Knowing how the Bengals enjoy taking chances on players with questionable characters, I would keep an eye on Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook at running back, Gareon Conley at cornerback and Reuben Foster at linebacker.
President Mike Brown prefers to build through the draft and due to their frugal free agency ways if they don’t find quality players this week we could see the Bengals slide from respectability in a matter of a year or two.
Key additions
DE Chris Smith
MLB Kevin Minter
OL Andre Smith
Key subtractions
DE Margus Hunt
DT Domata Peko
LB Karlos Dansby
LB Rey Maualuga
OG Kevin Zeitler
OT Andrew Whitworth
RB Rex Burkhead
Priority needs (Offense)
RB…The Bengals appear to have lost faith in Jeremy Hill and they can’t expect the diminutive Giovani Bernard to carry the load coming off a torn ACL. Since both Hill and Bernard were drafted in the second-round maybe that’s where the Bengals will look again this week.
TE…Tyler Eifert is a top player who hasn’t been able to stay healthy since his rookie season. He was placed on IR after back surgery in late December. The Bengals can wait and see if he finally regains his health with one more year left on his rookie deal. But with a class of quality players available in this year’s draft, President Brown and company might decide to address this position sooner rather than later.
C/OG…Center Russell Bodine is a below average player and second-year guard Christian Westerman is unproven. I suspect the center position is a larger concern. Ethan Pocic and Pat Elflein are the top players to keep an eye on in the second and third-round.
Priority needs (Defense)
DL…The Bengals have two elite players on the line (DT Geno Atkins/DE Carlos Dunlap) and two major holes. The overrated Domata Peko and underachieving Margus Hunt are both gone now while Michael Johnson was awful last season and needs to regain form. If tackles Marcus Hardison and Andrew Billings can return from season-ending injuries the Bengals can concentrate on the outside as early as round-one. Derek Barnett and Taco Charlton could be possibilities.
LB…With three linebackers set to test free agency next season the Bengals could add more depth here in the mid to later rounds.
CB…Thanks to Adam Jones’ arrest, the lack of talent progression from 2014 first-round pick Darqueze Dennard and the season-ending injury last August to last year’s first-round pick William Jackson (torn pectoral muscle), the Bengals could not afford to let Dre’ Kirkpatrick leave via free agency. But the Bengals can still use another top-tier player here.
Final analysis
Knowing how the Bengals enjoy taking chances on players with questionable characters, I would keep an eye on Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook at running back, Gareon Conley at cornerback and Reuben Foster at linebacker.
Top first-round options
CB Gareon Conley
CB Marlon Humphrey
CB Tre’Davious White
DE Derek Barnett
DE Taco Charlton
ILB Reuben Foster
RB Dalvin Cook
RB Leonard Fournette
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