If perception is reality, then the structure of the Cincinnati Bengals being viewed as ‘different’ is an issue in and of itself. If Mike Brown is the de-facto General Manager and Duke Tobin is your director of player personnel, then the theory that the organization is questionably run is a fair assessment.
It’s also a self-inflicted wound.
The Bengals would clear up a lot to the NFL world if they made Tobin the actual GM. The path to decision making is already murky at best. The many occasions where head coach Zac Taylor was the mouthpiece on things like A.J. Green shows an organization willfully dysfunctional. Brown and the rest of the family would be smart to allow Tobin to work unfettered and with complete authority on roster matters.
It also streamlines the process. It was clear that during the 2019 trade deadline, teams wanting to inquire about Green were left to wonder who to talk to or if anyone was willing to discuss his availability at all. Instead, it was Taylor who said week in and week out, that Green was due to play. He didn’t and was eventually put on the shelf.
The perception is that the Bengals are not a well-run organization. A plurality if not the majority of teams has said as much, sparking the debate regarding Cincinnati and Joe Burrow. Fair or not, providing clarity and an organizational road map regarding decision making would help change such a dysfunctional perception.