'It’s time for the Bengals to alter their offseason mindset.'

[*ochocincos*]

(01-17-2018, 01:39 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: You don't need 52 above average or better players on the roster.  Heck, let's just start with 22..

Not even the Jags have above average players at all starting positions, at least according to PFF.

Jags WRs: All "average" at best this season with Allen Robinson being out
Bortles: Average
TE: Average at best
RBs: Average from all-around, but Fournette had some truly elite moments as a runner, so we'll say above average.
FB: Poor
C: Above average
RG: Poor
LG: Below Average
LT: Poor
RT: Average

CBs: Above average to elite
Safeties: Above average
LBs: Above average to elite
DTs: Above average
DEs: Above average to elite

So out of the 22 starters, you see the entire defense has above-average players (thus why their defense was elite) but the offense only had above average play from Linder at C and you can consider Fournette too if it's from RB production standpoint but he was rated average on PFF for other things that I don't see listed. Let's be generous and say two above average starters on offense.
That's a total of 13 above-average players.
Five "average" players (Bortles, WRs, TE, RT), which takes the count to 18 average-or-better.
That leaves four starters (LT, LG, RG, FB) all below average.

So no, you don't need to have 22 above-average-to-elite level players. You just need very few poor performers.
The Bengals had the following below-average starters:
LT
C
RG
RT
WR2
FB
MLB
SLB
NT
CB2 (Kirkpatrick)

That's 10 underperforming starters.

I believe the Bengals have upgrades at RG and CB on the roster already, they just needed more playing time than the coaches were willing to give them.
So cut that number down to 8.
A team like the Jags have shown you can still do really well with a few spots underperforming, so cut 8 down to 5.
Pick up 2-3 impactful FAs like Jacksonville did in March 2017, and that number could go down to just a couple.
Replace those remaining with high draft picks on Day 1 and Day 2.

Problem solved...if the replacement players brought in are actually good players.