After five straight years in the playoffs, the Cincinnati Bengals have fallen on their faces. What else needs to be done if they want to rebound in 2018?
After winning the AFC North with a 12-4 record in 2015, it’s been all downhill for Marvin Lewis’ team. The Cincinnati Bengals are a combined 13-18-1 the past two seasons and look to get back in the AFC playoff race. But it won’t be easy with the team chasing both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens within their division.
This is an organization that is usually busier come April’s draft than in the months leading up to it. Still, the Bengals have signed a few veterans over the last few weeks.
So what other areas could Lewis’ team be looking to address?
Filling void at defensive tackle
Yes, the team signed veteran Chris Baker before the start of free agency. He was cut loose by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following a very-disappointing showing with that club. Two-year pro Andrew Billings finally saw action this past, making seven starts, while 2017 fourth-round pick Ryan Glasgow played in all 16 games and finished with 23 tackles and a fumble recovery. This past season, the Bengals finished 30th in the league against the run.
Fortify offensive front
One of the big reasons the team finished dead last in the league in total yards per game and next-to-last in the NFL in rushing offense was the play of the offensive line. Last offseason, left tackle Andrew Whitworth and right guard Kevin Zeitler signed with the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns, respectively. In March, the Bengals swung a deal to get Cordy Glenn from the Buffalo Bills. But there’s some serious work to be done here.
Depth at linebacker
Vincent Rey has led Cincinnati in tackles in three of the past four seasons. The team did add highly-productive Preston Brown (Buffalo Bills) in free agency and he hopes to help the team solve its run defense issues. But keep in mind that Vontaze Burfict will miss the first four games of the season due to his latest suspension — this time for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Full 7-round projection
Conclusion
The Cincinnati Bengals started slow but finished strong in 2017. Can they carry the latter over into this upcoming season? As previously mentioned, it’s not a team that has relied on free agency so the upcoming draft is vital to Lewis’ club. The club owns 11 picks in April’s selection process, including a pair of third-round choices.