I was curious how people would rank the players on this team if you just had to list them from best to worst player on the team.

I checked the Bengals ESPN roster page, and there are currently 78 players listed either on the roster or on the IR. So I downloaded the list and just...started ranking them.

This is what I came up with:

Ranking Name
1 Joe Burrow
2 Ja'Marr Chase
3 Trey Hendrickson
4 Tee Higgins
5 Orlando Brown Jr.
6 Chase Brown
7 Ted Karras
8 Amarius Mims
9 Logan Wilson
10 Mike Gesicki
11 Andrei Iosivas
12 Mike Hilton
13 Germaine Pratt
14 B.J. Hill
15 Jordan Battle
16 Jake Browning
17 Josh Newton
18 Myles Murphy
19 Joseph Ossai
20 Cody Ford
21 Erick All Jr.
22 Dax Hill
23 DJ Turner II
24 Cam Taylor-Britt
25 Evan McPherson
26 Khalil Herbert
27 Drew Sample
28 McKinnley Jackson
29 DJ Ivey
30 Charlie Jones
31 Kris Jenkins Jr.
32 Ryan Rehko
33 Cal Adomitis
34 Tanner Hudson
35 Cam Grandy
36 Cam Sample
37 Akeem Davis-Gaither
38 Jay Tufele
39 Marco Wilson
40 Shaka Heyward
41 Maema Njongmeta
42 Cedric Johnson
43 Geno Stone
44 Tycen Anderson
45 Daijahn Anthony
46 Vonn Bell
47 Devin Cochran
48 Isaiah Williams
49 Zack Moss
50 Trayveon Williams
51 Jermaine Burton
52 Sam Hubbard
53 Sheldon Rankins
54 Cordell Volson
55 Alex Cappa


56 Gary Brightwell
57 Kendall Milton
58 Cole Burgess
59 Kendric Pryor
60 Tanner McLachlan
61 Matt Lee
62 Tashawn Manning
63 Andrew Coker
64 Andrew Stueber
65 Raymond Johnson III
66 Isaiah Thomas
67 Craig Young
68 Micah Abraham
69 Nate Brooks
70 PJ Jules
71 Jaylen Key
72 Cade Yor
73 Chris Evans
74 Jaxson Kirkland
75 Trent Brown
76 D'Ante Smith
77 Joe Bachie
78 Lance Robinson


There's a gap between 55 and 56 because, below that point, I just didn't have enough information on the players to know how good they actually are. Those rankings 56 to 78 are not in order. They're just kind of clustered together as "I don't know," or, in Trent Brown's case, "I don't think it matters" because I don't think there's any way he stays with us and his career may actually be over. We'll see.

And, truth be told, I struggled around the 26 to 42 range. A lot of back ups and reserve players that only got limited snaps. If you disagree with any placements in that range, just know it was largely just a tier of players more than meticulously thought out evaluations of each player. A lot of small sample sizes in there.

My general takeaways from making this list are four fold:

1. We'd be idiots to not re-sign Higgins. We have so little talent on this roster right now. He's our 4th best player and I don't think that's debatable. Show me another team in the history of the league who willingly let their 4th best player leave in free agency when there wasn't a significant schism between the team and the player or an extreme lack of resources due to poor cap management.

2. Just to re-iterate, man we need an injection of talent to this roster. When I was making the rankings, I started with ranking the 25 starters. Then I looked at the list and made gaps in the list where I expected reserve players to rank higher than starters either in potential or production. One of the places I put a gap was at 9, between Logan Wilson and Mike Gesicki. I just anticipated putting at least 2 or 3 players about Gesicki when all was said and done. But, as I ranked, I just...closed the gap because I realized there was no one on the roster that I valued higher than Gesicki other than the 9 players I initially ranked above him. Probably should re-sign him too, tbh :).

3. Last year's free agency was an abject disaster. We already knew this, but it was staring me right in the face as I was making this list. Another location that I put one of those gaps was above Geno Stone, because I was expecting him to fall into the bottom 5, but he (and Gesicki, though he may be looking for a big paycheck much like very TE that plays 1 season for Joe) were the only free agents that I would even consider keeping this upcoming season, depending on how our new DC feels about him. He seems to have found his stride late in the season. But Rankins, Brown (not really his fault, but he was a known injury risk), and Moss were all bad signings that I don't expect to be back in 2025. We really need to improve our process in free agency this year.

4. We undoubtedly had the worst guard duo in the NFL this past season. We have nowhere to go but up. I want both Volson and Cappa to be cut immediately. They were comfortably the worst players that got any kind of gameday snaps on the entire team.

That's a lot of work and yeah I totally agree that it's mind numbing the talent drop-off after the first handful or so.  Tobin and staff did a nice job of restocking the defense that helped lead us to the Super Bowl but I really didn't think we would end up here back then, just looks wild being listed out like this.

The shame of not restocking well is that they're going from having to make hard decisions to being leveraged by the guys they can't replace.  We have to be honest, the Cheifs get gift calls but they know how to build.  There is a point where a good FO could make the Tyreke Hill type deals (for us its Higgins and Henrickson) to trade guys at their peak for draft capital and draft well to keep a good team stocked.  Instead, it would be a disaster to lose either.  

We absolutely have to get creative but nothing beats drafting well, and last years class still has potential. You'll need a Murphy to get closer to 10 or Jenkins to move up to like 15. Things may get bad enough to have to deal Browning, a luxury at 15 if someone would actually deal like a late 2nd or 3rd for him if it means filling a need they struck out on in FA as long as an old vet descent QB takes a low salary maybe. Browning is a cheap asset so maybe it's a stretch that you trade him but this is the kind of talk we have because of the drop-off in known talent in a critical year. 

You have to have a B grade guard, C grade guard, an upgrade at DL where the rookies are still depth and the  bigextensions have to work out to keep morale. 

Joe Bachie is certainly not the 2nd worst player on the roster. Until he was injured he was a mainstay on special teams. Shoot he probably wasn’t even the 53rd player on the active roster.

Trent Brown and D’ante Smith probably don’t deserve to be that low either

I can’t be bothered to rank half of the bums outside of the top 10 or so, but Myles Murphy is way too high. You have him above guys who’ve actually had good seasons/playoff runs. He’s done absolutely nothing in the NFL so far.

Hilton too low

Newton is not better than Dax or DJT

(Yesterday, 11:46 PM)pally Wrote: Joe Bachie is certainly not the 2nd worst player on the roster.  Until he was injured he was a mainstay on special teams.  Shoot he probably wasn’t even the 53rd player on the active roster.

Trent Brown and D’ante Smith probably don’t deserve to be that low either

Yea, below 55, i just grouped them all together as "i don't know" or "not enough information". Those bottom 23 aren't in exact order. 

(Today, 12:37 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Hilton too low

Newton is not better than Dax or DJT

Who would you put below Hilton? 

As far Newton, I may be overreacting to him. We'll see. I thought he played very well. DJ has struggled for most of his career. Dax is a good point though. He should have been above Newton.

Chase Brown is
Better and
More important
than Higgins
IMHO

(Today, 01:48 AM)SladeX Wrote: Chase Brown is
Better and
More important
than Higgins
IMHO

Crack
is
Wack
IMHO

15 of your top 55 are free agents. IMO you also threw Hubbard, Volson, Cappa, Rankins, and Moss under the bus. I'm not saying they are quality starters, but you put them below special teams players and Jermaine Burton.
Signing Higgins to anything above 25M reeks of desperation, JMO. If we didn't have Chase, then maybe. But having 2 #1s is a luxury when there are so many holes and you are drafting badly.
I'd put Hilton between the Browns at #6. He's a free agent and the Bengals have already drafted Dax & Anthony to replace him; he just refuses to decline on their schedule.
There are only 3 free agents that were getting paid more than $5M/yr. (Tee, BJ, and Hilton) although Gesicki might cost more than $5M to re-sign. Sign all the sub $4M free agents you want and then cut them at the end of camp.

(Yesterday, 11:46 PM)pally Wrote: Joe Bachie is certainly not the 2nd worst player on the roster.  Until he was injured he was a mainstay on special teams.  Shoot he probably wasn’t even the 53rd player on the active roster.

Trent Brown and D’ante Smith probably don’t deserve to be that low either

That stuck out to me as well as ADG. He's too low as well. And Burton should be bottom of the list, the guy can't even get on the field.

Tee is the fourth best player on the roster but the second best at his position group who has only played 50% of the snaps in his career.

I don't think "we'd be idiots" not to re-sign him. I'm fine either way, but there is 100% an argument to be had for not wanting to bring him back.

(Today, 01:08 AM)CJD Wrote: Who would you put below Hilton? 

As far Newton, I may be overreacting to him. We'll see. I thought he played very well. DJ has struggled for most of his career. Dax is a good point though. He should have been above Newton.

Yoshi, for one.

Seriously, dude graded 52.7, 92nd out of 92 qualifying players,..and you think he's the 11th best player on the team?

(7 hours ago)Whatever Wrote: Yoshi, for one.

Seriously, dude graded 52.7, 92nd out of 92 qualifying players,..and you think he's the 11th best player on the team?

And Hilton had to be taken off the field on third down because he can't cover. He is an excellent run defender and blitzer, but he's also over 30 and may lose his job in 2025. Yoshi is a reliable red zone target that has produced a lot of touchdowns in his time on this team. I don't think the choice is as obvious as you're making it seem. Both players have really good aspects of their game and really glaring flaws.

No particular reason, but I'm focusing on Drew Sample at 27 and attempting to process how I feel about it.

(Today, 03:07 AM)puddycat Wrote: 15 of your top 55 are free agents.  IMO you also threw Hubbard, Volson, Cappa, Rankins, and Moss under the bus.  I'm not saying they are quality starters, but you put them below special teams players and Jermaine Burton.
Signing Higgins to anything above 25M reeks of desperation, JMO.  If we didn't have Chase, then maybe.  But having 2 #1s is a luxury when there are so many holes and you are drafting badly.
I'd put Hilton between the Browns at #6. He's a free agent and the Bengals have already drafted Dax & Anthony to replace him; he just refuses to decline on their schedule.
There are only 3 free agents that were getting paid more than $5M/yr. (Tee, BJ, and Hilton) although Gesicki might cost more than $5M to re-sign.  Sign all the sub $4M free agents you want and then cut them at the end of camp.

Hubbard, Volson, Cappa, and Rankins belong under the bus. They were, legitimately, the 4 worst players on this team this  year. Maybe I'm being too harsh to Moss, but I think he's a definite cut this off season, so why would I rank him above players who the team will keep?

Your argument for not signing Higgins would make sense if we had anyone else to sign, but we just don't. We can comfortably re-sign Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson without even trying. We have so much cash and so much cap space, especially once we cut the aforementioned 5 players above.

I thought I was being really generous putting Hilton up at 12 considering he's a cornerback that the coaches know can't cover. He was essentially used as a small linebacker or LOS safety in 2024. I'm surprised so many want him up with the core players of the team.

(7 hours ago)CJD Wrote: And Hilton had to be taken off the field on third down because he can't cover. He is an excellent run defender and blitzer, but he's also over 30 and may lose his job in 2025. Yoshi is a reliable red zone target that has produced a lot of touchdowns in his time on this team. I don't think the choice is as obvious as you're making it seem. Both players have really good aspects of their game and really glaring flaws.

Mike Hilton is also the best run defending corner in the NFL slot or boundary. He should be above Mims and Ted Karras as well. 

(7 hours ago)Synric Wrote: Mike Hilton is also the best run defending corner in the NFL slot or boundary. He should be above Mims and Ted Karras as well. 

Speaking of Hilton, it's going to be hard to replace his talent. He's aging and eventually we'll lose his ability to stop the run and pressure the QB. 

(7 hours ago)TecmoBengals Wrote: Speaking of Hilton, it's going to be hard to replace his talent. He's aging and eventually we'll lose his ability to stop the run and pressure the QB. 

I think he has one more contract in him....

Hilton was good on the 2 downs he did play and that’s better than 95% of the team.

Also, are you ranking them on this past season or how you think they will play going forward?

I also wouldn’t put C Brown over Higgins. He’s a good RB but think if he was also a FA who would teams want/pay more $ to? It would easily be Higgins.