The Cincinnati Bengals should become the next franchise to schedule an interview with Louis Riddick to become their general manager.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick is beginning to generate buzz as a general manager candidate. According to reports from Adam Schefter, the former player, scout, and director of player personnel is slated to interview with both the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions. Given the current state of the Cincinnati Bengals, the franchise should absolutely be the next to host Riddick.
What the organization should do and what they will do are two entirely different things, however. The club has opted to have team owner Mike Brown serve as the general manager since he took over in 1991. Although, in recent years, it is widely speculated that the director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, has taken over the reins for that role.
Either way, the Bengals need change at the top of the front office. Since 1991, WhoDey Nation has witnessed just seven winning seasons and zero playoff victories. If that’s not enough to incite significant change, there’s no telling what it would take to restructure the current system in place.
Louis Riddick would give the Bengals stability
Not only is Louis Riddick an extremely intelligent and capable candidate (take one glimpse at a clip of his analysis, and it’s obvious), but he’s also widely respected. He played six seasons in the league and went on to work in two separate franchises afterward.
His standing among those that rank highest in the NFL world could help the Bengals bring in the assistance they need to turn things around. Cincinnati needs to bring in a new coaching staff, but as things stand, it’s a daunting task for those hoping to lead the way for a franchise.
However, Riddick brings with him a high level of respect. His presence could be enough to attract the Bengals’ top head coach candidate, should they choose to move on from Zac Taylor. Fans witnessed how much they struggled to find a defensive coordinator just two seasons ago. With Riddick, there shouldn’t be nearly as much trouble filling out their coaching staff with high-quality candidates.
You’ve got to feel good about his ability as a talent evaluator as well. As previously mentioned, Riddick was a player himself and served as a scout, giving him a unique skill set when it comes to scanning the free-agent market and draft prospect pool.
The Bengals are likely to wind up with the third overall pick, but face a potentially tough situation. Penei Sewell is the best prospect to come at the offensive tackle position in years, an area where Cincinnati is in desperate need of help.
However, they also have a plethora of other holes to fill as well, and there will undoubtedly be suitors willing to give up a king’s ransom for their precious selection. Riddick has the ability to adequately access the situation and follow the correct course of action, whatever that might be.
The Bengals are long overdue to have an actual general manager. It seems unlikely that they pull the trigger on such a move now, but they have surprised the fan base recently by committing a record amount of money in free agency a year ago.
If the franchise that calls Paul Brown Stadium home is serious about winning in the Joe Burrow era and altering the public perception of the team, they’ll have a plane ticket in Louis Riddick’s hands soon.