01-07-2024, 09:18 PM
Allright, the off-season is here a lot sooner than we all expected a year ago.
The first step in figuring out where you want to go is knowing where you are. To that end, here is a list of our signed players for next year:
I. 2024 Bengals Signed Players
A. Offense = 14
QB (1): Burrow (IR)
RB (3): Mixon; C. Brown, Evans
WR (3): Chase; Iosivas, C. Jones
TE (0):
OT (3): O. Brown; Carman, D. Smith
OG (2): Cappa, Volson
C (2): Karras, T. Hill
B. Defense = 21
DE (5): Hendrickson, Hubbard, C. Sample, Murphy, Ossai.
DT/NT (4): BJ Hill, Tufele, Bell, Maxwell (IR/PS).
LB (3): Wilson, Pratt; Harper
CB (5): CTB, Turner, Hilton; Ivey (IR), J. Davis.
S (4): Battle, D. Hill; Scott, Anderson (IR)
C. Special Teams = 2/3
PK (1): McPherson
P (1): Robbins
LS (0):
PR (1): C. Jones
KR (1): C. Brown
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Or, if you like to look at it from the other side, here is a list of FAs. UFA unless otherwise noted:
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II. 2024 Free Agent List
A. Offense = 13
Higgins (WR2), Boyd (WR3), J. Williams (RT), D. Sample (TE), Browning (QB2, ERFA), Irwin (WR4, RFA), I. Smith (TE2), T. Hudson (TE3, RFA), Wilcox (TE4), T. Williams (RB2/KR1), Ford (OT3), Scharping (OG3/C3-2), McCarron (QB3).
B. Defense = 6
Reader (NT), Awuzie (CB), Tupou (NT2), ADG (LB3), Bailey (LB4), Bachie (LB5).
C. Special Teams = 2.
Adomitis (LS, ERFA), T. Williams (KR1).
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III. Overview
I realize most will likely think the D is more problematic than the O, but numerically, we have more holes of offense. Now, you can certainly have bodies but still need upgrades, but not having any bodies is worse.
I will certainly do a position group by position group breakdown later, but just broad strokes here.
Point #1: We have lots of cap room
Spotrac has it at $70 mil. Functionally less, as that counts only 38 signed players. Nor does it account for Chase's extension. But it is still 6th in the league. We can go FA route to fill a need or two if we want to.
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/2024/
2. We will act like a SB contender.
For me this means while we won't necessarily try to retain all our big time FAs (Reader, Higgins, Jonah, Boyd, Chido), we will try to bring back some of them (most likely Higgins & Reader). Similarly, while we could cut a high paid vet to free up cap space (BJ Hill, Hubbard, Cappa, Mixon, Wilson, Pratt) I would be surprised if we do more than 1. This ain't a rebuild. I think the FO thinks we are a contender.
3. WR & DT/NT are the primary areas that need addressed.
Be it re-signing our own guys, FA, or draft. But we also have other pressing needs.
4. Pressing needs: RT, maybe CB.
RT for sure. Turner looked good early but Ivey's injury and DJ's play late would make a good corner hard to pass up.
5. TE, LB depth, P jump out too.
We have no TEs signed. Though there should not be a huge market for Sample or Wilcox. Hudson is an RFA.
Pratt & Wilson were not great. ADG, Bailey & Bachie are FAs. Maybe time for some LB competition?
Gimmee a P who can boom late in the draft. Kid from Iowa.
6. Not averse to: IOL upgrades, a big RB, more S help.
7. Low priority: QB, PK, DE.
Browning is ERFA, so he should be back
--------
Have at it.
The first step in figuring out where you want to go is knowing where you are. To that end, here is a list of our signed players for next year:
I. 2024 Bengals Signed Players
A. Offense = 14
QB (1): Burrow (IR)
RB (3): Mixon; C. Brown, Evans
WR (3): Chase; Iosivas, C. Jones
TE (0):
OT (3): O. Brown; Carman, D. Smith
OG (2): Cappa, Volson
C (2): Karras, T. Hill
B. Defense = 21
DE (5): Hendrickson, Hubbard, C. Sample, Murphy, Ossai.
DT/NT (4): BJ Hill, Tufele, Bell, Maxwell (IR/PS).
LB (3): Wilson, Pratt; Harper
CB (5): CTB, Turner, Hilton; Ivey (IR), J. Davis.
S (4): Battle, D. Hill; Scott, Anderson (IR)
C. Special Teams = 2/3
PK (1): McPherson
P (1): Robbins
LS (0):
PR (1): C. Jones
KR (1): C. Brown
-----------------
Or, if you like to look at it from the other side, here is a list of FAs. UFA unless otherwise noted:
-------------
II. 2024 Free Agent List
A. Offense = 13
Higgins (WR2), Boyd (WR3), J. Williams (RT), D. Sample (TE), Browning (QB2, ERFA), Irwin (WR4, RFA), I. Smith (TE2), T. Hudson (TE3, RFA), Wilcox (TE4), T. Williams (RB2/KR1), Ford (OT3), Scharping (OG3/C3-2), McCarron (QB3).
B. Defense = 6
Reader (NT), Awuzie (CB), Tupou (NT2), ADG (LB3), Bailey (LB4), Bachie (LB5).
C. Special Teams = 2.
Adomitis (LS, ERFA), T. Williams (KR1).
-----------------
III. Overview
I realize most will likely think the D is more problematic than the O, but numerically, we have more holes of offense. Now, you can certainly have bodies but still need upgrades, but not having any bodies is worse.
I will certainly do a position group by position group breakdown later, but just broad strokes here.
Point #1: We have lots of cap room
Spotrac has it at $70 mil. Functionally less, as that counts only 38 signed players. Nor does it account for Chase's extension. But it is still 6th in the league. We can go FA route to fill a need or two if we want to.
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/2024/
2. We will act like a SB contender.
For me this means while we won't necessarily try to retain all our big time FAs (Reader, Higgins, Jonah, Boyd, Chido), we will try to bring back some of them (most likely Higgins & Reader). Similarly, while we could cut a high paid vet to free up cap space (BJ Hill, Hubbard, Cappa, Mixon, Wilson, Pratt) I would be surprised if we do more than 1. This ain't a rebuild. I think the FO thinks we are a contender.
3. WR & DT/NT are the primary areas that need addressed.
Be it re-signing our own guys, FA, or draft. But we also have other pressing needs.
4. Pressing needs: RT, maybe CB.
RT for sure. Turner looked good early but Ivey's injury and DJ's play late would make a good corner hard to pass up.
5. TE, LB depth, P jump out too.
We have no TEs signed. Though there should not be a huge market for Sample or Wilcox. Hudson is an RFA.
Pratt & Wilson were not great. ADG, Bailey & Bachie are FAs. Maybe time for some LB competition?
Gimmee a P who can boom late in the draft. Kid from Iowa.
6. Not averse to: IOL upgrades, a big RB, more S help.
7. Low priority: QB, PK, DE.
Browning is ERFA, so he should be back
--------
Have at it.
