Any Ideas for a BOLD move that could set the Bengals up for Greater Success ?

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-05-2024, 05:40 PM)Whatever Wrote: Henry and Fant would be guys I think could be serviceable in our current offense, but they aren't guys I'm changing my offense around for.

Another big issue is Zac is not a 2 TE disciple.  You'll need to bring in an OC to run that offense and then hope you can get the personnel to run it adequately.   And that's if Burrow doesn't reject it.

It's a good FA crop for WR's and there's a lot of good WR talent in the draft, as well.  I feel a lot more confident that can reload with the current system than making such a shift.

I'll point out that in 2021 we started 2 TEs 8 times. In 2022, we started 2 TEs both of the first 2 games until Sample got hurt.

I honestly believe we just have had bad TE rooms and a really good top-3 WRs. So it dictated some things.

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Here are some projected contract numbers while ignoring the WRs who are projected to get the franchise tag (Higgins, Pittman, and Ridley)....

Mike Evans: 3yr/$69m ($23m/yr)
Gabe Davis: 1yr/$12m (I would like him as our #2 WR if we're going 12 personnel.)
Marquise Brown: 1yr/$12m
Curtis Samuel: 2yr/$18m ($9m/yr)
Darnell Mooney: 1yr/$9m
Tyler Boyd: 2yr/$17.5m ($8.75m/yr)
Kendrick Bourne: 2yr/$14m ($7m/yr)

Dalton Schultz: 3yr/$33m ($11m/yr)
Noah Fant: 3yr/$27m ($9m/yr)
Hunter Henry: 2yr/$12.25m ($6.125m/yr)
Gerald Everett: 1yr/$5.5m

....I think no matter what two WRs you add there, you're going to have a worse WR group in '24 than '23 and for a whole lot more money (Higgins and Boyd had a combined $14.25m cap hit in 2023). You're going to be paying around $9m/yr for very mediocre WRs.

Meanwhile even if you only sign one of those TEs and draft another you already have a MUCH better TE group in '24 than '23. Sign two of them and then use a later draft pick on a third and it's suddenly a strength. It also hopefully protects Burrow better and also helps the running game.