The Cincinnati Bengals hit most of the team’s major needs at least once in free agency.
Maybe these signings or moves weren’t good enough — but they were better than nothing for a team that in past years has had problems prioritizing need in the first round and getting burnt.
The moves in free agency — some that tossed out the team’s previous love for compensatory picks — have left the quarterback door ajar. Some of the notable moves:
Bobby Hart: Fans don’t have to love it, but the coaching staff still believes he can start at right tackle.
John Miller: Mike Brown made it clear they view him as a starter at guard.
C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Eifert: Tight end depth is back.
B.W. Webb and Darqueze Dennard: More CB depth than expected with the latter returning.
Preston Brown: The interior linebacker spot is locked down again.
Kerry Wynn: A rotational player to fill the Michael Johnson void.
Restricted free agents: Headlined by Trey Hopkins, who started at center well and can back up all three interior spots.
These moves are why quarterback remains in play for the Bengals, even at 11th overall. The Bengals like to fill immediate needs in the first round and one could argue one remains at linebacker, but even there, they probably still have hope someone like Jordan Evans or Malik Jefferson can blossom alongside Brown and Nick Vigil.
Which brings us to quarterback. What if Dwayne Haskins falls? Duke Tobin doesn’t sound like a guy who wants to trade up, but if a Haskins tumbles down the board, it would be foolish to say any of the above needs are more important than possibly finding the team’s next franchise quarterback.
Taking a linebacker or an Ed Oliver along the defensive line would be great. But these spots have already been addressed at least once. Brown himself has said Andy Dalton is entering a prove-it year.
The Bengals have been leaving the door open all along.
Maybe they don’t run through it. But to dismiss the Bengals drafting a quarterback after so much change within already this offseason ignores plenty of evidence supporting the idea at least being on the table.
