Early hot takes for Bengals 2018 season

As the Cincinnati Bengals have a general idea what their roster will look like in 2018, it’s time for some early hot takes.

The Cincinnati Bengals have made some significant changes this offseason giving fans hope for a playoff push in 2018. After falling short the last two seasons, Cincinnati has restructured some of the coaching positions along with adding significant help on both sides of the ball. With all of the change that has happened this offseason, what are the expectations for the Bengals?

Bringing in defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was one of the headlines of the offseason. Austin looks to instill more aggressive schemes and designs to get after the quarterback and attack the ball in 2018. After only 14 forced turnovers last season, it was time for a change. Some players that Cincinnati added to help with that are second-round pick safety Jessie Bates, former Buffalo Bills linebacker Preston Brown, and third-round picks defensive end Sam Hubbard and linebacker Malik Jefferson.

On the offensive side of the ball, it was all about the offensive line. Cincinnati parted ways with Paul Alexander after more than 20 years as the offensive line coach and brought in former Dallas Cowboys offensive line coach Frank Pollack. The team made a trade with the Buffalo Bills to acquire left tackle Cordy Glenn to address their most significant need. The Bengals continued by signing right tackle Bobby Hart and drafting first-round pick center Billy Price.

Given the change on both sides of the ball, we should see a significant increase in production. Austin looks to change the schemes and looks of the defense while offensive coordinator Bill Lazor has put his stamp on the playbook and looks to get Cincinnati back to attacking offense. So what will happen in 2018? Let’s take a look at the hot takes our writers have come up with this offseason.