By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals are an AFC juggernaut with the fifth-most cap space in the NFL. Zac Taylor could utilize his creative juices in May by inking one of the shiny free agents available. The Bengals could still benefit from the arrival of a cornerback or even another underrated offensive weapon. With that said, I’m going to untwine a few FA profiles that would be superb fits for Cincy.

• Joe Haden

The Bengals young head coach shouldn’t let the Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel sign every quality FA on the planet or allow Joe Haden to reunite with the Browns. The Bengals might have an overly impressive WR trio (Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins), but they ought to boost their pass defense. I firmly believe that Eli Apple is underrated (to say the least), but Haden would be an upgrade over Apple and a fine partner to Chidobe Awuzie, who was named to PFF’s All-Pro team.

• Akiem Hicks

The explosive big fella Akiem Hicks can terrorize opposing signal-callers next to Trey Hendrickson and B.J. Hill. Hicks is still a talented DL and he showed that in nine games last season (3.5 sacks and 9 QB hits). Hicks would really help the Bengals pass rush against Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and other top-notch AFC QBs.

• Ndamukong Suh

I believe the Bengals would make a lot of sense for the fearless defender Ndamukong Suh. The Super Bowl-winning DE/DT can have a strong chance to win his second SB ring with the Bengals. The former Lions DL that has only missed two games in his career would be more affordable than a FA like Jadeveon Clowney for the Bengals, too.

• Jimmy Graham

I will be honest – Jimmy Graham is a bit washed up. I still believe he can be a mismatch for opposing defenses and he could be a nice TE2 behind Hayden Hurst. The TE with 11 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined could be a sneaky weapon for Joe Burrow in big-time showdowns.

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The elite pass rusher Chandler Jones enters an interesting period in his career. The two-time All-Pro, four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher, and one-time Super Bowl champion is a 2022 free agent and it’s clear he will have plenty of interest this offseason. Here is a look at how special Jones has been in his career thus far:

*stats are according to Pro Football Reference

• 107.5 career sacks
• seven seasons of 10+ sacks
• 19 sacks in 2019 (single-season career high)
• NFC Defensive Player of The Year in 2019

Jones has been a force to be reckoned with at every point of his career thus far. The question is: where his next destination be? Here are the potential landing spots for the former 21st overall pick.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the tenth most cap space in the league and they have the Hulk, also known as T.J. Watt. Jones could be tired of playing with J.J. Watt and move to play with the new and improved Watt. The Steelers have the money to tempt Jones to wreak havoc across from T.J. and Cameron Hayward in the AFC.

The Steelers led the NFL in sacks last season and they could look to build on it with Jones and potentially create the most superb pass rush of all time. The days of the Steel curtain and the James Harrison-led defense might be in the review mirror, but Mike Tomlin can bring the team back to its roots in 2022. The Steelers are truly a team capable of making the playoffs in the near future, especially if they add a quality QB. Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals may not have Kyler Murray, so Jones (and J.J. Watt) may not be thrilled to play in AZ for potentially the rest of his career.

Miami Dolphins

The Mike McDaniels-led Miami Dolphins have swag and the most cap in the NFL. The Dolphins could add a new toy to join Jaylen Waddle for Tua Tagovailoa and they can swing big for a few other free agents. Life won’t get easier for the Dolphins in the AFC East, as they frequently play Josh Allen, Mac Jones, and the young Zach Wilson.

Florida is another relaxing state for Jones to consider living in. Jones could also be a big fan of the second-half success he witnessed the Dolphins have. The combination of talent, location, and money could help Jones ink a massive deal with the Dolphins. Jones would be the second future Hall of Fame DL to sign with the Dolphins over the past several years (Ndamukong Suh being the other).

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals could soon ink a few more big profiles in a similar way that the Los Angeles Rams did last season. The Rams signed Von Miller to play with Aaron Donald and now it could be time for Cincy to add Jones to play with Trey Hendrickson (14 sacks in 2021). The Bengals have the resources (fourth in cap space) to make Jones very tempted to sign with the 2021 AFC champions.

The Bengals may have 2021 Offensive Rookie of The Year Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow, but they shouldn’t take the gas off the pedal. There’s been a reoccurring theme of “dynasty” teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs taking a step back after getting to the Super Bowl. Zac Taylor could really capitalize off Trey Hendrickson’s prime years and the WR band being together (Chase, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins) by bringing in an elite defender like Jones this offseason.

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By: Tim Rodriguez

The Cincinnati Bengals’ magical run to the Super Bowl fell just short, losing 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams. For Joe Burrow’s Bengals, the goal is all about how to get back. In the last thirty years, the only quarterbacks to lose a Super Bowl and get back later in their careers are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner. Once you get there, it is nearly impossible to get back. How can the Bengals do it? 

Step one: Offensive line revamp on the right side

The Bengals offensive line is one of the worst in the NFL. It may not be as bad as some pundits would have you believe, it still is not close to being a Super Bowl caliber offensive line. The best players on the unit are Jonah Williams at left tackle and Trey Hopkins at center. Those are the only two players whose starting spots should be considered written (written in pencil for what it’s worth). There are numerous prizes on the offensive free agent market, including Washington Commander’s guard Brandon Scherff. Scherff will command a high price tag, but would be worth every penny for a team with a horrible right side of the offensive line. If Scherff can lock down the right guard spot and 2021 day two pick Jackson Carman makes enough strides to be a serviceable left guard, the Bengals all of the sudden go from having a bottom ten offensive line to an above average unit. That would just leave right tackle as the gaping hole.

Step 2: High impact player in the cornerback room

Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton were great additions to the corner room, but Hilton is best served in the slot and Awuzie would be best as the number two option. The Bengals have ample cap space, but can create even more just in this room by cutting Trae Waynes. Hilton and Awuzie combine for about $13 Million annually, meaning the Bengals would likely be wary about adding another big contract player in the room. However, if they want to take a jump to the next level, they need an elite cover man. The best option may be 2019 defensive player of the year Stephon Gilmore, who feels unlikely to be returning to Carolina. Cooper Kupp ate this defense alive, and you just aren’t going to stop a guy like him without spending in the secondary. With Joe Burrow, Jamarr Chase, Tee Higgins and Logan Wilson all still on rookie contracts, the Bengals should be looking to spend heavily to win now. 

Step 3: Zac Taylor should consider giving up play calling

The Bengals offense, despite putting up flashy numbers, isn’t really all that excellent. Turning on the Bengals is a lot of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins making some unbelievable plays and Joe Burrow’s processing creating some easy completions. However, when the moment was the biggest, Taylor shot himself in the foot over and over again. This was most evident on third and one on the final drive. With Joe Mixon making almost $50 million, Taylor turned around in the shotgun and handed it to Semaje Perine, a journeyman backup, on third and one. Reminder: Joe Mixon weighs over 220 pounds. There’s no “he’s a small back conversation here”. Taylor is signed through 2026, he isn’t going anywhere. He has his strengths and weaknesses as a head coach, but his biggest one can be easily mitigated. 

The post Three biggest concerns for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Chinmay Kulkarni

In the world of NFL coaches, the name Zac Taylor is not a household name. As the Cincinnati Bengals head coach, being a part of a struggling, small-market team means not getting much national media attention – both a blessing and a curse to his career and team. Now, Taylor has willed this team into the Super Bowl, with exceptional play-calling and draft intuition that’s left his team on the cusp of a major victory for the city of Cincinnati.

Despite his almost no-name stature, Taylor played quarterback at Nebraska and earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006. The Norman, Oklahoma native committed to the NFL draft, going undrafted while signing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL. It’s safe to say that his playing career never took off, but eventually found a path via coaching.

The meteoric rise to success starts with the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2012. In 2015, he was promoted to interim offensive coordinator under interim head coach Dan Campbell. The Miami Dolphins were a complete clown show in 2015, and it was safe to say that they lost quite a few games that season. Fortunately, Taylor was eventually hired again as the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Due to the grooming of Ryan Tannehill in the NFL, Taylor was finally making a name for himself and rose up the coaching ranks. In 2017, he was hired as the assistant wide receivers coach for the LA Rams, becoming a quarterbacks coach in during his tenure as well. Taylor was officially a part of the McVay mafia.

Taylor was eventually hired as the head coach of the Bengals in 2019. The success for the team was not immediate, with Andy Dalton at the helm with a hodgepodge of players from different coaches an drafts being forced to play together. The Andy Dalton saga for the Bengals was destined to end, with the drafting of Joe Burrow as the number one overall pick in 2020. The team greatly improved with the quarterback and wide receiver talent at skill positions, and with an upwards direction, performance was trending north until a season-ending knee injury to Joe Burrow. Fortunately, the team came back stronger in 2021 by drafting Ja’Marr Chase and Evan McPherson, two players that would be known for their dependability. Chase showed that he was arguably the most talented rookie in the NFL in his first tear as a pro.

Zac Taylor has coached for 10 years. In this time, he’s gone from assistant coaching positions to Superbowl head coach. The fact remains that this young, inexperienced team has much to prove. The LA Rams have better players at nearly every single position on the football field. However, the Bengals cannot be slept on and are playing with house money. The team has several years to grow and develop together without being under the gun of time. If Zac Taylor can keep his core together, healthy, and performing at a high level, he and his team should be a playoff contender year after year.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams illustrious head coach Sean McVay has been dubbed the next genius head coach since entering the head coaching ranks for the LA Rams in 2017. The 35-year-old coach that one-upped Kliff Kingsbury during the 2021 NFL draft has gone 55-25 in his short career. 

The NFL world knows McVay is a mad scientist that just came out of graduate school (half-serious). But, do we know of the work and byproducts that are being represented under the Rams ring leader? I believe not. In this outlook, I’m going to outline the head coaches who have learned under McVay and even rank which McVay disciples have been the most impressive. Let’s begin.

1. Matt LaFleur

The Green Bay Packers offensive guru with a more robust haircut isn’t just the best McVay apprentice, but one of the best head coaches in the entire league. Matt LaFleur may have issues with finding WR help for A-Rod and making risky decisions in pivotal postseason games, but he has been a pillar of consistency and dominance. LaFleur has a whopping 39-9 record, 41 overall victories, and he’s helped his aging QB win the MVP award in 2020.

McVay has led the Packers to the number one seed in back-to-back seasons. Nonetheless, the Pack needs to take advantage of the road going through the Frozen tundra — as the Packers HC knows well. In the postseason in 2021, LaFleur controversially opted to kick a field goal and not attempt to score a touchdown on 4th and goal with Aaron Rodgers. Will LaFleur roll the dice more in 2022? We will see.

McVay has had similar success to LaFleur with the likes of Jared Goff and he even has transformed Todd Gurley into an OPOY player. Is Cooper Kupp McVay’s next toy to bring a piece of hardware home? Kupp and Davante Adams are seen as the clear Top two wideouts in the league.

Here is an overview of how productive each WR was in 2021:

• Kupp: 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns
• Adams: 123 receptions, 1,553 yards, and 11 touchdowns

2. Zac Taylor

The Cincinnati Bengals HC and Bengals QB Joe Burrow just won the biggest game of their young careers in Week 17. In poetic fashion, Burrow smoked a locker room cigar after beating the Kansas City Chiefs and winning the AFC North.

Taylor brought his AFC North team from the bottom of the NFL to an AFC juggernaut in just a couple of seasons. Let’s not forget Ja’Marr Chase, who just ousted the most productive season from a rook WR. It’s safe to say he was the right pick over Penei Sewell.

The Bengals go on to win a monster contest against the Las Vegas Raiders in the wildcard round. Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase were exceptional yet again. More importantly, the Bengals defense was able to prevent the Raiders from scoring a game-tying touchdown on 4th and goal with 17 seconds left in the game.

If the Chiefs handle their business against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals will take a trip to Nashville to battle Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans.

3. Brandon Staley 

As you can see, the top 3 Sean McVay understudies are clearly more respectable than the likes of the Top 3 Belichick understudies (in the NFL). Brandon Staley has had a very positive 2021 season with the second-year QB Justin Herbert. The second year QB unleashed 5,014 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns.

The Chargers were written off by countless outlets, but Brandon Staley and the company have been firing off on every cylinder. Staley is the third HC on this list and the third to have a winning record this season (9-8). The Chargers had a disappointing Week 18 as widely enunciated, but the Chargers outperformed their expectations last season. All three Sean McVay disciples have displayed fireworks for their respected offenses in the 2021-2022 season.

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It is no secret in Cincinnati that protecting franchise QB Joe Burrow is the key to success for the Bengals. After suffering a devastating knee injury that ended his season last year in week 11 against the Washington Football Team, he is on track to begin the year fully healthy.

There are still numerous talented offensive linemen on the free agent market that could provide a much needed boost to the Bengals line. The Bengals had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season, and they must continue to improve this group, to keep Burrow upright.

The player that stands out above all is OT Mitchell Schwartz, who could provide leadership and solidify the RT position for the Bengals. Schwartz has been a staple of the Chiefs offensive line for the last five seasons, and after battling injuries throughout 2020, he is a free agent, and the Bengals should aggressively pursue him.

Schwartz is 31 years old, and played 357 snaps last season, and only recorded one penalty and allowed two sacks. He recorded a PFF grade of 74.7 last season, while being Second-Team All-Pro in 2019. The Bengals desperately need consistency and leadership on their offensive line, and Schwartz is the perfect match, and would not be overly expensive to bring in on a one-year deal.

Schwartz is a former Super Bowl champion, and still has plenty left in the tank. That type of playoff experience could prove to be just what the Bengals need as they are trying to take the next step as an organization.

Bengals Additions to the OL

The Bengals lone outside signing on the offensive line during free agency was Riley Reiff, who has the ability to slide into guard, while Schwartz could make an immediate impact at RT. Reiff is 32, and along with second round pick, OG Jackson Carman, will be the only additions to the Bengals offensive line.

The Bengals still have over $20 million in cap space, and they have not done enough in the offseason to drastically improve the offensive line to ensure Burrow stays healthy.

After missing on multiple top tier free agent offensive lineman, and selecting WR Ja’Marr Chase over OT Penei Sewell, the Bengals offensive line remains a concern. They did improve the line by bringing back OL coach, Frank Pollack, who is a massive upgrade over his predecessor, Jim Turner.

Pollack was the OL coach in Cincinnati in 2018, when RB Joe Mixon had the best seasons of his career. The players and coaching staff are elated to have Pollack back in the building, and hopefully he can contribute to improving this group.

The Bengals have the talent to be a much improved group in 2021, led by LT Jonah Williams. Williams had his season cut short due to injury last year, but the former first round selection showed he has the potential to be an elite LT for years to come if he can remain healthy.

They will also be relying on C Trey Hopkins to make a full recovery after tearing his ACL in week 17 last year. It is concerning that the Bengals best offensive linemen and quarterback are coming off serious injuries, and they have to rely on them to bounce back next season.

Adding more offensive lineman, regardless of the cost, has to be the priority for this franchise. They cannot be complacent with just bringing in Reiff, and drafting Carman, they have to continuously look to improve the OL, to keep Burrow satisfied. The Bengals bringing in Schwartz would show they are committed to winning and keeping Burrow healthy, and could prove to be a steal if Schwartz remains healthy.

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