A year ago, Cincinnati Bengals fans were trying to come to terms with the fact the team’s biggest free-agent signings were John Miller, John Jerry, B.W. Webb and Kerry Wynn.
Maybe it wasn’t exactly coming to terms because fans had been so used to the team doing so little on the open market. But this was a new coaching staff and instead of overhauling the roster…that staff went out and got castoffs from their prior jobs. All four aren’t on the team anymore and only one of them appears to be on any roster in the league now.
But we now have the benefit of hindsight to contextualize things. Zac Taylor’s staff was assembled too late in the process to make significant additions in free agency. That’s a concrete fact now, though at the time it just seemed like wishful thinking.
It’s certainly not wishful thinking now.
The Bengals were one of free agency’s biggest spenders as Taylor clearly got the green light from the front office to overhaul the roster as he sees fit. They made a massive splash with D.J. Reader, revamped the secondary with Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and LeShaun Sims and even added potential starters with linebacker Josh Bynes and lineman Xavier Sua-Filo.
And now with their backs suddenly against the wall after the losses of Josh Tupou and Ryan Glasgow at defensive tackle, the Bengals again surprised by going out and getting one of the biggest names left on the open market — Mike Daniels.
Is Daniels going to be amazing and change the course of the season? Probably not. He’s a once-elite player with serious injury woes on his resume over the last two seasons. But compared to settling for the scrap heap with Miller, Jerry, Webb or Wynn…the Daniels signing is quite the notable thing for fans.
It’s probably another sign the supposed “New Dey” the organization promised in 2019 was really delayed until 2020. But it’s here now and even routine free-agent possibilities can be exciting for fans — like they are for fans of most teams.
