The Cincinnati Bengals did something largely unexpected this offseason by overhauling the roster in a big way.
Besides bringing on Joe Burrow in place of Andy Dalton, the team spent big in free agency and let some other notable faces go.
The result? According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, the Bengals rank 25th in continuity with 73.7 percent of the offensive snaps returning and 64.3 percent of the defense snaps returning in 2020:
“What it means: Cincinnati didn’t have much staff turnover after the NFL’s worst season in 2019. QB Joe Burrow, the No. 1 overall draft pick, inherits a lot of continuity and a slew of capable weapons, including running back Joe Mixon and receivers A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals spent the offseason overhauling the defense by adding pieces such as defensive tackle D.J. Reader, cornerback Trae Waynes and safety Vonn Bell. Cincinnati should show progress in ’20 and make strides toward ending a four-year playoff drought. — Ben Baby”
As noted, much of the offense around Burrow returns. Cincinnati didn’t feel the need to make many alterations to the offensive side of things, in large part thanks to the return of Jonah Williams at left tackle.
Defensively is where things changed the most. Notables like Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard are gone. D.J. Reader arrives for the defensive line and will see a huge role. So will corners Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander.
Considering continuity was one of the major themes of the Marvin Lewis era, it’s notable to see the Bengals rank outside the top 20 here and speaks to the level of roster turnover Zac Taylor wanted in order to get things heading in the right direction.
