The official off season begins very soon.

https://operations.nfl.com/gameday/nfl-schedule/2025-important-nfl-dates/

February 24 - NFL combine begins
February 18 - March 4 - Teams can tag their own free agents
March 10- 12 Free agency begins
March 12 - teams can trade
April 24-26 - NFL draft in Green Bay

I hope the Bengals are active in FA and the FO becomes more creative structuring contracts.

I would argue this is a very important off season for Zac. I have a hunch the FO expects better production with a Joe Burrow led team.

Hopefully winter ending soon as the NFL ramps up the off season for 2025.

Signed a 1 year extension today.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-sign-ls-cal-adomitis-to-contract-extension-bengals-roster-update?fbclid=IwY2xjawIlszlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdRPo-lYWCjrwVYsTmbWIKYJPMkQK2Lbl8AoH7V7KRNd0hB-BWqPADTtFg_aem_TAjRXqF2OSa4QmAK7xS8iw

First cut of the year and the most obvious.

We have released DT Sheldon Rankins.

Read more → https://t.co/XSGBzDMZmm

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 21, 2025

The NFL today informed teams that the 2025 per-team salary cap will fall in the range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million, way up from last year's $255.4 million. Cap will have increased by more than $53 million over the last two years.

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) February 19, 2025

He was an ERFA but we got him through 2026

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/allbengals-insiders-plus/bengals-announce-contract-extension-for-punter-ryan-rehkow-01jmcq67gjdp

This is the kids in college, they grow up so fast!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6MJWLf13Nc

The incomparable uno...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJnsY3DAGWk

I’m done with “reclamation projects,” “potential stars,” and “can’t miss” players.

+++

Whatever the Cincinnati Bengals do via free agency, trades, and the draft, the Front Office needs to look at players with proven ability. This means “kicking the tires” on established performers like Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett, Amari Cooper, Budda Baker, Zack Martin and Mekhi Becton.* In the draft the Front Office needs to consider players from winning programs like Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, and the top teams in the SEC.

The Bengals have only three great performers who are definitely returning for 2025: Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Chase Brown. Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson may end up elsewhere. Burrow, Chase, and Brown will need to be surrounded by quality starters or the Bengals risk missing the playoffs for a third consecutive year.

*I am NOT suggesting looking at these players specifically, just players of this caliber.

Seeing a lot of talk in Bengals fandom about all these cuts we are going to make to free up cap....Do you guys REALLY think they're going to do that though? They might cut one or two but IMO Cappa won't be cut, Hubbard won't be cut and Stone will not be cut. This is the Bengals we're talking about. Mike Brown is horrible at this. He's cheap, but he's dumb cheap. How many years did he overpay Maualuga? We have a bad habit of keeping guys around that are not playing up to their salary. No clue why, since you know, they are CHEAP. We all know this is what SHOULD happen, but it's just not their way. I see Rankings being cut, maybe. Maybe one more, MAYBE.

Hope this continues to put pressure on the family…can’t really plead poor any more. They have plenty of money to get all of the deals done and improve through FA…

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/allbengals-insiders-plus/look-bengals-ownership-family-worth-nearly-4-billion-as-of-latest-forbes-400-list-01jm29rxmktg

I hope that Al Golden got a lot of money to return to Cincinnati.  It's difficult to view the situation he's inheriting and not seeing inevitable disappointment.  Considering where he is and what he will get compared to Anarumo's early years, he'd better be ready to do some Copperfield level magic.

Lou inherited a horrific defense in year one.  His major FA acquisition was BW Webb, a player he'd coached in NY.  Remember him?  Wouldn't fault you if you didn't.  Year 2, however, was a different approach.  The team anticipated Burrow being their number 1 pick and having a cheap qb for a few years.  They loaded up on defense in FA in a manner that we've never seen in franchise history.  Big money for a NT in Reader.  Big money for Waynes, who never panned out.  Shelling out for Alexander at nickel corner.  Vonn Bell was the cherry on top of the class.  Then came Wilson in the draft.

Year 3 might have been even more of a re-load.  They snagged possibly the best pass rusher in team history in Trey on day 1, a day we used to regard as out of reach for the Bengals.  Then another slot corner in Hilton when Alexander didn't work out.  They signed Chido to hedge against Waynes not getting on the field.  Then Ogunjobi.  Then the trade for Hill, who became an incredibly reliable player.

The organization went above and beyond to support Lou's vision on defense.  At times, he had 7 of 11 starters on defense that arrived via FA counting Apple.  It's crazy that so many of them actually worked out.

Al won't get close to that.  The rookie qb contract years are long gone.  We'd better hope that this guy is as good at development as his reputation suggests, because there's unlikely to be a cavalry any time soon.  He may have a fully developed offense to bail him out, but there's a lot of work to be done and few resources to plug in.  

Lou's tenure was the Fisher-Price My First DC job treatment.  Golden's will be the Thoughts and Prayers era.  Guess it's a good thing he's spent some time hanging with touchdown Jesus.  He'll need all the help he can get.