Ravens add another major weapon before deadline, while Bengals sit still

If you want to know the difference between the Cincinnati Bengals and other legitimate contenders in the AFC, look no further than the recent activity leading up to the 2024 NFL trade deadline. The two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs started the season 6-0, but they spotted a weakness at the wide receiver position due to some injury issues.

So, what did they do? They went out and traded for DeAndre Hopkins, who may be past his prime, but he's still an extremely sercivable pass-catcher. Just last season he had over 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans.

AFC rivals continue to improve while Bengals remain inactive

Similarly, the Baltimore Ravens have been largely excellent on offense, but they just went out and landed wide receiver Diontae Johnson in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Johnson had 30 receptions for 357 yards in seven games with the Panthers this season. Now, he'll provide reigning MVP Lamar Jackson with yet another weapon to utilize, and his addition should make Baltimore's offensive attack even more difficult to defend.

Meanwhile, what have the Bengals done after an underwhelming and sluggish 3-5 start to the current campaign? Nothing, and it doesn't seem like they plan to. Instead, it seems as though they'll allow an MVP-caliber campaign from Joe Burrow to go to waste. They can't run the ball, they can't stop the run, and they can't defend the pass. And it doesn't look like the answers are currently on the roster. if they are, the coaching staff certainly hasn't found them.

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The Chiefs and Ravens weren't satisfied despite solid starts to the season, and while the Bengals shouldn't be satisfied either, their inactivity suggests otherwise.

Cincinnati's staggering lack of urgency was captured well by Mike Petraglia of CLNS Media following their Week 8 loss to the Eagles.

"The Bengals have some nice pieces for the future. But there’s not a sense of urgency coming from the organization in roster building," Petraglia wrote. "The Eagles went out in the offseason and acquired Saquon Barkley. That’s a move by a franchise that has been to two Super Bowls in the past six seasons and won once and nearly won another. There’s a drive and urgency to win in Philadelphia that is severely lacking in Cincinnati. That’s what this season has shown."

Bengals fans deserve better. Joe Burrow deserves better.

Landing talent through the draft is only half of the battle, and it seems like sometimes the Bengals forget that. You also have to retain that talent and supplement it in a meaningful way. Teams like the Chiefs and Ravens have figured that out. Maybe one day the Bengals will too.