NFL Team Previews: Cincinnati Bengals
Onto the sixth division, where I will be starting off with the Cincinnati Bengals, coached by Marvin Lewis and with Mike Brown as the GM. With multiple coordinators leaving over recent seasons to become successful head coaches elsewhere, the Bengals may be relying on the leadership of Lewis and QB Andy Dalton more than ever this season. Lewis has been the Bengals' coach since 2003, won four division crowns in that span, and yet is 0-7 in the postseason. His seat is getting warmer, and if the Bengals can't advance deep into the postseason this year, he might be out. Luckily for him, the roster is as good as ever.
DRAFT RECAP: To start off, the Bengals selected CB WIlliam Jackson III, who should slot in to replace Leon Hall at corner. Despite recent losses there, such as Terrence Newman and Leon Hall, the Bengals have opted to get younger and more athletic in the secondary. Jackson III should provide good speed and coverage, and could even battle CB Dre Kirkpatrick for a starting job. The Bengals focused their biggest need of the offseason in the second and sixth rounds, selecting WR Tyler Boyd and Cody Core. Boyd should start immediately, as the incumbent Brandon LaFell was only an emergency pickup, since the Bengals lost Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu this offseason. This should also give a realistic opportunity to play to Cody Core as well. The Bengals also nabbed the yearly player who always falls way farther than expected, in DT Andrew Billings in the fourth round. With Peko and Atkins already there, Billings will be a backup, but he can learn from some of the best and provide depth.
FREE AGENCY: The Bengals have a pretty well set up roster, with the only real voids at wide receiver and right tackle. The Bengals tried to take care of wide receiver, and maybe he'll bounce back, by bringing in Brandon LaFell from New England. After dropping so many passes last season and being hurt as well, LaFell finished with 515 yards and no touchdowns. It wasn't even like he had a lack of targets, as Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola were hurt for some of the season. This just shows desperation, but with draft picks Boyd and Core in the fold and AJ Green already being there, receiving should be just fine. ILB Karlos Dansby was signed from Cleveland, and he should be replacing AJ Hawk. Dansby had another big season last year, although a big season from Cleveland doesn't mean much.
PLAYERS LOST: The Bengals let OLB AJ Hawk and CB Leon Hall walk, and neither of them have yet to find a new home. I see Leon Hall as a more likely returnee than Hawk, due to positional needs and tenure with the team. I've also already stated the Bengals lost Jones and Sanu, to Detroit and Atlanta, but they were both overpaid in my opinion. The biggest loss may just be at the back end, where S Reggie Nelson walked away to Oakland. Nelson leaves a leadership void at safety, but the front office is confident in replacement S Shawn Williams. Longtime RT Andre Smith walked to the Minnesota Vikings, and he left an opening there as well, and he brought OLB Emmanuel Lamur with him. DE Wallace Gilberry also went to the Detroit Lions, but he was a backup for the Bengals.
STRONGEST POSITION: Here I will be going with the front seven as a whole, especially when Burfict returns from his suspension from hitting WR Antonio Brown. Burfict is one of the best, and one of the most controversial, linebackers in the NFL. He starts alongside ILB Rey Maualuga, and one of OLB Vincent Rey and OLB Karlos Dansby. Without Burfict, the Bengals are in good hands at linebacker anyway. The defensive line is the real strength, as two Bengals record 11+ sacks from the line, DE Carlos Dunlap and DT Geno Atkins. Both are Pro Bowlers, and Atkins may be the best 4-3 defensive tackle in football. The other two members of the line aren't slouches either, as DE Michael Johnson (5 sacks) and DT Domata Peko (5 sacks) are both great players and both carry high expectations.
WEAKEST POSITION: I'm really tired of talking about the lack of wide receivers, especially when they had little depth prior to Jones and Sanu leaving. AJ Green is a top 5 wide receiver. Tyler Eifert is a top 5 tight end. The Bengals will be fine. Looking throughout the roster, the Bengals biggest question is can QB Andy Dalton perform in the postseason? That's all the Bengals really need to worry about. They have depth everywhere, quality starters at almost every position, and stars scattered throughout the roster. It's now all about getting through the regular season healthy, and winning in the postseason.
FIVE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYERS TO THE BENGAL SUCCESS: QB Andy Dalton, WR AJ Green, RB Jeremy Hill, DT Geno Atkins, CB Adam Jones. The Andy Dalton-AJ Green combination has been deadly in the past, and that's what keeps this offense ticking. If it continues, the rest of the offense will follow. That includes RB Jeremy Hill, who is important for providing balance in this offense, and paired with Giovani Bernard, performing a one-two punch in the backfield. DT Geno Atkins is the best player on this defense in my opinion, and without him, they'd still be good, but they wouldn't be great. CB Adam Jones is the only notable corner not on a rookie contract, and will need to be a non-controversial leader (see Pacman Jones, Tennessee Titans) now more than ever. Kirkpatrick, Jackson III, and the injured Darqueze Dennard provide solid depth, but Jones is the key to the group.
PREDICTION: Well, the Browns are the Browns, the Baltimore Ravens should be better this season after being decimated by injuries last year, but it's Pittsburgh who will be the main rival for the Bengals this season. Cincinnati's roster and defense especially look more complete, but Pittsburgh has bigger stars and is recently known for postseason success. I like the Bengals roster better than Pittsburgh's, so at this moment I'll be putting the Bengals as the division winner, and a likely 12-4 record.
