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The Cincinnati Bengals lost in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs for the fourth straight season, falling on the road to the Indianapolis Colts in a game that wasn't all that close. This continues to be a solid roster overall, but average play at quarterback from Andy Dalton and some questions on defense continue to hold the team back from taking the next step.
What are the Bengals' priorities entering the offseason? Let's take a look.
1. Draft a QB to challenge Dalton -- or find one in free agency
Dalton isn't going anywhere, and no, this isn't an overreaction to a playoff loss in which Dalton was without top targets A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham, but would it hurt the Bengals to use a second- or third-round pick on a big-armed project quarterback? That isn't to suggest that said player would challenge Dalton right away for the starting job (the Bengals aren't going to come away with Marcus Mariota, for example), but would preparing an insurance policy if Dalton isn't the answer -- and I never thought he was -- be a terrible idea?
If not the draft, how about making the Tampa Bay Buccaneers an offer for Mike Glennon or signing an unrestricted free agent like Ryan Mallett? Neither of those guys is a sure thing to be better than Dalton, but both are players with some upside, whereas Dalton seems to be stuck at his same average performance level. It wouldn't be hard to see either of those guys stealing Dalton's starting gig, if the Bengals signed one.
2. Improve the pass rush
Surprisingly, Cincinnati's pass rush was among the worst in the league in 2014. This defense isn't bashful about putting a lot of pressure on the cornerbacks, which is why the Bengals use premium resources on players at the position. They also have a quality pair of safeties. But you can ask only so much out of your cover men if the rush isn't getting home. Geno Atkins improved as the season went along, which is encouraging, but the edge rushers are subpar. Carlos Dunlap is a quality defensive end but not a terror off the edge. The pass rush was the Bengals' biggest weakness in 2014, so improvement there would have a big impact.
3. Get help on the O-line, particularly the interior
Russell Bodine was consistently overmatched when inserted as the Bengals' starting center. This team wants to be a run-first offense, with a power running game led by Jeremy Hill and the best complementary back in the league in Giovani Bernard. To accomplish this, Cincinnati needs to move bodies in the middle of the field. Although Bodine may improve in his second season and is extremely strong, the Bengals should consider adding a pivot to play ahead of him in 2015 while also using Bodine at guard for depth and versatility; in fact, guard might end up being Bodine's ideal position.
Starting left guard Clint Boling, a quality run-blocker in his own right, is a free agent, so two interior linemen might be required to truly make an upgrade. Cincinnati might be smart to offer Eric Winston another one-year deal to come back for tackle depth up front. He played pretty well late in the season.
4. Rey Maualuga's future
Not only has the Bengals' pass rush been a problem, but run defense also was problematic for much of the season. A major reason the Bengals struggled so much against the run is that Maualuga played 443 snaps during the regular season; typical starting linebackers play double that in a season. A superb run-defender, Maualuga is set to become a free agent after the season. Cincinnati has some other impressive second-level defenders -- including Vontaze Burfict, who is the superior player but played only 223 regular-season snaps -- so how much is Maualuga truly worth to the Bengals?
5. What to do with Jermaine Gresham?
Much like Maualuga, Gresham is a bit of an anomaly. A former first-round pick, Gresham never lived up to that status. But he is a starting-caliber NFL tight end who is a decent blocker but not a dynamic receiver. The Bengals might have that dynamic receiving tight end returning from injury in Tyler Eifert, and finding blocking tight ends isn't too much of a challenge. Eifert has star potential. Cincinnati should let Gresham test the market and, if he doesn't get anything to his liking, see if he wants to return for low-end starter money at most.
Offseason fixes for the Cincinnati Bengals -- NFL - ESPN
By Matt Williamson
What are the Bengals' priorities entering the offseason? Let's take a look.
1. Draft a QB to challenge Dalton -- or find one in free agency
Dalton isn't going anywhere, and no, this isn't an overreaction to a playoff loss in which Dalton was without top targets A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham, but would it hurt the Bengals to use a second- or third-round pick on a big-armed project quarterback? That isn't to suggest that said player would challenge Dalton right away for the starting job (the Bengals aren't going to come away with Marcus Mariota, for example), but would preparing an insurance policy if Dalton isn't the answer -- and I never thought he was -- be a terrible idea?
If not the draft, how about making the Tampa Bay Buccaneers an offer for Mike Glennon or signing an unrestricted free agent like Ryan Mallett? Neither of those guys is a sure thing to be better than Dalton, but both are players with some upside, whereas Dalton seems to be stuck at his same average performance level. It wouldn't be hard to see either of those guys stealing Dalton's starting gig, if the Bengals signed one.
2. Improve the pass rush
Surprisingly, Cincinnati's pass rush was among the worst in the league in 2014. This defense isn't bashful about putting a lot of pressure on the cornerbacks, which is why the Bengals use premium resources on players at the position. They also have a quality pair of safeties. But you can ask only so much out of your cover men if the rush isn't getting home. Geno Atkins improved as the season went along, which is encouraging, but the edge rushers are subpar. Carlos Dunlap is a quality defensive end but not a terror off the edge. The pass rush was the Bengals' biggest weakness in 2014, so improvement there would have a big impact.
3. Get help on the O-line, particularly the interior
Russell Bodine was consistently overmatched when inserted as the Bengals' starting center. This team wants to be a run-first offense, with a power running game led by Jeremy Hill and the best complementary back in the league in Giovani Bernard. To accomplish this, Cincinnati needs to move bodies in the middle of the field. Although Bodine may improve in his second season and is extremely strong, the Bengals should consider adding a pivot to play ahead of him in 2015 while also using Bodine at guard for depth and versatility; in fact, guard might end up being Bodine's ideal position.
Starting left guard Clint Boling, a quality run-blocker in his own right, is a free agent, so two interior linemen might be required to truly make an upgrade. Cincinnati might be smart to offer Eric Winston another one-year deal to come back for tackle depth up front. He played pretty well late in the season.
4. Rey Maualuga's future
Not only has the Bengals' pass rush been a problem, but run defense also was problematic for much of the season. A major reason the Bengals struggled so much against the run is that Maualuga played 443 snaps during the regular season; typical starting linebackers play double that in a season. A superb run-defender, Maualuga is set to become a free agent after the season. Cincinnati has some other impressive second-level defenders -- including Vontaze Burfict, who is the superior player but played only 223 regular-season snaps -- so how much is Maualuga truly worth to the Bengals?
5. What to do with Jermaine Gresham?
Much like Maualuga, Gresham is a bit of an anomaly. A former first-round pick, Gresham never lived up to that status. But he is a starting-caliber NFL tight end who is a decent blocker but not a dynamic receiver. The Bengals might have that dynamic receiving tight end returning from injury in Tyler Eifert, and finding blocking tight ends isn't too much of a challenge. Eifert has star potential. Cincinnati should let Gresham test the market and, if he doesn't get anything to his liking, see if he wants to return for low-end starter money at most.
Offseason fixes for the Cincinnati Bengals -- NFL - ESPN
By Matt Williamson
