The Cincinnati Bengals made a few offseason moves to not only boost up their defense but give the offense a new look as well.
Even though it looks like long-tenured wide receiver Tyler Boyd is still on the outs as a free agent, there are some returning players and upgrades at other positions.
Cincinnati Bengals News Today
League Executive Likes Bengals New Moves
The Athletic’s Mike Sando spoke with several league executives. One of them believes that the Bengals did a good job of continuing to surround quarterback Joe Burrow with talent. The team added tight end Mike Gesicki and running back Zack Moss during the offseason.
“You keep your receiving corps together for the most part in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, with the quarterback getting healthy, and you add a good receiving tight end in Mike Gesicki to give them something they did not have last year,” another exec said.
“Zack Moss is a good back. It is almost a wash if you say Mixon versus him, even if they are different styles.”
MORE: PODCAST — Bengals NFL Draft Preview
Tee Higgins Probably Still Isn’t Going Anywhere, Even After Stefon Diggs Trade
The only update about a potential Higgins return is that he asked for a trade earlier in the offseason. As many have seen with the Houston Texans acquiring Stefon Diggs, receivers can get their way thanks to their talent and leverage.
According to Pro Football Network Bengals Insider Jay Morrison, Higgins’ request still may not matter much in the long term.
“Everyone from Cincinnati director of player personnel Duke Tobin to head coach Zac Taylor to quarterback Joe Burrow has talked about how important Higgins is to the offense and how much they want him to remain with the team in 2024,” Morrison wrote.
“That’s not veiled bargaining. It’s the honest reality. Comparing Diggs’ level of displeasure with the Bills to that of Higgins’ with the Bengals is a fool’s errand. They’re not even close.”
READ MORE: What Does Stefon Diggs Trade Mean for Bengals, Tee Higgins?
What Will the Bengals Do in the Draft?
To trade up or to trade down? That is the question that the Bengals have to ask themselves ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, history isn’t on the team’s side with its draft-day trades. Morrison detailed the team’s issues with them in the past.
One of the biggest flubs of the Bengals’ draft-day trades — the 2012 trade with the New England Patriots, where Cincinnati dropped from 21 to 27 and acquired New England’s third-round selection — is still a bad memory.
“The six-spot drop cost Cincinnati a chance to draft guard David DeCastro (six Pro Bowls, two All-Pros),” Morrison wrote. “The Bengals did all right for themselves by selecting guard Kevin Zeitler, who played five seasons in Cincinnati before the team let him walk in free agency. Zeitler is still active and heading into his 13th season after signing last month with the Detroit Lions. The Patriots took defensive end Chandler Jones at 21.
“The third-round pick the Bengals acquired ended up being defensive tackle Brandon Thompson, who appeared in 39 games with seven starts in his four-year career in Cincinnati.”
CONTINUE READING: Will Cincinnati Trade Up or Down in the NFL Draft?
Bengals Pick Offensive Tackle in Latest Mock Draft
As for potential draft picks, if the Bengals were to stand pat at No. 18, PFN’s Brian Blewis has the team building up the trenches, even with the addition of Trent Brown at right tackle.
“In JC Latham, the Bengals add great insurance for Brown this season and draft a player who should be a mainstay on their offensive line in protecting Joe Burrow,” Blewis wrote.
“For a team that appears to have a never-ending need on the offensive line and a quarterback with durability issues, this seems like a logical pick.”
KEEP READING: Brian Blewis’ NFL Mock Draft
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