The Cincinnati Bengals shuffled around players in multiple positional groups this offseason, but have some major question marks in some areas.
The Cincinnati Bengals have made more moves this offseason to bring in new players, along with new coaches, than what fans are normally used to. The franchise has been known for mostly staying clear of free agency aside from small signings and building their team through the draft. While teams should build their team through the draft primarily, they should also be active in free agency to fill holes as well to better their odds of becoming better in the following season and fill gaps in the roster.
The most notable signings during free agency were linebacker Preston Brown coming over from the Buffalo Bills, defensive tackle Chris Baker coming over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and right tackle Bobby Hart coming over from the New York Giants. There was also the trade for left tackle Cordy Glenn just before the free agency period opened. The most notable losses on the roster in free agency were cornerback Adam Jones, backup quarterback A.J. McCarron, and center Russell Bodine.
None of the names from the free agency were top sought-after players that would require significant contracts. In fact, the top names all received one-year deals from the Bengals. Trading for Glenn was the largest contract the Bengals took on from their acquired players. However, for a team so unwilling in many years to sign players for starting roles, this was considered an aggressive offseason by many fans.
No matter where you land on the aggressive factor, the team went beyond their comfort zone and the roster looks better on paper. How that team will unfold in 2018 is yet to be seen, especially under new coordinators and schemes being implemented this offseason. We now take a look at the roster following all of their offseason moves and look at which positions have the most question marks leading up to the 2018 regular season.