The Cincinnati Bengals Offseason
The Good: Getting Riley Reiff for 1yr/ 7.5 Million
The Bengals grabbing Riley Reiff on a 1yr/7.5 Million prove it deal is one of the most underrated moves in the NFL. He's still an above average offensive tackle and while he's 32, he still has a couple good years in him. He'll hold down the right side and allow the Bengals to feel comfortable drafting an offensive playmaker for Joe Burrow, which could help the Bengals be competitive in the AFC North.
The Bad: Signing Trey Hendrickson to 4 yrs/60 Million
The Trey Hendrickson signing was confusing, not just because they let the very productive Carl Lawson hit free agency but because they grabbed the one year wonder Trey Hendrickson for a 4yr and 60 Million deal that could bite them if Hendrickson doesn't have a repeat productive season with the Bengals and could be a painful free agency bust.
The Ugly: Losing A.J. Green in the offseason
A.J. Green has been a great NFL receiver for a majority of his career but while his production dropped in 2020, most of that decline came from poor quarterback play when Joe Burrow suffered his gruesome injury. He also left Cincinnati on a 1yr prove it deal to the Cardinals who have the makings of a potential Super Bowl run and them adding an A.J. Green to their roster for cheap has to anger Bengals fans.
Offseason Grade (Pre Draft): B
NFL Draft Summary
Day 1 Grade: B-
Selection: Ja'Marr ChaseThe Cincinnati Bengals came into the draft with a need at receiver and offensive tackle and at #5 they had the pick of the litter of both and grabbed Ja'Marr Chase out of LSU. Ja'Marr Chase is the best wide receiver in the draft with elite level athleticism and technique at the position and is going to play with his former LSU quarterback in Joe Burrow. Many, including me, feel they should've grabbed Penei Sewell out of Oregon considering he's easily the best offensive tackle to enter the league since Orlando Pace and was higher on every NFL draft board but I understand the need to pull a trigger on Joe Burrows favorite weapon out of college.
Day 2 Grade: B-
Selections: Jackson Carmon, Joseph OssaiThe Bengals did address offensive tackle on Day 2 of the draft with Jackson Carman out Clemson. Carman is a big mauler in the run game and an enforcer on the field. He's a bit of a reach in the 2nd round but he at least fills a need for the Bengals. How Joseph Ossai fell to the 3rd round and into the Bengals laps is beyond me. Ossai is a phenomenal athlete and has one of the best motors in the draft and will be a week 1 contributor for the Bengals.
Day 3 Grade: A-
Selections: Cameron Sample, Tyler Shelvin, D'Ante Smith, Evan McPherson, Trey Hill, Chris Evans, Wyatt Hubert
The Bengals had a very impressive draft in Day 3 picking great value and needed picks throughout. Cameron Sample is a tweener defensive lineman that can produce inside and on the edge and will carve out playing time in the defensive line rotation early. Tyler Shelvin might be the best pick of their draft as he's easily the best run stuffer and by far the best nose guard in the draft and Shelvin can be a game changer for them when defending the run. D'Ante Smith is a good depth pick at offensive tackle and could develop into a serviceable backup. Picking a kicker in the draft is always risky and rarely ever works and Evan McPherson needs to be very good at least in order to make this pick worthy. Trey Hill is a serviceable backup option in the interior offensive lineman and can play either center or guard. Chris Evans is a good backup option at running back and could be a decent special teams player as well. Wyatt Hubert is a total steal in the 7th round and could be a potential rotational edge rusher early in his career.
Selection: Ja'Marr ChaseThe Cincinnati Bengals came into the draft with a need at receiver and offensive tackle and at #5 they had the pick of the litter of both and grabbed Ja'Marr Chase out of LSU. Ja'Marr Chase is the best wide receiver in the draft with elite level athleticism and technique at the position and is going to play with his former LSU quarterback in Joe Burrow. Many, including me, feel they should've grabbed Penei Sewell out of Oregon considering he's easily the best offensive tackle to enter the league since Orlando Pace and was higher on every NFL draft board but I understand the need to pull a trigger on Joe Burrows favorite weapon out of college.
Day 2 Grade: B-
Selections: Jackson Carmon, Joseph OssaiThe Bengals did address offensive tackle on Day 2 of the draft with Jackson Carman out Clemson. Carman is a big mauler in the run game and an enforcer on the field. He's a bit of a reach in the 2nd round but he at least fills a need for the Bengals. How Joseph Ossai fell to the 3rd round and into the Bengals laps is beyond me. Ossai is a phenomenal athlete and has one of the best motors in the draft and will be a week 1 contributor for the Bengals.
Day 3 Grade: A-
Selections: Cameron Sample, Tyler Shelvin, D'Ante Smith, Evan McPherson, Trey Hill, Chris Evans, Wyatt Hubert
The Bengals had a very impressive draft in Day 3 picking great value and needed picks throughout. Cameron Sample is a tweener defensive lineman that can produce inside and on the edge and will carve out playing time in the defensive line rotation early. Tyler Shelvin might be the best pick of their draft as he's easily the best run stuffer and by far the best nose guard in the draft and Shelvin can be a game changer for them when defending the run. D'Ante Smith is a good depth pick at offensive tackle and could develop into a serviceable backup. Picking a kicker in the draft is always risky and rarely ever works and Evan McPherson needs to be very good at least in order to make this pick worthy. Trey Hill is a serviceable backup option in the interior offensive lineman and can play either center or guard. Chris Evans is a good backup option at running back and could be a decent special teams player as well. Wyatt Hubert is a total steal in the 7th round and could be a potential rotational edge rusher early in his career.
