2023 Top Position(s) of Need if OL is Solidified

[*ochocincos*]

Everyone is going into the 2022 season worried about LG.
I know there are many that think Carman (or someone else) won't step up to the plate to solidify that spot heading into next offseason.

However, let's play a hypothetical and say that it does get solidified and the starting OL is set for 2+ years.
What other top position(s) will then need to be addressed to help set up success in 2023-2024?

For some help, here are some of the key guys hitting FA next offseason:
- Jessie Bates, starting FS (Dax Hill likely drafted as replacement though, or could replace Bell)
- Vonn Bell, starting SS
- Hayden Hurst, starting TE
- Drew Sample, TE2
- Eli Apple, starting CB2 (CTB likely drafted as replacement though)
- Germain Pratt, starting LB

Bengals currently have $15 mill in cap space for 2022, so they could roll over a good chunk of that to the current $31 mill cap for 2023 (assuming +$10 mill jump in base cap to $218 mill).
They'll likely have $40+ mill to work with, which should be enough to sign at least a few of the above guys to new contracts.
There also were some draft picks likely selected this past draft that could be in line to take over for some of the others above.

Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd also will be in their final year under contract in 2023. Mixon will still have two years left going into next season, but he'll free up quite a bit of cap starting next season if team wanted to.

For my own opinion, I'd like to see Bell (or Bates) extended, as well as Pratt.
I can't speak on Hurst much since I haven't seen him on this team yet, but I think there will be sufficient TEs in this next draft class who can be good starters. If anything, get a new TE2 who offers more than Sample.
I'd also look to draft a WR to eventually replace one of Higgins or Boyd, plus a RB to eventually replace Mixon.

[SunsetBengal]

Until the backups in the OL are of a quality that they can step in without a severe drop in quality, OL will still be a top position of need.

We've went from fielding mostly backup quality OL as starters in 2020 with practice squad quality on the bench, to now having starter quality starters yet with very sketch quality backups. Heck, it could be argued that the team still needs a true, quality swing Tackle as well as another quality interior OL to round things out this year.

[*ochocincos*]

(05-24-2022, 02:49 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Until the backups in the OL are of a quality that they can step in without a severe drop in quality, OL will still be a top position of need.

We've went from fielding mostly backup quality OL as starters in 2020 with practice squad quality on the bench, to now having starter quality starters yet with very sketch quality backups.  Heck, it could be argued that the team still needs a true, quality swing Tackle as well as another quality interior OL to round things out this year.

I get that sentiment for sure, but I'd rather spend for some versatile veterans to back up OL spots, not more early draft picks.
Bengals seem to also do well drafting offensive weapons, so I'd trust them more with those compared to OL.

[SunsetBengal]

(05-24-2022, 02:52 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I get that sentiment for sure, but I'd rather spend for some versatile veterans to back up OL spots, not more early draft picks.
Bengals seem to also do well drafting offensive weapons, so I'd trust them more with those compared to OL.

With that in mind, I gotta think that WR, RB, CB, and DT move to the head of the line.

I listed RB, as I think that they'll look to go cheaper at RB after this season, we all know the impending situation with WR and Joe B's contract all coming due the year after.

[Goalpost]

My guess is the 2024 Bengal FA's will affect the 2023 drafting. Two years out from today....some of the Bengal FA's will be..

Hendrickson, DE, will be 31
Reader, DT, will be 31
Boyd, WR, will be 31
Awuzie, CB, will be 30
Williams, T, will be 28
Higgins, WR, will be 27
Wilson, LB, will be 29

Burrow and Mixon have club options and will be 27 then. Burrow is an entirely different situation but then so will be Chase.

This will be a full plate to deal with so I expect to see them get a jump on this a year early. I suspect the Bengals will try to keep the younger guys which means the 30 and over players become vulnerable. With that said, that means DE, DT, WR, and maybe CB they will start looking a year early