ESPN had a number of their "experts" make predictions for the 2024 season, and two pick us to make the Super Bowl, with one having us win it!

Quote:Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Packers over Bengals. A healthy quarterback Joe Burrow will put the Bengals back in the mix as one of the top teams in the AFC. It's the Packers, however, who win the Super Bowl because of quarterback Jordan Love's difference-making ability and a change in defensive philosophy under new coordinator Jeff Hafley.

Quote:Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Bengals over Lions. Obviously, this is a bold exercise at this point, so I'm putting two teams in the Super Bowl who've never won it and banking on someone making history. (Even though the real answer is probably the Chiefs making a different kind of history.) Assuming Burrow is 100% healthy from his thumb injury, Cincinnati has a loaded roster (that went 9-8 in 2023 because Burrow got hurt) and gets to play a last-place schedule. And the Lions, who came closer to the Super Bowl without getting there than many, return with their coaching staff intact and should improve on defense through free agency and the draft.

Two of the worst free agent signings in team history.

This isn't getting talked about enough. Why does the front office, and mainly Tobin, get off the hook for such an abysmal off-season last year?

Orlando Brown was basically gift wrapped to us. Every other move we made stunk and let's not talk about the guys that got away.

Really need to see more from Duke this off-season.

For me, it's Chris Jones.
Gimme that force in the middle.

According to Chad Reuter of NFL.com this class earns a B+ grade after their first season. The article seems to echo the same sentiments that many of us have expressed on here, regarding last year's rookie class.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/bengals-draft-class-earns-high-grade-after-debut-season/ar-BB1ilNJH?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=da9479ba27374650959c0d03f72ef7c3&ei=25

Quote:After its debut season led by first-rounder Myles Murphy, the Cincinnati Bengals draft class returns pretty rave reviews.

It was far from perfect, but looking at the draft class over the long term, it looks like Duke Tobin and Co. might have a hit.

That's the consensus from NFL.com's Chad Reuter, who gives the draft class a "B+" grade after the season and especially liked the Day 2 showings:

On the other hand, the Bengals needed both Day 2 picks to step into big roles right away, thanks to veteran departures in the secondary last offseason. Battle was thrown into the fire in the second half of the year and acquitted himself nicely, making plays against the run and pass. Turner's athleticism was obvious, and he did not shy from contact, but the rookie gave up three touchdowns in the final four games and missed several tackles through the season, according to Pro Football Focus. He'll need to clean things up in Year 2 to be an above-average NFL starter.

That's a good summary -- DJ Turner and Jordan Battle had their obvious mistakes, but both appear to be starters for the secondary from here.

Same story with Murphy, who didn't break into the rotation in a notable way until late in the season, yet showed some serious signs he can be an every-down contributor.

Wideouts Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas, as well as running back Chase Brown, also suggested in small sample sizes that they could have bigger roles as soon as next year.

Meaning, if things keep trending this way, the draft grade could actually improve in future years, which would be nothing but a good thing for a team that wants to keep its contention window open as long as possible.

SI, Bleacher Report and others have Joe Mixon responding to rumors he may be cut. Thoughts?

Couple questions, I'd like folks thoughts on.

Do we need an upgrade to LB3?
Are we content with LB3,4,5 being special teams positions?
If Pratt or Wilson go down are we comfortable with LB3 stepping in full time?
Would you consider drafting a LB early (Trotter)
Would you consider signing an upgrade FA? Or content with re-signing all 3 backups?

Let’s go. pic.twitter.com/ooaCxMhmeV

— Lindsay Patterson (@LndsPatterson) February 14, 2024

Here to Brownspalin how the Bengals are dead ass broke despite having a ton of cap space this offseason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXF_eVDvWRM

Alright, I am going to take a shot at a Roster Overview slash Free Agency & Draft Primer for the 2024 off-season.

This is gonna be a bear. I am going to start with an overall cap & roster analysis viwe from 30,000 feet thing. Then dial in on a position group by position group analysis. Will start with what I consider the higher priority groups (WR, DT/NT, OT, TE, CB) and then move on to medium (P, S, IOL, LB, RB) and low priority (QB, DE, PK, LS) groups.

I.  Important Off-Season Dates

1. 2/20: Can designate franchise & transition tags.
2. 2/27-3/4. Scouting combine in Indy.
3. 3/5: Franchise/transition tag deadline.
4. 3/11-3/13: FA negotiating period starts.
5. 3/13, 4 pm: all teams must be cap compliant.
6. 3/14, 4 pm: Can sign FAs, trades consumated, designate June 1 cuts, deadline for QOs to RFAs.
7. 4/19: Deadline for RFA's to sign offers.
8. 4/25-27: NFL Draft
---------

EDIT: The cap came in higher than expected, the post has been edited to reflect the $255.4 mil cap instead of the $242.5 mil estimate I used earlier. 


II.  Estimated Bengals Current Cap Space: Part I: $83,731,303.

A. Estimate Room
1. Estimated 2024 Cap: $255,400,000
2. 2023 Rollover: $10,766,741
----------------
3. Bengals Cap 2024: $266,166,741

B. Estimated Costs (Total)
1. Dead Money: $1,775,689
2. Signed Starters (19): $154,255,691
3. Signed Reserves (+10=29): $13,398,174
4. Signed Bubble (+8=37): $13,005,884
--------------
5. Total Signed (37): $182,435,438
--------------------
6. Take 1 Current Space: $83,731,303

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/cap/

Now, astute readers will rightly point out that the $83 mil in cap space is not real. And I agree, it is less. It only accounts for 37 signed players, we need 53. It does not include some players we have signed (futures guys and guys whi never made the 63 last year). True. It does not account for draft picks, again true. And it does not account for the Practice Squad, which counts against the cap once the season starts. True.

For this exercise, I have chosen to assume all our signed guys who were on the 53 will be back. That won't be true. But for most, it will not move the cap math much/at all. If a larger salary guy is released, it won't happen until after FA starts or the draft is done, and the whole point of this is to guess at where we are now.

I did not count the Future's guys and Maxwell/Kirkland/Cochrane because I do not think they make the team. And if they do, they are displacing a higher salaried guy. The only guy with any dead money is Maxeell at $16,667. Signing them or cutting them does not negatively impact the cap. Further, they currently count as MIN salary guys, Practice Squad salaries are significantly lower. And will be counted off our available space shortly.

As will the Draft Picks. But the Draft is after FA. By the time the draft actually gets here, those guys are gonna be displacing signed guys on the roster,,not filling up empty spaces on a 53. The only pick that is likely to make significantly more than the guy he displaces is the Rd1 guy. Rd2 by a smidge, but Rd2-Rd7, in aggregate, likely save us money by displacing higher salaries players.

So, let's start to fill out the roster in a reasonable way and see what we have left, shall we? This is getting long, so I will break it up and make the follow up post in a bit.