Stripe Hype mailbag: Bengals training camp roster
The Cincinnati Bengals have made it through free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft but there are still questions looming around the roster.
As we have made it through the biggest parts of the offseason including the free agency period and the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals now have a good idea of what their roster will look like come week one of the regular season. Bengals rookie minicamp was held last weekend, and we are close to the team facing off against opponents in OTA’s next week. There are still questions, however, on who will be starting in some roles of the roster.
Training camp and preseason will be where players can fight for starting roles or even a roster spot in general. Given the amount of positional talent that Cincinnati has brought in, it’s hard to justify a “starter” in some areas. One of those areas being the linebacker core.
Preseason will be a significant indicator of what the Bengals are looking at when it comes to starting roles. Which players are playing in the first team reps? Which players are getting the most playing time? These are ways we can see what the coaching staff is thinking and wanting to see more of. As of right now, we can only guess.
Each week, we ask the readers what questions they have regarding the Bengals. We send out posts on Facebook and Twitter starting on Tuesday to give you plenty of time to get those questions in. Of course, you can send us questions at any time on either platform and we will either add them to the mailbag article or write up a full piece on the question. With that being said, let’s take a look at your questions from this week.
Will the Bengals ever be able to trust Burfict with both on and off the field issues?
Linebacker Vontaze Burfict will miss the start of the regular season for the third consecutive season. While most of his suspensions have been for on the field hits, this year he will face a four-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Just in the last four seasons alone, Burfict has only played in 29 of 66 possible games due to injury and suspensions.
Cincinnati re-signed Burfict to an extension last September when he was suspended for a hit on Kansas City Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman. The contract is incentive based making it a risk-free deal for the Bengals. The deal allows the team to drop Burfict if he misses games due to suspension with little penalty. It also only pays big if he is performing well, which means not if he is hurt or suspended.
Trust is not the word I would be asking. Cincinnati is once again sticking with Burfict through his suspension like they have done many times in the past. They could have dropped Burfict and used the money saved from his contract to find players to help this team now and that they don’t have to worry about getting suspended consistently. Instead, the team decided that they would work through the first four games and benefit from his abilities when he comes back. Here is what Duke Tobin said on the matter when asked if they think about cutting him.
"“Do we have conversations on that a lot? Sure, we have conversations on that a lot,” Tobin said. “But at the end of the day we are a player-oriented business and the players are the ones that win or lose for us. We try to collect as many players that can help us win. That’s our job. That’s what we do. That’s our responsibility as an organization. To try to put the best football team on the field that we possibly can. It’s not ideal when a guy is not available to us and we recognize that, but our over-riding thought is how to field the best football team we can possibly field.”"
Burfict continues to hurt this team with his injuries and suspensions over the last four years. The problem is, where are you going to find that kind of talent if you relieve him? Cincinnati’s linebacker core has been average at best outside of Burfict, and while they brought in some new talent this offseason, it’s not enough to drop him and expect not to have a significant fallout.
Cincinnati has shown that they are willing to deal with off the field issues with multiple players. Former cornerback Adam Jones faced a one-game suspension last season as well for his assault charge during the 2017 offseason and the Bengals were unwilling to move on. This will be business as usual, and the Bengals are used to starting without him. Maybe they have a better plan this time considering their experience without him.
As I mentioned in the beginning portion of this article, the linebacker group will be an interesting one to watch in 2018. It’s hard to point at which linebackers will be starters when they all have different roles in different packages. Even Carl Lawson will have more linebacker responsibilities on base packages where the defense lines up in the 4-3 look on early downs.
When it comes to the 4-3 look on early downs, I would say that Lawson will be outside complimenting most likely linebacker Nick Vigil. Newly acquired linebacker Preston Brown is the only sure thing in this look. Cincinnati, like most defenses, spends most of its time in nickel sets with the NFL turning into a pass-heavy league.
Rookie linebacker Malik Jefferson will likely see time in these nickel and dime sets as he is their best coverage linebacker. Jefferson has the athleticism to keep up with tight ends and some slot receivers which is something the Bengals have been looking for. He’s the perfect example of positional need as he will likely only be on the field in obvious passing situations his rookie season. Although, I would not be surprised to see him in some of the 4-3 sets later in the season.
Next: Did the Bengals 2015 draft derail the team
Then you have the three-safety sets that new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will be implementing. Usually when there are three safeties on the field, one of those safeties drops down inside the box taking the position of a linebacker. Hybrid safety schemes will likely push out the linebackers from time to time, but it will largely benefit the Bengals coverage abilities.