Decisions the Bengals need to make the next few months

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(12-22-2019, 11:20 PM)Jason_NC Wrote: 1. What to do with Pick 1? 
Chronologically this is not the first decision they need to make, but it has an impact on the other decisions they will need to make.  The obvious choice is to take Burrow and begin rebuilding around him.  But Chase Young is the best player in the draft.  Is there a QB worth taking later?  Do you "try" to get a top 2 pick next year?  Or do you trade down with Miami and take Tua or Herbert and an OL or LB with another 1st round pick?

2. What to do with Dalton?
If they take Chase Young, or a later QB, Dalton has to stay. Unless they decide to tank next year for Lawrence or Fields. Assuming the draft Burrow, Dalton goes on the trade market.  What is he worth?  I don't see us getting more than a 3 for him, but that 3 could be a guard or LB that could make the team better, or contribute to trading up.

3. What to do with AJ Green?
If you tag him he may not show up for the off season stuff.  If we have Burrow, having Green here will go a long way in helping him.  I personally wouldn't give him Julio money, but I'd try to sign him to a 3 year deal.  If they can't sign him to a reasonable contract for a 30+ year old receiver who has missed most of the past 2 seasons, then consider a tag and trade.  Sentimentally I want to keep him, but he may want out.  I want at least a top 40 pick for him.

4. What if Joe Mixon holds out for a big new contract?
Mixon could be a great back with even an average line.  But is a back worth big money?  Especially in a pass first league?  Has he put his "college issues" behind him enough to get back what he would be worth?

5. Has Eifert earned a new contract?
If you told me he would have played the whole season back in September I would not have believed it.  But he's been used so sparingly he's been practically invisible, and hasn't made the kind of catches he has previously been known for.  I think you let him go and wish him well.

6. Do you try to trade Dunlap and/or Atkins?
Can you get enough in return for the 2 aging stars of the defense to make it worth trading them?  Geno has a chance to be a Hall of Fame player, is he worth keeping because of that?  If you decide Chase Young is the guy it makes trading Dunlap a lot easier decision.  If we can get a 2 for him I might do it anyway.

7. What to do with the coaching staff?
I doubt Taylor is going anywhere.  But what about Turner? Or Anarumo? Can Duffner take over the defense?  Are any coaches who are about to get fired upgrades to anyone on our staff, and willing to come?

8. How do you replace Bullock?
I don't know if there are any kickers in this draft worth taking.  Good kickers don't often make free agency, the cost/value ratio is too good.  So anything they do is likely to be a gamble on some level, but despite his kick today, he's not the answer for what we are trying to build.

9. Free agents?
If they let Dalton and Glenn go they will have a ton of cap money.  They need to change their philosophy this year.  A couple of smart free agent moves and this team could be much more competitive.  And they have too many needs to be able to address them all in the draft this year.  They need a WR, CB, LB, and an OL or 2, and a kicker, not to mention better overall depth.

What would you add?  What do you disagree with?

1. Draft Burrow. Trading down is tempting if I can get an extra 1st this year and a 2nd next year from the Dolphins for the 2nd overall pick. Young, Tua, and a 2nd next year might be worth giving up Burrow since the team has quite a few needs. I wouldn't trade down lower than 2nd overall though. I feel like there's a big dropoff after the first two picks next year.


2. Trade him if you can. If not, release him.

3. Let him leave in FA. He won't be a happy camper with the tag, and there's no guarantee anyone will trade for him if he has the tag's worth of guaranteed money on his name. 

4. Trade him if he holds out. Unless you have a Barry Sanders or a Tomlinson type RB, they are largely interchangeable so long as you have a good scheme + decent OL. Paying non-generational talent RBs is a mistake.
Top 3 Rushers By Year
2019: Chubb, McCaffrey, Henry
2018: Elliott, Barkley, Gurley
2017: Hunt, Gurley, Bell
2016: Eliott, Howard, Murray
2015: Peterson, Martin, Gurley
Unless You Have Barry Sanders, DON'T PAY RUNNING BACKS.

5. Probably not? Eifert is a shell of his former self and it's kind of sad to watch. I doubt Taylor's awful offense is helping, but he's visibly not the same player he used to be. I can't give that a firm no, though, because despite being a shell of his former self, he's still technically the best TE on the team. They need to have a decent TE around as a safety valve for Rookie Burrow.

6. No. You can never have enough pass rushing. I firmly believe a better DC will solve a lot of the DL problems.

7. Fire everyone besides Simmons. Hire Eric Bieniemy to be the HC as they should have done last offseason. Let him hire his own people for offense, but maybe strongly "suggest" hiring a veteran DC like Del Rio or Rivera.

8. I might be the minority, but I am fine with Bullock. He's kicking 92.3% on FGs under 50 yards in 2019 (94.4% in 2018), and 100% on PATs in 2019. The 50+ yarders are nice if you have a kicker that can get them, but it's the missed easy kicks that are really momentum/morale crushing in my mind.

9. Re-sign Hopkins, Billings/Tupou, and Brandon Wilson (as a returner). Sign Brandon Scherff and Jack Conklin. Throw a pile of money at Joe Schobert. That would make a huge dent in the draft needs list and make it actually possible to fill up the rest of the holes in one draft class. (Reducing the draft needs list to... Burrows, a WR, another LB, a TE, and a CB.)