Is the team better now compared to last year?

[*ochocincos*]

This question was posed on the Locked On Bengals podcast. Jake Liscow and Joe Goodberry were talking about it.

Now that the bulk of FA and the draft have completed, the roster is pretty much set.
The only things that might happen are some Summer trades/pickups, but those are usually very few and far between, most often involving backups.

Based on who's on the roster today, is this a better team than last year's squad?

My take:
LT is an upgrade
RT is up in the air, but it could possibly be an upgrade once we get to see Williams, Carman, and Ford out there.
CB I feel is an upgrade overall.
DL should be upgraded some, although mainly from a rotational standpoint.
Same with WR. Depth was improved.
Safety is up in the air with Bates and Bell gone, but I think it will be worse at least for the first 1-2 months. I like the potential of the safeties though.
TE is arguably a downgrade. Irv Smith is no more productive than Hurst and is less durable, and the depth didn't improve.
RB I think has more juice, but pass protection might be worse from that position.
Backup QB is maybe a push, although I've never been a Brandon Allen fan. Maybe it's a downgrade.

Since I cannot confidently say better or worse, I'll vote "not sure yet"