Cincinnati Bengals: Winning without Vontaze Burfict

An Abundance Of Youthful Energy

Cincinnati has long been one of those teams which highly values their own draftees over what they might get from even a decently-priced free agent or in a trade. A part of this roster building plan has often involved holding onto certain veterans they once drafted for much longer than they actually should have.

Guys like Bodine or Domata Peko got to stay around for year after year, regardless of if they actually made any sort of positive impact on the field anymore. It showed a stunning level of loyalty, one which would be endearing if it was shown to players who actually were good enough to deserve that sort of cemented belief in them.

This offseason saw them step away from that to a startling degree — and it seems to be working out for them.

Veteran names, even ones who were here for years, were let go early and often. Adam Jones wasn’t brought back. Jeremy Hill didn’t return either. Brandon LaFell had his contract terminated to start August. They tried to replace George Iloka in free agency, but he ended up cut in the summer even without any new veterans coming in. Chris Baker was a cheap signing for the defensive line, but the endless depth already in place left no place for him. Even Michael Johnson found himself on the outs at cutdown day, though he did return afterwards.

In place of the seemingly more reliable veterans, the young players have brought higher ceilings and boundless energy to fuel the team in subtle ways. Jessie Bates (Iloka’s replacement) showed immediately he could always be around the ball, and his coverage skills have already gotten him a game-changing turnover and a high Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grade among his peers (77.5; 11th among safeties).

None of Hubbard, Willis, Lawson, Glasgow, and Billings are further that three seasons into their careers, but all are integral to the deep and talented defensive line. Hill was already replaced by Joe Mixon last year, but now the young player had even less competition for snaps — just in time for what could be a breakout year.

LaFell’s snaps have been overtaken by 2017 first round selection John Ross, whose record-breaking speed and excellent elusiveness make him a great No. 2 receiver to pair with A.J. Green. This infusion of youth has been a much-needed boon for a team that came into this year needed exactly that.

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