This offseason was the latest “most important offseason in franchise history,” according to those who cover the Cincinnati Bengals. Last year, the Bengals missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record and needed a fierce five-game winning streak to close out the season to even have an argument. After a disappointing showing, there were many things the team needed to work on, and none was more important than taking care of their own.
ESPN Not High on the Bengals’ Offseason
When it was all said and done, the Bengals extended Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample, B.J. Hill, and Mike Gesicki, among others. The new faces in town are Lucas Patrick, Oren Burks, and T.J. Slaton. Then, Cincinnati drafted Shemar Stewart, Dylan Fairchild, Demetrius Knight II, Jalen Rivers, Barrett Carter, and Tahj Brooks.
Overall, it was a fine offseason. The defense will be led by Al Golden, so there should be at least a slight improvement there. At the same time, the guard positions are massive question marks. As a result, ESPN was not quite as high on the Bengals’ offseason as a whole, giving the team a C+.
“The Bengals’ offseason is defined by the two stars they paid — Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — and the one they haven’t, Hendrickson.
“Let’s address the receivers first. Coming off a season in which he led the league with 1,708 receiving yards on 127 receptions, Chase was certainly going to get the raise he deserved. But he really got paid. Sometimes, when players receive record-breaking contracts, it’s a product of natural progression, moving in line with the cap’s rise. This was not that. Chase’s $40.25 million APY extension is the highest in OverTheCap.com’s historical wide receiver contract list even if we adjust for salary cap inflation.
“Higgins did well from an APY standpoint, too, earning $28.75 million per year — just a shade above Keenan Allen‘s and Amari Cooper‘s deals in 2020 when adjusting for cap inflation. It’s perhaps a shade more than I’d pay Higgins, but it made sense to bring these two players back. The combination of quarterback Joe Burrow, Chase, and Higgins resulted in the seventh-highest EPA per dropback last season, even though the Bengals ranked last in pass block win rate and had a middling run game. Passing success is their recipe for winning.
“Cincinnati’s season cratered because of its defense despite the best efforts of Hendrickson, who led the league with 17.5 sacks. But Hendrickson is in a contract dispute and was granted permission to seek a trade.
“Sure, one could argue that the Bengals shouldn’t jump to pay a huge amount to a 30-year-old pass rusher. But they’re contenders, and he’s a critical piece of that puzzle. And Cincinnati easily has the cap space to do it! It has $33 million available this year and $56 million in 2026. The Bengals ought to be locking Hendrickson in to try to make a title run.
“I don’t know the exact circumstances, but if this is a cash-flow issue, I have little sympathy: Ownership’s job is to try to field a winning team. In the hard-capped, revenue-sharing NFL, teams must be able to pay to the cap.
“Cincinnati also fired Lou Anarumo and brought in Al Golden as defensive coordinator. A shake-up was necessary, and any defensive regression to the mean would be a positive.
“Hendrickson was not the Bengals’ only contract dispute. First-round edge Shemar Stewart has yet to practice and left minicamp due to a contract dispute based on language the team wants to use on his deal. The situation does not reflect well on Cincinnati.
“The Bengals also re-signed defensive tackle B.J. Hill at $11 million per year and brought back tight end Mike Gesicki on an $8.5 million per year deal.”
Fair?
A C+ may be fine for a GEN-ED history course in which you never paid attention, but for a team in the midst of a Super Bowl window with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, it’s not going to get it done.
Fowler gets it; it’s an ownership thing. The Brown/Blackburn family is not strapped for cash. Why they continue to pinch pennies when it comes to the only noteworthy defender and their top two draft picks is befuddling.
Extending Chase and Higgins was massive. It showed that they were invested in fielding a top-end offense…but they ignored the guard situation as there were plenty of veteran guards out there. Drafting two is fine, and Fairchild is expected to be the next man up at left guard, but if you start Week 1 with Cody Ford or Lucas Patrick at right guard, you invite well-deserved scrutiny.
On July 11, with Hendrickson in limbo and a few others who could be extended, the Bengals have the seventh-most effective cap space with nearly $32 million to spend. When you’re trying to take advantage of Burrow’s career, why not use up as much of that cap space as possible?
Main Image: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
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