03-02-2023, 12:24 PM
(03-02-2023, 12:06 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: So, given you know the budget the Bengals have to work with, and the number and value of players with contracts expiring and nearing expiration, what would you propose that the team do to make you excited?
Not a question posed to me, but in the same vein, so I'll take a hack at it.
I think there's a strong case to be made to sign a OL in free agency. Maybe even a pretty expensive one. As I said, the opportunity in front of this Bengals team is rare. Like generationally rare. Technically, they have the room to do it if they decide to. The only question is if they should.
Now, regardless of what happens with contracts, the team has major questions at tackle for the foreseeable future. Collins has likely played his last down here. He may have played his last down period. Adeniji is not the answer and we know nothing about Smith. Jonah is an average player making decent money. It will take even more to retain his average services when he hits FA next offseason.
The draft is what it is with OL. We've seen this team draft 2 of the in 1 and 2 and then watch them flop spectacularly. The standard has become so low at the position here that Jonah is the best we've had in half a decade. There's no telling what an early round pick would do in 2023, if he even managed to earn the trust to get on the field.
In a nutshell, they need a long term answer at both spots. They need a proven one for this year's potential Super Bowl run, and they need a guy that can man the position for the next 3-5 years.
Why not sign one? Why not sign a good one? It would certainly require them to make a sacrifice during the cap crunch next year, but would this not be a worthy trade-off? We've seen what a team with multiple elite weapons can do. It's impressive, but it's still not getting them to the top. We've also seen Mahomes win a title after losing one of the best weapons in football and replacing him with middling talent.
I love Tee and wish we could keep him forever, but I trust this organization with drafting receivers much more than I trust them drafting OL.
People look at signing a pricey OL as damaging to maintaining what's been built in the Burrow era, but I'd almost argue that it's not only healthy, but necessary.
