Which Bengals Player Needs Terminated, Get To The Chopper

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(02-07-2017, 03:29 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: I guess it depends on your definition of rebuild.

To me - a rebuild would consist of getting a new QB, changing an offensive scheme or defensive scheme.  I don't see those happening.

Now, if we were open to using free agency, this team is not that far way from being in great shape.

QB - Dalton (good shape here)
RB - Hill and Bernard (really bad shape here, Bernard is coming off an ACL and Hill isn't the same as he used to be)
WR - Green, Boyd, Core, Wright (Some promise here, but needs some help if we don't bring LaFell back)
TE - Eifert, Uzomah, Kroft (set here, as long as people stay healthy)
OT - Whitworth, Fisher, Ced (really need Whitworth back, not in bad shape if he comes back)
OG - Boling and Zeitler (good shape here if Z comes back)
C - Well, here's a huge need

So, offensively, if we bring back Zeitler and Whitworth, there isn't a ton of needs.  We need a C and a RB along with a speed WR.  Easily done with good drafting in rounds 2,3,4

DE - Dunlap, MJ, Clarke.  (We are in pretty good shape here, but a speed rusher on the edge in round 1 would be great)
DT - Geno, Sims, Hardison, Thompson, Williams.  (Good shape here, a young stud would help)
LB - Burfict, Vigil, Rey, Maualuga (considering we run a nickel D, this unit is pretty good)
CB - WJ3, Dennard, Dre, Jones, Shaw, Russell (this is a pretty good group)
S - Iloka, Williams, Smith

Honestly, this isn't a huge rebuild.  Bringing back Dre, Whit and Z is huge, but if we do that, there aren't a ton of needs that need to be addressed:

1.  Pass rush (SAM, DE, Hybrid - anyone that would bring some pressure)
2.  RB (with Burkhead up in the air and Gio injured, we need someone in the draft)
3.  C (Feeney, Pocic, Elflein are all good replacements)
4.  WR (don't need a complete guy, just a guy that can spread the field a little to open the middle)

Really, it's not that much of a rebuild - unless we don't sign our own free agents.

There are a lot of ifs there.  While it is not a total rebuild, it is a bit of one.  This team was 6-9-1 last year, and the offensive line was in shambles.  Several key players are aging, and many of the guys outlined here haven't shown a whole helluva lot. Knowing our cheapskate owner, all of our FAs won't be back.