The Bengals can't waste a year of Joe Burrow. The time to win is now.  However Bengals are not even close on DE's Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart. What Bengals front office are going hard headed over would not even be an issue for most NFL teams, such as guaranteed contracts.

If the Bengals try to play 2025 without either of these players, they will lose. They have to sign one of them before training camp not that far away. The Bengals are trying to improve one of the worst defenses in NFL, but if neither play for Bengals, the defense will be even worse and Bengals will be a last place team.

There are trade offers for Hendrickson for a 2nd round pick next season, and trade offers for Stewart for even worse picks next season.  None of that helps the Bengals in 2025, and the Bengals need to WIN NOW while they have Burrow, Chase, Higgins to make a Super Bowl run.  You can not go Super Bowl without a good Defense though.  

The hour is getting late.  All Bengals have done is make both Hendrickson and Stewart very mad.  They wanted to play for The Bengals, but they have about had it with Mike Brown and his front office hard headed cheap ways.  

If Bengals do not sign one of them, Bengals will not win.  If Bengals front office refuses to sign either, then Bengals front office wasted their money on Burrow, Chase, Higgins, because Bengals will lose without Defensive Ends.

Of the 2, we know Hendrickson is good.  The rookie has not proved he belongs in NFL yet. If the plan was to draft a rookie and jerk Hendrickson around in contracts, that plan has blown up in Mike Browns face.

I hope it works out.  We Bengals Fans could have a Super Bowl team if Front Office would just stop jacking around on contracts. It's time to roll out the footballs and have Summer camp and Preseason and get ready to WIN in 2025.  All Super Bowl Teams say it all began way back in Summer Camp,  It is time for Bengals front office to start thinking Super Bowl and get out of their Last Place Cheapness. 

Tell me if i'm wrong but one of my constant frustrations with this organization is their unwillingness to make the final one or two moves that REALLY make us threats to win it all. Here's the way I see it year by year:

2021 offseason: It was EXTREMELY clear that we needed a massive upgrade to our o-line. Burrow was coming off a shredded knee because of that awful line. What did we do? Signed an over the hill Riley Reiff and reached for Jackson Carman in the 2nd round. The result? I think most of us would say we were one solid o-lineman away from winning that SB. Extremely frustrating. It was SO OBVIOUS and they just didn't go all the way. Now we obviously had some great defensive signings this offseason but my point stands. And the o-line shortcomings kept us from getting the Lombardi.

2022: Atleast they tried here. We had the same issue as the year before but atleast this time they took it seriously and got us 3 new o-line starters in free agency and a rookie 4th round pick who started. That year I would mostly chalk up coming up short to bad luck. All those o-line injuries going into the playoffs killed us. Refs didn't help in that AFCCG either.

2023: We needed an upgrade at tackle (I would contend Volson should have been upgraded too but I can understand them thinking he would improve) and we got OBJ. Great signing.... On defense though, we lost Bates and attempted to go cheap (This will be a theme) to replace him with journeyman Nick Scott. Horrible signing. Set us back big time in addition to having a bad first round pick and really just getting stale on defense in general. Cody Ford was a solid signing as a backup (BACKUP being the key word....Obviously that has changed now). Overall just not enough again.

2024: Not signing Reader or a real replacement for him was a huge mistake. Signing a 30 year old Rankins was okay. There were better options but at the time it could have been a good signing IF they kept Reader like they probably should have. Also they attempted to fix their mistake from 2023 by signing Geno Stone to replace Scott. Was seen as a decent signing but again they went the cheap route for a position that was CLEARLY very important in Lou's system. Still just trying to put a serviceable body back there rather than fix the position with an exclamation point. Swing and a miss on both defensive free agent signings. Vonn Bell was basically free so I can't fault them for going back to him, but again this stale defense just keeps getting more stale. Could have used a veteran CB to replace Awuzie but nope. Cost us big time. Gisecki was a home run signing and Moss wasn't a bad signing, it just didn't really pan out. We could have used a guard at this point as Volson was still struggling and Cappa was declining rapidly. Just not quite doing enough. The draft was okay. Mims was a good first round pick but it was silly to expect our 2nd and 3rd round d tackles to contribute much in year one. Once again, just not quite enough.

2025: The most egregious example of this. We cut Cappa making us all think good things were coming. They saw a big weakness and wanted to upgrade there....Wellllllll as it turns out that was just a cost cutting move. We had 2 GLARING holes at left guard and right guard and our response was to re-sign Cody Ford, a solid BACKUP and Lukas Graham? A guy in his early 30's who's been a journeyman his entire career and a backup caliber player are going to protect our franchise qb. Have we not seen this movie enough times by now to know how it could end? Burrow has already had 2 serious injuries in 5 seasons. There have been multiple upgrades available since March and this organization would apparently rather save that money then massively improve Burrows chances of staying healthy and taking us to the promise land. Add to that the lack of a veteran CB that most would say would have been a wise move, then the decision to go for a 25 year old linebacker over a stud guard in the 2nd round. They just simply refuse to make the final one or two moves that would put them over the top. They are either counting on two backup caliber guards to suddenly play better than they have ever played OR they are counting on a 3rd and 5th round pick to start in year one and produce. And at corner we are relying on Hill coming off an ACL (Almost always takes 2 years to fully be back) and CTB who is coming off a horrible season. We hope Turner will take another step but if we have any injuries we are in trouble. Same at safety. So many moves could have been made that would have really upgraded this team. Instead we sit. Like we seem to do often.

Yeah i'm ranting, but I think my point is valid. We always end up one or two moves short of really being a team capable of the SB we all desperately want. But do the Browns desperately want it? I have my doubts.

2025

Wondering what the buzz is on Erick All and his return? He showed alot of promise last yr before he blew out his knee again
Without him, we really have one trick ponies at the TE position: Mike G is a large WR and Sample, well you know what he does..block

We close out our 2025 Ranking today with G-Sticky and the boyz. Where we got the trio of G-Sticky-Sample-Hudson? As always:

ARZ: TREY MCBRIDE-TIP REIMAN-ELIJAH HIGGINS
ATL: KYLE PITTS-CHARLIE WOERNER-FEELIPE FRANKS
BAL: MARC ANDREWS-ISIAH LIKELY-CHARLIE KOLAR
BUF: DAWSON KNOX-DALTON KINCAID-JACKSON HAWES
CAR: TOMMY TRIMBLE-JATAVION SANDERS-MITCHELL EVANS
CHI: COLE KMET-COLSTON LOVELAND-DURHAM SMYTHE
CLV: DAVID NJOKU-HAROLD FANIN-BLAKE WHITEHEART
DAL: JAKE FERGUSON-LUKE SCHOONMAKER-BRYVEN SPANFORD
DEN: EVAN ENGRAM-ADAM TROUTMAN-LUCAS KRULL
DET: SAM LAPORTA-BROCK WRIGHT-KENNY YABOAH
GBP: TUCKER KRAFT-LUKE MUSGRAVE-BEN SIMS
HOU: DALTON SCHULTZ-BREVIN JORDAN-CADE STOVER
IND: TYLER WARREN-MO ALLIECOX-DREW OLGETREE
JAX: BRENTON STRANGE-JOHNNY MUNDT-HUNTER LONG
KCC: TRAVIS KELCEE-NOAH GRAY-JARED WILEY
LVR: BROCK BOWERS-MICHAEL MYERS-IAN THOMAS
LAC: WILL DISLEY-TYLER CONKLIN-ORANDE GADSEN
LAR: TYLER HIGBEE-TERRENCE FERGUSON-COLBY PARKINSON
MIA: JONNU SMITH-JILIAN HILL-PHAROH BROWN
MIN: TJ HOCKENSEN-JOSH OLIVER-GAVIN BARTHALOMEW
NEP: HUNTER HENRY-AUSTIN COOPER-JAHEIM BELL
NOS: JUWAN JOHNSON-TAYSOM HILL-FOSTER MOREAU
NYG: THEO JOHNSON-DANIEL BELLINGER-CHRIS MANHERTZ
NYJ- MASON TAYLOR-JEREMT RUCKART-STONE SMARTT
PHI:  DALLAS GOEDERT-GRANT CALCATERRA-KYLEN GRANSEN
PIT:  PAT FRIERMUTH-DARNELL WASHINGTON-CONNER HEYWARD
SFF: GEORGE KITTLE-LUKE FARRELL-ROS DWELLY
SEA: NOAH FANT-ELIJAH ARROYO-AJ BARNER
TBB: CADE OTTON-PAYNE DURHAM-KO KEIFT
TEN: CHIG OKONKWO-JOSH WHYLIE-GUNNAR HELM
WAS: ZACH ERTZ-JOHN BATES-BEN SINNOTT

AVAILABLE: GERALD EVERETT-JORDAN AKIINS-CJ UZOMAH

Who takes a big jump this year and becomes a really, really good player?

I am between two. I think Mims takes a huge jump and I also think DJ Turner turns into a really good CB this year. He was playing very, very well most of the season until he got hurt in the Charges game.

There is a lot of passion about the Bengals FO. We see the discussions from many who feel the FO is inept or those who feel they are not. Let's grade them on cap management, roster (draft, FA and Cuts), contract management and anything else you feel is relevant. Also the coaching staffs they hire/fire each year.

I used current as the current FO is not 100% tied to what happened 10 years agao and even less so goingback decades
Facts
Contract disputes with Trey, Tee and Jamar the past 2 years and now a hiccup with our 1st round pick.
Regular Season Record last 5 years - 44 - 38 - 1
Playoff record (2 of 5 years) - 5-1 and lost 2021 Super Bowl
Burrow injured in 2020 his rookie year and Bengals won 4 games
Bengals one of biggest turnarounds in NFL history going from 4 wins to the Super Bowl with a 2nd year QB
Lost in AFC championship game in 2022 to the Super Bowl inning Chiefs
Traditionally use mostly NFL norms for contracts, not pushing a lot of cap in future years like Saints, Ravens, 49ers, Bills and a few others.
This method hampers their ability to sign additional free agents or more expensive free agents
Made Burrow the highest paid QB is history on his 2nd contract
Made Chase the highest paid non QB in 2025
Made Higgins one of top paid WR's in the NFL
Cut underperformers in 2025
No huge spashes in FA since Trey (Trey at the time was not a huge splash,but outplayed his contract).

Other can add more on eother side of the FO ledger.

Using a grading normal a is outstanding, B , C , D or F grade the FO

Time to go finish up the D and we do so with the CBs. Looks like our dime will be Hill-Turner-CTB-Fig. So where we got them compared to the rest of the league. As always the competition:

ARZ: WILL JOHNSON-STARLING THOMAS-GARRETT WILLIAMS-MAX MELTON
ATL: AJ TERRELL-MIKE HUGHES-DEE ALFORD-KEITH TAYLOR
BAL: NATE WIGGINS-CHIDOBE AWUZIE-MARLON HUMPHREY-TJ TAMPA
BUF: CHRISTIAN BENFORD-MAX HARISTON-TREDAVIOUS WHITE-TERON JOHNSON
CAR: JAYCEE HORN-MICHAEL JACKSON-CHAU SMITHWADE-SHERM BARTOLOMEW
CHI: JAYLON JOHNSON-TYREK STEVENSON-KYLER GORDONTERELL SMITH
CLV: DENZEL WARD-MARTIN EMERSON-GREG NEWSOME-TONY BROWN
DAL: DARON BLAND-TREVON DIGGS-ISREAL MUKUAMU-KAIIR ELAM
DEN: PAT SURTAIN-RILEY MOSS-JAHDAE BARRON-KRIS ABRAMS
DET: TERRION ARNOLD-DJ REID-ENNIS RAKESTRAW-KHALIL DORSEY
GBP: CARRINGTON VALENTINE-KEISEAN NIXON-NICK HOBBS-JAVON BULLARD
HOU: DEREK STINGLEY-KAMARI LASITER-JALEN PITRE-JAYLIN SMITH
IND: JAYLON JONES-CHAVARIOUS WARD-KENNY MOORE-JUJU BRENTS
JAX: TRAVIS HUNTER-JARRION JONES-TYSON CAMPBELL-JOURDAN LEWIS
KCC: TRENT MCDUFFIE-KRISTIAN FULTON-CHAM CONNER-JAYLEN WATSON
LVR: JAKORIAN BENNETT-ERIC STOKES DARNAY HOLMES-DARIAN PORTER
LAC: DONTE JACKSON-CAM HART-TARHEEB STEEL-DEANE LEONARD
LAR: DARIOUS WILLIAMS-AK WITHERSPOON-QUENTIN LAKE-EMMANUEL FORBES
MIA: JALEN RAMSEY-STORM DUCK-KADER KOHOU-CAM SMITH
MIN: ISIAH ROGERS-MEKHI BLACKMON-BYRON MURPHY-JEFF OKUDAH
NEP: CARLTON DAVIS-CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ-MARCUS JONES-ALEX AUSTIN
NOS: KOOLAID MCKINSTREY-ALONTAE TAYLOR-UGO AMADI-ISSAC YIADOM
NYG: PAULSON ADEBO-DEONTE BANKS-DRU PHILLIPS-CORDALE FLOTT
NYJ- SAUCE GARDNER-BRANDON STEPHENS-MICHAEL CARTER-QWAN STIGGERS
PHI:  QUINYON MITCHELL-KELEE RINGO-COOPER DEJEAN-ADOREE JACKSON
PIT:  JOEY PORTER JR-DARIUS SLAY-BEANIE BISHOP-JAMES PIERRE
SFF: DIOMMODORE LENOIR-RENARDO GREEN-UPTON STOUT-TRE BROWN
SEA: RIQ WOOLEN-JOSH JOBE-DEVON WITHERSPOON-NEMIAHA PRICHARD
TBB: ZYON MCCALLUM-JAMEL DEAN-TYRICK SMITH-JOSH HAYES
TEN: LJARIUS SNEED-JARVIS BROWNLEE-ROGER MCCREARY-MARCUS HARRIS
WAS: MIKE SAINRISTIL-MARSHON LATTIMORE-NOAH IGBINOGHENE-TREY AMOS

AVAILABLE: JAIRE ALEXANDER-ASANTE SAMUAL-RASUL DOUGLAS-MIKE HILTON

Forget the 0 super bowl wins, The endless botched draft picks, The myriad of 10+ loss seasons

And Generally being regarded as one of the most incompetent and poorly run pro sports franchises in the world.....


What they are doing right now is truly remarkable.

- Hendrickson multi year contract saga

- Drafting 2 First Round DEs in the span of 24 months who cant sack the QB  

- Shamar Stewart Saga

- Inability to work with the city on the stadium lease - Deadlocked

- Current Cap Space of 31.9 Mll (9th most in the NFL as of today)


This team continues to be an absolute embarrassment for the fans and people of Cincinnati.    They are the same level of ineptitude as the Reds

I find this comment "interesting" because I feel it is all that is wrong with this Offense approach.

Thoughts?

https://www.bengals.com/news/joe-burrow-takes-bengals-offense-for-a-star-trek-spin-i-think-we-re-in-a-spot-that-we-haven-t-been-before

Quote:"If we're in defensive battles, then you come out and you don't turn the ball over, you get the ball out of your hands, you play the field position game. If they're scoring, then you go try to make plays, and run around and do all those good things. I go into every single game ready to adapt to whatever the game needs for me to try to win."

11 open practices...9 of them in the morning which is a big change from the Bengals traditional afternoon practices

INCINNATI — The Bengals released their training camp schedule to the public on Wednesday.

Fans will get 11 chances to see Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals practice during camp this year. That includes a special Saturday night practice on August 2.

Check out complete dates for all of their training camp practices open to the media below:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 --Gates open at 9:30 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 24 --Gates open at 9:30 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 25 --Gates open at 9:30 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 27 (Season Ticket & Waitlist Members Only; Ticket Required) --Gates open at 9 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 28 --Gates open at 9:30 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30 --Gates open at 9:30 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 31 --Gates open at 9:30 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUG. 2 (Saturday Night Stadium Practice; Ticket Required) --Gates open at 5 p.m. --Practice from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUG. 3 --Gates open at 9:30 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUG. 9 (Season Ticket & Waitlist Members Only; Ticket Required) --Gates open at 1:15 p.m. --Practice from 2:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUG. 10 (Club Members Only; Ticket Required) --Gates open at 9 a.m. --Practice from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.