for pass rushers to be a factor..

I get that, but three things in response:
1) Andrew Billings was drafted specifically to handle NT duties and he essentially was just a rookie last year and coming off a season-ending injury from the year prior. Not to mention he was only 20 when he entered the league two years ago so he's still rather young.
2) A ton of people (on this board especially) thought Billings would be a dominant NT for the Bengals and was worth their first round pick. When he fell to the fourth, everyone thought it was a steal. If you believed Billings was worth a first rounder because you thought he'd be dominant, why give up on that notion and look for a replacement after just one season? And if a player like Billings disappoints, who is to say Vea or Payne wouldn't do the same?
3) It's easier and cheaper to find a good run-stuffing NT in FA compared to a really good interior pass rusher.

With all that said, I think it makes sense to stick with Billings and bring in a cheaper FA to compete with him if you don't believe in him taking the next step in Year 3.
Draft the interior pass rusher because pass rushers are more expensive and this draft has a nice handful of those to pick from, plus Atkins could leave after 2018.
Getting an interior pass rusher now would not only line up a potential replacement for Atkins while giving that draft pick a year to develop, but it would also give the Bengals a good option to put next to him on passing downs in 2018.