CINCINNATI — As Cincinnati Bengals defensive sort out DJ Reader sat at his locker, eyes reddened, processing a season that ended with a dramatic loss to the Kansas City Chiefs within the AFC Championship Game nearly two weeks in the past, he expressed a fact that is among the NFL’s fixed realities.
“This crew won’t ever be the identical once more,” Reader mentioned within the minutes after the 23-20 loss.
The 2022 model of the Bengals was among the finest in crew historical past. It received 10 straight video games, a franchise document, and matched probably the most victories by a Cincinnati squad in a single season (12).
All year long, the crew’s bond and chemistry have been famous as one of many causes for its success. That wasn’t high of thoughts for Bengals coach Zac Taylor the day after Cincinnati’s playoff exit, however it was one thing that he acknowledged because the crew strikes right into a essential offseason.
“Now the subsequent section of the NFL occurs the place you begin to undergo this transitionally into free company, and we’ll see the way it performs out for lots of men,” Taylor mentioned.
So what comes subsequent for Cincinnati? Listed here are three elements of the offseason to look at because the Bengals look to maintain the success from earlier seasons.
Taking good care of enterprise
Every little thing with this franchise begins with quarterback Joe Burrow. In his first three full seasons, the Bengals received the AFC North, have been two minutes away from profitable the Tremendous Bowl and narrowly missed going again to that recreation following the loss to Kansas Metropolis.
What occurs with Burrow is the largest domino to fall relating to the remainder of the offseason. He, together with the opposite rookies drafted in 2020, is eligible for a contract extension. And the clock to get his deal squared away has began.
“I feel that begins now internally,” Taylor said on Jan. 30 of conversations about Burrow’s extension talks.
Historical past signifies the Bengals perceive the worth of getting an costly quarterback deal accomplished as shortly as doable. When Cincinnati signed Carson Palmer to his large extension in 2005, the Bengals did it with time remaining on his rookie contract, which allowed the franchise to unfold out the fee in opposition to the wage cap over a number of years.
The collective bargaining settlement permits groups to prorate a signing bonus for as much as 5 years. In different phrases, a $50 million bonus might be paid to a participant upfront however solely carries a $10 million annual hit in opposition to the wage cap. Or, Cincinnati might mirror the contract given to Kansas Metropolis quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whose $141 million in assured cash is structured as yearly roster bonuses due close to the start of the league 12 months, in line with Roster Administration System.
As soon as Cincinnati figures out how a lot to pay Burrow and, extra importantly, tips on how to construction that deal, the Bengals will get a greater glimpse at what can be accessible for linebacker Logan Wilson and broad receiver Tee Higgins. Huge receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s longtime teammate courting again to their days at LSU and one of many league’s most dynamic gamers, can be up for an extension in 2024.
Making wage cap selections
Cincinnati has pushed again on the idea of a championship window constructed round an elite quarterback on a rookie contract, which is an enormous low cost to a franchise. However the actuality is that the monetary flexibility the Bengals have loved will disappear as soon as Burrow’s new contract begins to take a big chunk of the wage cap.
The Bengals have $33.6 million in wage cap house for 2023, in line with Roster Administration System. However that quantity is simply with 46 gamers on the roster. A number of key gamers — tight finish Hayden Hurst, operating again Samaje Perine, cornerback Eli Apple, security Vonn Bell and linebacker Germaine Pratt — from final 12 months’s crew have expired contracts.
Cincinnati must change a couple of starters and signal gamers for depth throughout the roster, too. It’s additionally value noting that the Bengals have traditionally budgeted cash for use in case of emergency in the course of the common season.
Among the strains of the wage cap have already been realized. Jessie Bates, who has began at security since he was drafted in 2018, was not given a contract extension earlier than the 2021 or 2022 seasons, with Cincinnati choosing the one-year franchise tag as a substitute.
Huge receiver Tyler Boyd is totally conscious of what his contract ramifications imply for his future with the Bengals. Boyd is coming into the ultimate 12 months of an extension he signed in 2019. If the Bengals reduce him, they’ll obtain $8.9 million in cap financial savings.
Boyd instructed ESPN he’s simply ready to see what occurs over the upcoming months.
“We’ll see what they wish to do with me, however I do know I’m nonetheless entitled for a 12 months,” Boyd mentioned after the loss to Kansas Metropolis. “I’m not counting my possibilities of not being right here out. You by no means know.”
Refreshing the roster
Cincinnati’s draft technique in 2022 was clear. With the picks of security Dax Hill, cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt and defensive sort out Zach Carter within the first three rounds, respectively, the Bengals have been slotting in youthful, cheaper gamers to doubtlessly change into starters in future years.
With the present roster scenario, Hill and Taylor-Britt could possibly be the brand new anchors of the secondary in 2023 alongside veterans Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton, two cornerbacks who can be on expiring offers after this season.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has the Bengals trending towards the identical strategy in 2023. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller has Cincinnati choosing Notre Dame tight finish Michael Mayer with the twenty eighth general decide. Mayer, who performed highschool soccer (Covington Catholic) roughly three miles from Paycor Stadium, might change Hurst as a pass-catching possibility at tight finish.
When Bengals director of participant personnel Duke Tobin speaks on the NFL scouting mix, it might present perception into the place Cincinnati can be headed within the draft.
No matter occurs within the draft can be essential to maximizing the Bengals’ possibilities of returning to the AFC Championship Sport and competing for a Tremendous Bowl once more.