What We Need To Do

[3wt]

PLEASE FORGIVE THE LENGTH OF THIS POST

We appear to have won the lottery. After watching the National Championship Game and the more I read from people more knowlegeable than me, this guy’s the real deal. He has all the necessary physical tools and ALL the intangibles to be the next great QB in the NFL.

But we have some work to do:

First – We need to not do to Burrow what Indy did to Luck. We need to protect him. To that end we need to use free agency to pick up two top notch offensive linemen. Hart played pretty well the last half of the season, but we could use a stud at right tackle. Miller did a passable job at right guard, but we need sure things in the interior. Hopefully Williams turns out to be who we drafted him to be at left tackle. I was dreaming of Whit coming in at left guard for the rest of his career, but that’s not happening, so we either sign a better left guard than what we have or draft one high. Hopefully Jordan pans out in the end.

Second – We need not to fool around; we need to sign Green. The only way I can think of doing that is giving Green a contract that has a reasonable floor for him, but protects the Bengals from another injury deleted season, while giving him a contract ceiling that treats him with the other elite receivers – all based on his ability to stay on the field.

Third - We need a bona fide vertical threat opposite Green besides Ross. Ross continues to have potential but is unreliable. Constantly injured; slows up on or runs the wrong routes; drops too many catchable balls. Burrow managed the pocket and made things happen on the run, but his receivers were – for the most part – very reliable. And they got open. Personally I like Jalen Reagor. He appears to be raw, does have some concentration drops, but plays like his pants are on fire and just presents as much more aggressive than Ross.

Fourth – We need to go out and get another defensive playmaker. Linebacker would be nice (I like the guy from the Rams) but someone that increases the odds that Burrow has the necessary opportunities to ply his craft. That’s what LSU was able to do in the championship game. And with the needed opportunities Burrow pulled himself up out of a mid game slump and defeated a world class defense.

Fifth – We need to deal Andy. Do NOT make the mistake of not committing to Burrow and screwing Andy over. Deal him before free agency so we have the currency to get what we need and Andy the chance to succeed somewhere else. What we get for him is less important than freeing the money and putting a team together.

Taylor has expressed confidence we will do what it takes (https://www.bengals.com/news/taylor-made-takes-however-we-can-improve-this-team-we-want-to-go-out-there-and-do-it ). The front office needs to not let him down.