After next year, Atkins/Dunlap/MJ are all free agents

[BengalChris]

(12-13-2017, 02:40 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The Bengals can start to plan around this and mitigate it now...so we don't have what happened to the offensive line happen on the defensive line.

What I would do is waive MJ after the season and use his money to sign Norwell. Then sign a Center like Jensen so that we don't have to use most of our draft picks on the offensive line. ie Use free agency to improve the offensive line. Plus, you know these guys can be good players at the NFL level.

Then, that frees us up to take a pass rusher like Chubb. Or a DT like Wilkens. Or a LB like Smith in the 1st Round of the draft.

Having to reach for offensive lineman could really hurt other parts of the team that are going to be having issues.

Atkins will be tough to keep. The franchise tag is $15+ million a year.

Not managing this situation correctly and making panic draft moves on the offensive line is how we could slip back into a 3 win team.

Sadly Mike Brown has a history of panic draft moves. The Ross pick last year smells of panic and I wrote about that on draft day.