With the Super Bowl behind us, teams are forced to move on from the 2022 season and look towards 2023. In a series of articles, we will recap the past season, and look at how teams are positioned at their skill positions for next September.
Cincinnati Bengals
Projected Cap Space: $35.547 Million
Upcoming Draft Picks: Round 1 (28th), Round 2 (60th), Round 3 (92nd), Round 4 (131st), Round 5 (165th), Round 6 (206th), Round 7 (248th)
After making it to the Super Bowl in 2021, the Bengals got off to a rocky start in 2022, and had a 2-3 record through the first 5 weeks. Cincinnati got things back on the rails, and didn’t lose a game from week 9 until they met the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs in the conference championship.
They spent most of their 2022 offseason rebuilding their much maligned offensive line, which was molding into an elite unit until postseason injuries derailed their playoff run. The Bengals front office will be spending this offseason focused on what will be a record breaking extension for superstar quarterback Joe Burrow, who they still have on his rookie scale deal for another 2 seasons, but is now extension eligible. Entering the offseason with the 5th most available cap space, and all their own draft picks still in hand, the Bengals have a major window to surround their quarterback with as much high end talent as possible to achieve their goal of securing the franchises 1st ever Lombardi Trophy.
Coaching:
Zac Taylor was named the Bengals head coach in February of 2019. Taylor was only able to coax 6 wins out of the Bengals in his first 2 seasons combined, although much of that can be attributed to major roster turnover in year one, and injury problems in year 2.
Since then, Taylor has really turned the franchise around, earning 22 wins in his past 2 seasons. Taylor’s history as a wide receiver and quarterbacks coach, most recently with the Rams, has fast tracked the development of quarterback Joe Burrow and the elite wide receiver trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgings and Tyler Boyd. Somehow, Taylor never seems to be in the mix for the end of season coach of the year award, which is astonishing given the success he’s achieved during his tenure as head coach of the Bengals. He’s dealt with major injuries throughout his lineup, and has still been able to run a top 10 offense, as well as a top 15 defense, for the past 2 seasons.
Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan joined Cincinnati with Taylor in the 2019 offseason. Prior to joining the Bengals, Callahan worked with Matthew Stafford in Detroit, before becoming the quarterbacks coach for Derek Carr and the Raiders in 2018, when Carr set his then career high in passing yards. In his first season in Cincinnati, Callahan helped the Bengals rushing yards average increase from 59.5 to an astonishing 130.1 yards per game, and he has continued to run a well balanced offense, even after drafting their superstar quarterback.
Callahan is a coach who has had offensive success everywhere he goes, and if the Bengals attack continues to be as deadly as it has been since his arrival, it won’t be long until Callahan is being considered for a head coaching position of his own.
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is returning for his 12th season as an NFL coach, and his 5th with the Bengals. While Anarumo’s coaching history involves lots of work with the defensive secondary, as evidenced by the growth of safety Jessie Bates, Anarumo has also vastly improved the defensive line play since his arrival. He was able to double the Bengals sack totals from 2020 to 2021, and worked closely with DE Trey Hendrickson, who broke out for 13.5 sacks in his first year with the club.
The Bengals have yet to break into the top 10 in overall defensive ratings, but with an offense as prolific as the one operating in Cincinnati, the defense just simply needs to be average for the team to compete. Anarumo has given them that and more during his time with the Bengals.
Quarterbacks:
Joe Burrow was selected by the Bengals 1st overall in the 2020 NFL draft after winning the Heisman Trophy with LSU. In his first season, Burrow threw for 264 completions, the most ever by an NFL QB through their first 10 games. Unfortunately his season was cut short, as Burrow tore his ACL and MCL in the third quarter of a game against the Washington Commanders.
Burrow was put on IR, but his recovery went better than anyone could have expected, making it back as the opening day starter in 2021. He led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in just his second season despite playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, and has amassed an impressive 22-10 record over the past two campaigns since the injury. Burrow was rated as the number 1 quarterback according to PFF in the 2022 season, as he amassed almost 4500 yards passing to go with 35 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions.
He did all this while still taking 41 sacks, a number that actually decreased from the league leading 51 he took in 2021. The Bengals are clearly going to offer Burrow a massive extension that could flirt with Deshaun Watson’s record for most guaranteed money, but Burrow has already proven that he will be worth every penny.
Veteran backup Brandon Allen is a free agent this offseason, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he rushes to sign another contract with the Bengals. Afterall, being the backup to Burrow is one of the easiest jobs in the NFL.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:
The Bengals can lay claim to having the best wide receiver trio in the NFL with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd creating mismatch problems for defenses everywhere. 2021 5th overall pick Chase topped 1,000 yards for the 2nd straight year, despite missing 4 games due to injury midseason. He’s a target monster, and also managed to bring in 6 more receptions in year 2, despite the injury. Measuring in at only 6 foot, Chase plays bigger than he is and consistently wins the 50/50 battles for balls in the air, as he matches up well against any teams top cornerback. He’s already being viewed as one of the best wide receivers across the entire NFL and his career is just getting started.
While defenses are forced to focus on Chase, Tee Higgins is often left with one on one coverage, and at 6 ‘4’’, that is something he’s built to exploit. Higgins set a career high in touchdown receptions and surpassed 1,000 yards for the 2nd straight season in 2022. He now enters 2023 on the final year of his deal after being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2020 draft.
Higgins will look to stay healthy this season, as he suited up for almost every game in 2022, but was visibly hobbled in a few matches, hampering his overall numbers. If Higgins can put together another productive season, he may price himself out of Cincinnati and earn wide receiver 1 money on his next contract.
Tyler Boyd is the veteran of the wide receiver trio, and his skillset compliments the two young superstar receivers perfectly. Boyd is a high level route runner that can create separation and open up passing lanes for his quarterback. While he doesn’t have elite level speed, his quickness is one of his greatest strengths. He’s gritty enough to go into the tough areas on the field, make a catch and produce extra yards with the ball in his hands.
Boyd has had injury issues plague the past 3 seasons of his career, and at 28 years old, that’s a trend that’s unlikely to get any better. As a third option receiver, he still managed to average over 13 yards per reception and bring in 5 touchdowns in 2022, and has big game potential, as evidenced by his 155 yard performance against the Falcons in week 7. Like Higgins, Boyd will be a free agent after this season so look for him to be laser focused in 2023 as he looks to secure one more big contract before he hits his 30’s.
Behind this dynamic trio, there isn’t much left in the Bengals receiver room, so taking full advantage of Chase, Higgins and Boyd while they are all still together on more than reasonable contracts is imperative for the organization.
While the receiving group is elite, the tight end position leaves alot to be desired for the Bengals. Hayden Hurst was brought over from Atlanta to be a difference maker, but after one unremarkable season in Cincinnati he hit free agency and won’t be returning. His snaps per game actually dropped as the season went on, while somehow making it through the entire season without catching a single touchdown.
Backup tight end Drew Sample is also a free agent, and after spending most of the season on IR likely won’t return either. Whoever the starting tight end for the Bengals is in 2023, it’s unlikely that he’s currently on their roster. With some high end tight ends coming up in this years draft, it feels like this is a position the Bengals will be targeting, particularly with their 28th overall pick.
Running Backs:
After a true breakout season in 2021, where he rushed for over 1,200 yards and scored 13 touchdowns, starting running back Joe Mixon came crashing back down to earth in 2022. He finished the year playing 14 games, rushing for only 814 yards and scoring 7 touchdowns. He was able to slightly increase his role as a pass catcher, but coming into the 2023 season with a cap hit north of $12 million, the prevailing thought around the league is that Mixon could be a cap casualty.
Samaje Perine, Mixon’s primary backup in 2022, averaged more yards per carry and was used in the passing game more than Mixon, but has already moved in via free agency. Chris Evans will be back for his 3rd season in Cincinnati, however he’s yet to show much promise in his limited playing time thus far in his career. The Bengals are looking to the future, and with major deals coming for their franchise quarterback and wide receiver group, the Bengals will be looking for cheaper options in the run game, likely through the draft. If their offensive line gets healthy and continues to develop, the Bengals will feel confident throwing any back into the lineup, as the majority of their offense will be focused on their explosive pass game.
Offensive Line:
After allowing 51 sacks in the 2021 season, the Bengals knew they needed to make massive upgrades to their offensive line prior to the 2022 campaign. While it took some time for the group to develop, they began coming together midway through the season, which unsurprisingly coincided with the Bengals win streak that stretched from week 9 until the conference finals.. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the line was devastated by injuries at the end of the season and entered the conference championship game missing 3 out of their 5 starters. They’ll hope for better luck in 2023, as 4 of their 5 starters seem set for opening day in 2023.
The Bengals exercised the 5th year option for their former 11th overall pick Jonah Williams, and he expects to be a starter after recovering from knee surgery. He hasn’t performed up to his draft pedigree to this point in his career, so this might be his last chance to take hold of the starting position, and entering a contract year, he better hope he puts it all together and cashes in next offseason.
The interior of the line seems set with guards Cordell Volson and Alex Cappa back flanking center Ted Karras. This group all rated highly in pass blocking according to PFF, so the Bengals have to be happy about their offseason moves, and with the trio signed for another 2 seasons, expect this unit to continue to grow together and form a dominant force in the trenches.
The one major opening along the offensive line looks to be at tackle as the club entered the offseason a body short. La’el Collins held down the right tackle position after coming over from Dallas, until he tore his ACL, an injury that he only had surgery on a month ago.
He isn’t expected to be at 100% by the time the new season starts, meaning that Hakeem Adeniji or Jackson Carmen would have to become a full time starter. Carmen was moved to starting left tackle for the playoff games that Williams missed, and played well enough to earn a serious look at making the opening day roster, even if it’s on the right side.
Enter Orlando Brown Jr. The club signed the former Chief to a 4 year $64M contract, including $43.5M in guaranteed money. Not wanting to roll the dice on an unproven commodity in 2023, the front office inked arguably the best OT on the market, and paid a premium to do so. Given his fairly public disputes with former teams about whether he’s a LT or RT, one would assume the team will slide him in at his preferred position on the left of the line, relegating Adeniji and Carmen to back up duty.
The line is in much better shape than it was at this time last season, and with Williams the only starter not signed past this season, the Bengals management have to be happy with the line situation. They now have the flexibility to take later round offensive line projects in the draft, as their core seems to be set for the next couple of seasons.
Defense:
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals are returning most of their key players up front from a group that was amongst the top 10 in the league in fewest rushing yards allowed. Trey Hendrickson is still an elite level edge rusher, although his sack numbers declined in 2022 and at 28 years old the Bengals will have to start looking towards the future at that position. Whether that comes externally or through more development from 2021 3rd round pick Joseph Ossai or 2021 4th round pick Cameron Sample remains to be seen.
On the interior, DJ Reader continues to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines, finishing the season as the #6 rated interior defensive lineman according to PFF. Sam Hubbard will forever be remembered by Bengals faithful for his game changing 98 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in their postseason match against the Ravens. B.J. Hill completes the quartet, creating a formidable group that causes offensive linemen fits game after game. They struggled with injuries throughout the season, so having their younger players develop and contribute in a rotational role will be key for the group moving forward.
The Bengals utilized linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt effectively in 2022, as missed tackles were a rarity and both were equally effective in pass defense. Wilson is quite underrated, and deserves more credit for what he does for the Bengals offense, including his work in lowering his missed tackle percentage from 10.6% to 4% from 2021 to 2022.. Pratt is a free agent this offseason, which is unfortunate because the Bengals certainly are lacking depth at the position. While they may rely more on Akeen Davis-Gaither, getting an influx of young talent would be a strong move by the Bengals.
The defensive backfield will be where management will really need to focus on this offseason. Starters Jessie Bates III, Vonn Bell, and Eli Apple are all free agents this season, and will leave big holes behind them after the safety tandem reportedly signed elsewhere on the first day of the legal tampering period. The Bengals haven’t had to worry about the safety position for a number of years, as Bates and Bell have combined to miss one game since Bell joined the club in 2020. Bates played the 2022 season on a franchise tag and held out to begin the season, so it wasn’t a surprise that he opted to sign elsewhere. Bell has been a defensive captain since he stepped off the plane, so the Bengals will be in tough trying to replace both these key contributors.
While the Bengals have enjoyed success over the past couple seasons, this offseason seems like a critical one to get the team over the hump and win the organization’s first ever Super Bowl. Having an elite quarterback on a rookie deal opens up a huge window for the organization to build a team around him. With Burrow’s massive extension pending, and 2 of their 3 elite wide receivers on the final year of their contracts, it could very well be a make or break season. Thankfully, the club doesn’t have any major holes, and if they’re prudent with their cap space, they can certainly enter the 2023 season as one of the favorites to win it all.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.