2023 Cincinnati Bengals Part 1: Offseason

[Kingspoint]

Do not pay Jonah Williams $12M to play LT for the Bengals' next season. Pay someone else $17M-$20M if you have to. That $5M-$8M difference can make or break both,... next season's results, but also make or break Joe Burrow's career (when he gets carted off the field from another Jonah whiff).

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Pratt wasn't coming back...you are not going to pay both Wilson and Pratt top dollar. Pratt did not like being only a 2 down LB as well I would think he will pursue a contract and role where he will be a 3 down LB. I would estimate he will cost around 15 million per season to keep.

He did apologize on twitter got caught up in the emotions which is understandable said he wasn't a good teammate and would be open to coming back.

There are very few 3-down LB's in the NFL. I don't think that's a goal of any LB. Most teams use 5 DB's more than 50% of the time.

[Kingspoint]

Pratt was great this year but they can't afford to pay two linebackers. I will guess they pay Wilson. Have to hope ADG is ready to take Pratt's place. Linebacker play is notoriously fickle outside of the truly elite.

It's a position where you only need one good one, as Flowers is the 2nd LB on most occasions. The 3rd LB can be rotated depending on the situation. That's not a spot to pay anything other than league minimum for while 5th Round players on rookie contracts fill in admirably there.

[Kingspoint]

This team needs a legit pass rusher. If you look at the other 3 teams in the conference championship, they all had a great pass rush. That was the ultimate decider in last year’s Super Bowl as well. Statistically, the bengals were in the bottom third in team pass rush all year. They don’t consistently get pressure on the QB. That’s a hole that needs to be filled somehow.

Completely disagree. Hendrickson, Reader, Hubbard are elite, extremely elite. Their season results speak for themselves. You can't improve on what they do. The other five spots have plenty of options and Anarumo just needs enough talent to make the calls work.

Defensive Line is the least of this team's concerns. It's excellent.

[Kingspoint]

They also need an upgrade at punter.

...maybe just experience.

[oregonred]

For the love of all things holy, please do not let Eli Apple be in a bengals uniform next season.

Apple has been a great pickup as a low cost third CB last year forced to start when $15M a year Wayans couldnt answer the bell.

This year he was a bargain at $3.75M (including incentives) and played very well as the default #1 CB when Awuzie went down with the ACL. Apple was graded third highest on D yesterday with a 73.0

BTW, CTB is becoming a player. 2 great games in a row per PFF. 77.9. Looks like the Bengals hit the jackpot in the late 2nd round (great move trading up a few spots).

BTW, BJ Hill was the top defender grade at 78.9. Another amazing FO pickup last year and re-sign in the offseason.

[Kingspoint]

Pratt was already gone - Goodberry thinks he's going to get something like 4 years, $60 million somewhere.

That's where the outburst came from, Pratt knew this was his last chance on a stacked Bengals team.

I did some reading this morning and the Bengals are in way better shape with the cap than most outsiders commenting seem to realize. There's a narrative that the Bengals have to blow this up because they are paying Burrow and I don't know where it's coming from.

Burrow's new deal, whenever he signs, isn't going to hurt until 2025+, they control Higgins for two more years if they want (would need to use the franchise tag), Boyd is signed through next year, and they can create cap room if they want by doing something with Mixon, either cutting or restructuring. He's their third biggest 2023 cap hit currently.

Some of the guys they are about to lose aren't going to come back not because the Bengals don't have cap room but because they probably should be allocating the resources differently.

I just want upgrades on both lines, secondary help, and a new punter. Hoping Awuzie can come back full strength.

I'm wondering if Jonah couldn't move to RT if they think Carman could play LT. I'd rather have Carman be tackle depth, but that could be a way to handle. If Collins comes back at some point in the season then you just have more depth.

I don't think this will be a popular opinion, but - to some extent - I don't want to see BPA in the first round going forward. With a QB coming off his rookie deal soon I think they need to focus on filling expensive positions there, like offensive tackle, pass rush, receivers, corners.

All of the future contract information for every Bengal including the team as a whole.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/cap/

[oregonred]

[Kingspoint]

Where was Bates? I did notice him keeping things controlled and the Defense focused with, what appeared to be, a leadership role during the game. There's no PFF grades for that.

[KoryMac5]

Do not pay Jonah Williams $12M to play LT for the Bengals' next season. Pay someone else $17M-$20M if you have to. That $5M-$8M difference can make or break both,... next season's results, but also make or break Joe Burrow's career (when he gets carted off the field from another Jonah whiff).

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There are very few 3-down LB's in the NFL. I don't think that's a goal of any LB. Most teams use 5 DB's more than 50% of the time.

It's about dollars though LB's who stay on the field more get paid more...not saying Pratt is worth Roquan Smith dollars but he will get paid like a top 5 LB...

And I think they already guaranteed Jonah's 5th year so he's getting paid.

[MWM]

Apple has been a great pickup as a low cost third CB last year forced to start when $15M a year Wayans couldnt answer the bell.

This year he was a bargain at $3.75M (including incentives) and played very well as the default #1 CB when Awuzie went down with the ACL. Apple was graded third highest on D yesterday with a 73.0

It's not only about his play on the field. He talks way too much for a guy who isn't very good. Reminds me a bit of Dre Kirkpatrick, who was not good at all, but ran his mouth constantly. I just don't like those types of players. I don't think he really fits well with this group of guys.

[KoryMac5]

It's not only about his play on the field. He talks way too much for a guy who isn't very good. Reminds me a bit of Dre Kirkpatrick, who was not good at all, but ran his mouth constantly. I just don't like those types of players. I don't think he really fits well with this group of guys.

I read a few articles where the DBs love Apple and he enjoys playing here...so if the price is reasonable I think he comes back as a depth piece until Chido is healthy.

[Kingspoint]

The Anarumo requests for interviews are starting. The Cardinals have requested interviews with both he and Callahan.

Anarumo and Kyler Murray. That's a relationship that would never work as Anarumo would insist on holding Murray accountable for his actions and Murray is not one who will ever do that his life. Murray will have to be traded if Anarumo took that job, or else Anarumo would resign eventually after Murray whines to the media about some kind of excuse that has nothing to do with what's actually going on.

Anarumo is not stupid enough to walk into that situation.

Callahan might be, but Anarumo isn't. Callahan would have to be an idiot to leave Burrow and the Bengals for Murray and the Cardinals.

[Kingspoint]

It's about dollars though LB's who stay on the field more get paid more...not saying Pratt is worth Roquan Smith dollars but he will get paid like a top 5 LB...

And I think they already guaranteed Jonah's 5th year so he's getting paid.

I posted the spotrac salaries of everyone, so you can see Jonah's. Williams doesn't have to get paid in Cincinnati, and if we can't trade him, he doesn't have to get paid to play LT. He's definitely tradeable.

[KoryMac5]

The Anarumo requests for interviews are starting. The Cardinals have requested interviews with both he and Callahan.

Anarumo and Kyler Murray. That's a relationship that would never work as Anarumo would insist on holding Murray accountable for his actions and Murray is not one who will ever do that his life. Murray will have to be traded if Anarumo took that job, or else Anarumo would resign eventually after Murray whines to the media about some kind of excuse that has nothing to do with what's actually going on.

Anarumo is not stupid enough to walk into that situation.

Callahan might be, but Anarumo isn't. Callahan would have to be an idiot to leave Burrow and the Bengals for Murray and the Cardinals.

Opportunity to coach with his Dad I know it had been talked about in the past...Callahan has worked magic with some really good QB's

[Kingspoint]

The Chargers' signing of Kellen Moore as O. C. should make winning the Division more difficult for Kansas City. Herbert has already beaten the Chiefs without Moore a couple of times.

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Opportunity to coach with his Dad I know it had been talked about in the past...Callahan has worked magic with some really good QB's

Working magic with Quarterbacks is different than changing a human being's work ethic. That's something that is inate.