Can we just take a step back and look at the roster?

[t3r3e3]

This post summed up what most know on here: The right side of the Oline, the LB corps, and depth at S,CB, TE, and DT are the obvious needs. It’s also true the Bengals have done a decent job of drafting, albeit with a collective subpar effort over the past 3 seasons. However...

The organization’s margin for error is far lower that many others. The reason for this is organization philosophy. The Brown Family eschews a willingness to maximize opportunities to challenge for titles for a policy of yearly profit maximization and overhead minimization. Hence, we see many examples of the team panned for petty frugality. One example is an absolute distaste for FA, and for lowballing impending FA’s that we’re quality draftees. This mindset runs counter to many successful orgs in the league, including more successful members of the AFC North. It also trickles down through the organization. Coaches see it, as do players. It’s hard to overcome lack of drive at the top and consistently put together a high quality team.