The Cincinnati Bengals have come up aces this offseason in their efforts to improve the defense in particular. That unit should be much-improved as a complement to Joe Burrow and the offense, thanks largely to the Dexter Lawrence trade.
But as bold as the Bengals were willing to get to acquire Sexy Dexy, their conservatism toward adding a viable piece to the linebacker corps is downright puzzling.
Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. were awful as rookies. They need to make literal historic improvements just to be passable starters. One insider's latest take makes it sound like Cincinnati's brass is nevertheless holding firm with them, with a caveat that mid-June's mandatory minicamp could change things.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler quells optimism that Bengals will add a linebacker
During an interview with James Rapien of the Crown Network, four-letter network insider Jeremy Fowler didn't make a direct report, but did raise a lot of salient points on the Bengals' outlook at their biggest position of weakness:
"In May and June, you kind of want to see what your guys can do. See what you have, and then if you realize, ‘Oh wow, these guys can't play!’ then you go get somebody. […] The problem with the linebackers is there’s a lot of aging players, so I think the teams that want to make a big-time upgrade would look at a trade...There aren't teams really eager to give up like a Jordyn Brooks in Miami unless you're giving up major capital. So for the Bengals' taste, especially with giving up the first for Dexter Lawrence, I don't know that they would make another big swing for a trade right now."
Will the Bengals add a linebacker?@JFowlerESPN gives his take 👇 pic.twitter.com/18Z4MQ1EPo
— First Word With James Rapien (@FirstWordCincy) June 4, 2026
All due respect, I don't think it takes some football guru, or someone with exceptional eyesight, to see that Knight and Carter aren't good players. In fact, they might be doing themselves some favors by looking good in shorts during OTAs, before the pads really go on.
There's an alarming lack of urgency to not even try to address the clear weak point on the roster. The one veteran behind Carter and Knight, Oren Burks, was dreadful in his own right in 2025 after starting for the Eagles in the playoffs during their prior Super Bowl run. Thus, starting him over either rising second-year player doesn't appear to be a viable strategy, either.
Where does that leave us, Who Dey Heads? Praying that undrafted free agent Jack Dingle beats out everyone? Feels like the only viable path forward among in-house players, and what a long shot that is, especially since Carter and Knight will get every opportunity to keep their jobs.
At least for their parts, Knight and Carter are projecting confidence and fully believe they'll be in for rapid progress in Year 2 thanks to all the upgrades around them. Lawrence's presence alone should allow them to fit the run better since he draws so many double teams. Plus, having Bryan Cook at the safety spot gives the Bengals a legit leader who Carter, as the green-dot linebacker, can lean on as a mentor.
But shoot, I tell ya, the margin for error in this Bengals linebacker corps is razor-thin. And it's so avoidable to have reached this point. As Fowler alludes to, first-team All-Pro Jordyn Brooks can be had for premium draft capital. Send a second-round pick to Miami (more like a third-rounder if this year goes to plan), get that man to Cincy. We have no time to mess around.
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