Bengals News: Not a top-5 offense, third-string QBs, and more

In Bengals news, how are the Cincinnati Bengals not considered a top-five offense? Also, where does Jake Browning land on the list of third-string quarterbacks and why should we care?

In a ranking from Mike Martz of The 33rd Team, the Bengals didn't make the list of top-five offenses. The list went (from No. 1 to No. 5): 49ers, Chiefs, Lions, Eagles, Bills.

You mean to tell me that the No. 1 ranked offense is one without a solid quarterback? While the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, none of their receivers scare anyone. The Lions? Really? The Eagles and Bills are good offenses but none of these top five teams have as scary of a receiver corp as the Bengals do.

Speaking of offenses, teams don't want their third-string quarterbacks to ever see the field but if they did, who would be in the best position to still succeed? According to Mike Tanier of Underdog Network, the very same 49ers who I mentioned as not having a solid quarterback would be in the best spot, as Sam Darnold is their third-stringer. He's followed by Mason Rudolph of the Steelers, Case Keenum of the Texans, Hendon Hooker of the Lions, and Malik Willis of the Titans.

Here's what's trending in Bengals news.

Top 5 NFL Offenses for 2023 Season: Which Teams Made the Cut? [Mike Martz, The 33rd Team]

I still don't get how the Bengals don't make the cut here, especially after they went out and added the best available offensive tackle to their arsenal. How can an offense with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins not be ranked in the top five?

Nathan Peterman to Trace McSorley & Beyond: Ranking the NFL's 3rd-String Quarterbacks [Mike Tanier, Underdog Network]

For those who are wondering, Jake Browning came in at No. 22 on this list. The Bengals opted not to re-sign Brandon Allen as their backup and for a long time, it felt as though Browning would be the backup to Burrow. The Bengals then went on to sign Trevor Siemian as their backup, pushing Browning back into a third-string role.

"Browning threw 43 touchdown passes for University of Washington as a sophomore in 2016 and maintained a little bit of draftnik sleeper buzz until he spent three years with the Vikings getting shunted behind Sean Manning, Kyle Sloter and Kellen Mond on the depth chart. He found a home with the Bengals, who need every available nickel to pay Joe Burrow and expect their third-stringers to soak up preseason playing time (Browning attempted 64 passes last August) because they do not believe in playing their starters."

- Mike Tanier

Hopefully, we never see Browning in action during the regular season unless the Bengals clinched a spot in the playoffs and didn't need to play their starters in the season's final game. If Burrow and Siemian were to both get injured, the Bengals probably aren't doing much but Browning will have opportunities to show what he can do in the preseason.

Top 101 NFL free agents of 2023: DeAndre Hopkins, Yannick Ngakoue among best available [Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com]

Hopkins is the best on the market followed by Yannick Ngakoue, Jadeveon Clowney, Dalton Risner, and Marcus Peters. The only player out of this bunch who wouldn't be a fit for Cincinnati is Hopkins simply because the Bengals are already stacked at receiver.