Should we start one? The WR contracts are getting insane. If they don't accept something reasonable we might not ever get a deal done with Tee or Chase with the way the WR payscale is just exploding.

Chase and Tee wouldn't like it. But we could tag Tee again next year and Chase will be on his 5th year option. The following year 2026 tag Chase and Tee ends up leaving, hopefully Yoshi steps up and has a big year but he would probably end up leaving because we would tag Chase again in 27. Then maybe it's time to tag Burton in 28.

At least we are usually good at drafting WRs. We would have to continue using early round picks on WRs and using the franchise tag when we hit.

No Tee as expected and no Ja'Marr either. More work for the youngsters

Also no Sheldon Rankins or Trent Brown. I would like to see free agents be here. Brown was here a couple of weeks ago so he may be just delayed. We'll see what happens as the day goes by

For our next group we move back to the defensive side of the ball and focus on our IDL. We didn't rank this group last year but we were 31st in YPC last year, so that's not good. We've brought in some new blood, so where we got HILL_RANKINS_JENKINS? As always, the competition:

ARZ: BILAL NICHOLS/ JUSTIN JONES/ KHYIRIS TONGA
ATL: ZACH HARRISON/ DAVID ONYEMATA/GRADY JARRETT
BAL: JUSTIN MADUBUIKE/ MICHAEL PIERCE/ BRODERICK WASHINGTON
BUF: DAQUAN JONES/ ED OLIVER/ DEWAYNE CARTER
CAR: ASHAWN ROBINSON/ SHY TUTTLE/ DERRICK BROWN
CHI: ANDREW BILLINGS/ GERVON DEXTER/ BYRON COWART
CLV: DALVIN TOMLINSON/ SHELBY HARRIS/ MICHAEL HALL
DAL: OSA ODIGHIZUWA/ CHAUNCEY GOLDSTON/ MAZI SMITH
DEN: ZACH ALLEN/ DJ JONES/ JOHN FRANKLIN-MYERS
DET: ALIM MCNEILL/ DJ READER/ LEVI ONWUZRIKE
GBP: DEVONTE WYATT/ KENNY CLARK/ KARL BROOKS
HOU: DENICO AUTRY/ FOLEY FATUKASI/ TIM SETTLE
IND: DEFOREST BUCKNER/RAEKWON DAVIS/ GROVER STEWART
JAX: ARIK ARMSTEAD/ DAVON HAMILTON/ ROY ROBERTSON-HARRIS
KCC: DERRICK NNADI/ CHRIS JONES/ MIKE PENNEL
LAC: OTTO OGBONNIA/ POONA FORD/ JUSTIN EBOIGBE
LAR: BRADEN FISKE/ BOBBY BROWN III/ KOBIE TURNER
LVR: CHRISTIAN WILKINS/ JOHN JENKINS/ TYREE WILSON
MIA: ZACH SIELER/ NEVILLE GALLIMORE/ DASHAWN HAND
MIN: JERRY TILLERY/ HARRISON PHILLIPS/ JONATHAN BULLARD
NEP: KEION WHITE/ DAVON GODCHAUX/ CHRISTIAN BARMORE
NOS: NATHAN SHEPHERD/ KHALEN SAUNDERS/ BRYAN BREESE
NYG: DJ DAVIDSON/ DEXTER LAWRENCE/ RAKEEM NUNEZ-ROCHES
NYJ: JAVON KINLAW/ QUINNEN WILLIAMS/ LEKI FOTU
PHI: JORDAN DAVIS/ JALEN CARTER/ THOMAS BOOKER
PIT: LARRY OGUNJOBI/ KEEANU BENTON/ CAMERON HEYWARD
SEA: DREMONT JONES/ JARRAN REED/ LEONARD WILLIAMS
SFF: MALIEK COLLINS/ JAVON HARGRAVE/ JORDAN ELLIOTT
TBB: CALIJAH KANCEY/ VITA VEA/ LOGAN HALL
TEN: SEBASTIAN JOSEPH-DAY/ TVONDRE SWEAY/ JEFFERY SIMMONS
WAS: DARON PAYNE/ JONATHAN ALLEN/ JERZHAN NEWTON

TOP FA’s: FLETCHER COX/ HASSAN RIDGEWAY/ LINVAL JOSEPH

While we’re on the subject one player I’d bring in for TC is BRYAN MONE. He was a UDFA outta Michigan. Due to injury and Covid he’s not seen a lot of the field, but in 2021 he managed 35 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 4 STF, 2022 he had 4.4 STF, so he’s strong at the point of attack. He’ 6’3” 345  

and allow Dan Pitcher full ownership in determining direction of the offense.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/zac-taylor-says-he-ll-take-a-step-back-and-allow-dan-pitcher-to-take-ownership-in-the-direction-of-the-offense/ar-BB1mVFS4?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Quote:Dan Pitcher, the Cincinnati Bengals new offensive coordinator/old QB coach, was a hot commodity the past couple of offseasons, interviewing for multiple OC jobs.

And that’s for good reason.

“Dan knows what the heck he’s doing,” said receiver Trenton Irwin.

Head coach Zac Taylor agrees. That’s why he’s decided to hand over more of the offense to his offensive coordinator this year.

“I’ll take a step back this spring,” Taylor said, “And let [Pitcher] take ownership in the direction of the offense.”

As Cincinnati.com’s Charlie Goldsmith writes, tight end Drew Sample said it was “awesome” that Pitcher is taking more of a leadership role and that the offensive coordinator has “added new wrinkles.”
So what specifically does that mean? Here’s what Goldsmith has observed so far in camp:

The Bengals’ playbook has changed more this offseason than it has in any offseason since Burrow’s rookie year. In 2024, the Bengals are interested in lining up more under center, using the play action passing game more, and marrying their run game, their screens and their drop back passing game more than they have over the last few years.

That’s good news for a team that has seen its star quarterback, Joe Burrow, take more than his share of hits

Just saw that Bengals will host a joint practice with the Colts prior to their final preseason game. I have very mixed feelings. On the one hand, I like seeing the starters getting some time against another team, but practice is not game speed and also can be less controllable.

I would rather see the starters get a few series in at least one preseason game. This would seem to make that less likely again this season leading to possibly another slow start. Not a fan of joint practices.

Let's give it up for this year's nominees ?

?: https://t.co/JIxEjHagtI pic.twitter.com/vW4iFpF40L

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 22, 2024

Major improvements coming to Paycor Stadium.

?: https://t.co/YPyci7lCIF pic.twitter.com/jHgKtxZaA8

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 21, 2024

I've always felt this is Chase's true calling in the NFL from the Slot WR.  With teams double teaming team him, while out on an island at WR, it always made sense to me to put him in the Slot so he could move around and try to create a mismatch.  Burton reminds me so much of Chris Henry and will provide the deep verticle threats along with TEE Higgins.  We just have to see how fast our O-Line can get up to speed to allow Joey time to dissect defenses.  Having Drew Sample in the backfield at H should help as an extra blocker and a check-down option.  I'm starting to get excited about this year's team!

WHO DEY!!

Chase Brown
Noah Cain
Elijah Collins
Chris Evans
Zack Moss
Trayveon Williams

I'll add that Bengals do not have a FB listed on team. Some NFL teams still like to have a FB. Elijah Collins last week was listed by Bengals,com as a HB, and this week is only one listed as a RB. Could the 6 foot, 220 pound rookie from Oklahoma State be the guy they might be looking at as a possible blocking back at goal line or 3rd and short.

Mixon is gone and he was a workhorse. None of these names would be Fantasy Football early draft picks, but some have to step up, because the void left by Mixon gone needs filled. It is an opportunity for somebody to be a #1 rusher on an NFL team. Chase Brown showed flashes of promise. Moss can catch. It can't be all Joe Burrow every play, one of these dudes has to tear up NFL defenses a little.

To win in the AFC North, all 4 teams lean heavy on a running game. The frozen North is not fast track West Coast sunshine states. The opportunity is there for one of these players to be a 1,000 yard rusher for Bengals in 2024. A Star Is Born.

GO BENGALS

We next move to the Offensive side of the ball and look at our bookends. We cannot say the Bengals have not tried to address this; we've just had mixed results. This year we roll with the Ghidorah of Brown-Brown-Mims

Last year we ranked out OTs about average:
http://thebengalsboard.com/Thread-Rank-Our-OTs-2023

As always The competition:
ATL: JAKE MATTHEWS/ KALEB MCGARY/ STORM NORTON
ARZ: BUDPARIS JOHNSON/ JONAH WILLIAMS/ KELVIN BEACHUM
BAL: RONNIE STANLEY/ DANIEL FAALELE/ ROGER ROSENGARTEN
BUF: DION DAWKINS/ SPENCER BROWN/ LA’EL COLLINS
CAR: IKEM EKWONU/ TAYLOR MOTON/ YOSH NIJMAN
CHI: BRAXTON JONES/ DARNELL WRIGHT/ LARRY BOROM
CLV: JEDRICK WILLIS/ JACK CONKLIN/ DAWAND JONES
DAL: TYLER GUYTON/ TERENCE STEELE/ CHUMA EDOGA
DEN: GARETT BOLLES/ MIKE MCGLINCHEY/ MATT PEART
DET: TAYLOR DECKER/ PENEI SEWELL/ GIOVANNI MANU
GBP: RASHEED WALKER/ ZACH TOM/ JORDAN MORGAN
HOU: LAREMY TUNSIL/ BLAKE FISHER/ DAVID SHARPE
IND: BERNHARD RAIMANN/ BRADEN SMITH/ MATT GONCALVES
JAX: CAM ROBINSON/ ANTON HARRISON/ WALKER LITTLE
KCC: WANYA MORRIS/ JAWAAN TAYLOR/ LUCAS NIANG
LAC: RASHAWN SLATER/ JOE ALT/ TREY PIPKENS
LAR: ALARIC JACKSON/ ROB HAVENSTIEN/ JOE NOTEBOOM
LVR: KOLTON MILLER/ THAYER MUNFORD/ DELMAR GLAZE
MIA: TERRON ARMSTEAD/ AUSTIN JACKSON/ PATRICK PAUL
MIN: CHRISTIAN DARRISAW/ BRIAN ONEILL/ WALTER ROUSE
NEP: CHUK OKORAFOR/ MIKE ONWENU/ CAEDAN WALLACE
NOS: TALIESE FUAGA/ RYAN RAMCYZK/ TREVOR PENNING
NYG: ANDREW THOMAS/ EVAN NEAL/ JERMAINE ELUEMANOR
NYJ: TYRON SMITH/ MORGAN MOSES/ OLU FASHANU
PHI: JORDAN MAILATA/ LANE JOHNSON/ MEKHI BECTON
PIT: TROY FAUTANU/ BRODERICK JONES/ DAN MOORE
SEA: CHARLES CROSS/ ABRAHAM LUCAS/ GEORGE FAINT
SFF: TRENT WILLIAMS/ COLTON MCKIVITZ/ JAYLON MOORE
TBB: TRISTAN WIRFS/ LUKE GOEDEKE/ JUSTIN SKULE
TEN: JC LATHAM/ DILLON RADUNZ/ NICHOLAS PETIT-FRERE
WAS: BRANDON COLEMAN/ ANDREW WYLIE/ CONRELIUS LUCAS

TOP FA’s: DAVID BAKHITARI/ DONOVAN SMITH/ CHARLES LENO/ DUANE BROWN