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Pre Draft Status Check: Overview, Needs, and Strategy
#1
Well, I tried & failed to get a big, all encompassing thread done prior to the start of FA, so I will try again for the draft.

I wanna start with a quick overview of our needs and where the roster/cap currently stands. And then drill down to each position group. And then talk draft/FA strategy to fill out those spots, and how I'd approach each pick. So that means cap will come into it. As will a discussion of how the new coaches we have this year may impact things: scheme changes, player types desires, and evaluations.

It is gonna be long. I will try to break it up into smaller, digestable posts. First off, current state of the roster.

I.  Bengals Current Roster Status: 71 Signed Players

You can take 90 into camp, so even after 6 draft picks and some UDFA signings, we likely have some roster space. But here is the breakdown by position. 

QB (2): Burrow; Browning. 
RB (5): C. Brown; Perine; Moss, Milton, Brightwell
WR (9): Chase, Higgins, Iosivas; Burton, Jones, Williams; Pryor, Burgess, Tinsley.
TE (6): D. Sample; Gesicki, All; Hudson, Grandy, McLachlan
OT (5): OBJ, Mims; Ford (OT/G); Cochran, Coker
G (5): Parrick (G/C), Volson; Kirkland (G/T), Stueber, Manning
C (2): Karras (C/G), Lee (C/G/T)
-------------34 on Offense-----------
DE (7): Hendrickson, Ossai; Murphy; C. Sample, C.Johnson; Thomas, R. Johnson.
DT (4): BJ Hill, Slaton; Jenkins, Jackson
LB (7): L. Wilson, Pratt; Burks; Heyward, Njongmeta; Young, Giles-Harris
CB (10): CTB, Turner, D. Hill; Newton, Ivey, M. Wilson; Davis, Brooks, Abraham, Robinson.
S (6): Battle, Stone; Anthony, Anderson; Key, Jules
-------------34 on Defense---------
PK (1): McPherson 
P (1): Rehkow 
LS (1): Adomitis 
---------3 on Special Teams--------

With the exception of DT, we have enough bodies to fill out a 53 man at each spot. And QB & C are lacking a #3 who would likely be on the PS. But I do not want to get too much into analysis here. That will come later. But that is our 71.

More to follow...
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#2
OK, before we start drilling down on each position group on the roster, let's do a quick review of our offseason changes, and there were quite a few.

II. Bengals Offseason Coaching Changes

There were, by my count, 7 changes to the coaching staff. 5 on D, 2 on O.

1. Defensive Coordinator. IN: Al Golden. OUT: Lou Anarumo.
2. Senior Def. Assistant: IN: Sean Desai. OUT: Mark Duffner
3. DL Coach: IN: Jerry Montgomery. OUT: Marion Hobby
4. LB Coach: IN: Mike Hodges. OUT: James Bettcher
5. Def. Assistant: IN: Mike Moon. OUT: Louie Cioffi
6. OL Coach: IN: Scott Peters. OUT: Frank Pollack
7. Ast. OL Coach: IN: Michael McCarthy. OUT: Derek Frazier

Obviously, the new coaches are gonna change some things. They may like some of our existing guys more or less than their predassessors. They may scheme tweaks. There may my more or kess rigidity about what types of players they want in various positions. Lou wanted true DE's only and played 42 nickel. No need for 34 OLB/Edge types. And most of our LBs were MLB yltyoe thumpers. Few 43 OLB types. Will that change? Ditto on the OL, are glass eaters less valued? More movement?

The new coaches have their first look at film & the roster and made retention decisions on a lot of our own FA's, cut a few, let others walk (so far). And re-signed a bunch of our own FA's and brought a few more in. And kept some cut candidates on.

But the draft and the 2nd wave of FA right after will give them another opportunity to make changes based on who we did and did not get in the draft. And we still have Trey unresolved, a Pratt teade request, and ways to open up more space.

But before we get there, let's do a quick recap on the offseason activity on the player side.

II. Bengals Offseason Player Signings = 32

A. Players Re-signed or Extended = 13

#, Pos, Player, Contract, Guar, Thru, 2025 Cap
1. WR1 Ja'Marr Chase: 4/$161, $110 G. 2029. $23.57 mil.
2. WR2 Tee Higgins: 4/$115. $40.9 G. 2028. $24.06 mil.
3. DT/NT BJ Hill: 3/$33. $11 G. 2027. $8.625 mil.
4. TE2/WR4 Mike Gesicki: 3/$25.5. $12 G. 2027. $7.667 mil.
5. DE2 Joseph Ossai: 1/$6.5. $3 G. 2025. $6.5 mil
-------------------------
6. P Ryan Rehkow: 1/$960k. $0 G. 2025. $960k.
7. LS Cal Adomitis: 1/$1.1. $0 G. 2025. $1.1 mil.
8. OT3/OG3 Cody Ford: 2/$6. $1 G. 2026. $2.571 mil
-----------------
9. DE4/DT5 Cam Sample: 1/$1.225. $100k G. 2025. $1.225 mil.
10. TE4 Tanner Hudson: 1/$1.03. $0 G. 2025. $1.03 mil.
---------------
11. CB6 Marco Wilson: 1/$1.514. $150k G. 2025. $1.514 mil
12. TE5 Cam Grandy: 1/$980k. $0 G. 2025. $980k.
13. OG4/OT6 Jaxson Kirkland: 1/$960k. $0 G. 2025. $960k.
--------------------

B. Outside Free Agents = 6

#, Pos, Player, Contract, Guar, Thru, 2025 Cap
1. NT1 Tedarrell (TJ) Slaton: 2/$14.1. $5 G. 2026. $5.44 mil
-----------
2. LB3 Oren Burks: 2/$5. $750k G. 2026. $2.325 mil
4. OG1/C3 Lucas Patrick: 1/$2.003. $200k G. 2025. $2.003 mil
5. RB2 Samaje Perine: 2/$3.6. $400k G. 2026. $1.6 mil.
---------------
6. LB6 Joe Giles-Harris: 1/$1.1. $0 G. 2025. $1.1 mil
--------------

C. Future's/Reserve Contracts = 13

#, Pos, Player, Contract, Guar, Thru, 2025 Cap
1. RB Gary Brightwell: 1/$1.1, $0, 2025, $1.1 mil
2. WR Kendric Pryor: 1/$1.03, $0 G, 2025, $1.03 mil
3. WR Cole Burgess: 1/$840k, $0 G, 2025, $840k
4. WR Mitchell Tinsley: 1/$960k, $0 G, 2025, $960k
5. OT Andrew Coker: 1/$840k, $0 G, 2025, $840k
6. OG Tashawn Manning: 1/$840k, $0 G, 2025, $840k
7. DE Raymond Johnson III: 1/$960k, $0 G, 2025, $960k
8. LB: Craig Young: 1/$840k, $0 G, 2025, $840k
9: CB Jalen Davis: 1/$1.17, $0 G, 2025, $1.03 mil
10. CB Nate Brooks: 1/$960k, $0 G, 2025, $960k
11. CB Micah Abraham: 1/$840k, $0 G, 2025, $840k
12. S Jaylen Key: 1/$840k, $0 G, 2025, $840k
13. S PJ Jules: 1/$840k, $0 G, 2025, $840k
-----------

III. Bengals Player Departures =

A. Retirements, Cuts & FA's Signed Elsewhere

#, Pos, Player, Why, Old $$, New $$, Cap
1. DE Sam Hubbard, Retired, $11.6 mil, None
2. DT Sheldon Rankins, Released, $11.5, HOU 1/$5.25, $2.8 mil
3. G Alex Cappa, Released, $10.25, LV 2/$11, $5.01 mil
----------------------
4. LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, FA, $2.74, AZ 2/$10, $3.805 mil
5. OT Trent Brown, FA, $4.4, HOU 1/$2.35, $1.732 mil
-------------
6. RB Khalil Herbert, FA, $527k, IND 1/$1.1975, $1.1975 mil
7. Jay Tufele, FA, $1.055, NYJ 1/$1.03, $1.03 mil
-----------
8. C/G Trey Hill, FA (PS), $386,022, GB 1/$1.1, $1.1 mil
9. DT Diminique Davis, FA (PS), $225k, PIT 1/$840k, $840k
-----------

B. Bengals FA's Still Unsigned

#, Pos, Player, Old $$$
1. CB Mike Hilton, $7.45 mil
-----------
2. SS Vonn Bell, $1.21 mil
------------
3. LB Joe Bachie, $1,031,667
4. RB Trayveon Williams, $985k
5. RB Chris Evans, $1,098,222
6. PK Cade York, $985k/$164,167
-------------
7. OT/G D'Ante Smith, $1,179,836
--------------
8. QB Logan Woodside, $302,400
------------

I *THINK* that is up to date. That was long. Up next: Roster Tuers, Cap, and Position Breakdowns heading into the draft.
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