3 Moves the Cincinnati Bengals Should Make Before the 2023 NFL Season

The Cincinnati Bengals head into the 2023 season with a roster stocked with returning talent from a team coming off back-to-back division titles and deep postseason runs.

Ten of the 11 offensive starters from last year are back, with tight end Hayden Hurst being the lone exception, although either La’el Collins or Jonah Williams — or perhaps both — won’t be back in a starting role with the addition of left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

On defense, there are nine of 11 starters returning. But the task of replacing safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell — and their three years of leadership and shared expertise of Lou Anarumo’s scheme — looms large.

There aren’t many teams with 19 returning starters in the fold, but roster construction is an ongoing process no matter how solid the foundation, and there are still some moves the front office can make to better position the Bengals to chase what would be a franchise-record third consecutive division title and their first Lombardi Trophy.

3 Final Moves for the Cincinnati Bengals

Finish the Joe Burrow Extension

Not exactly breaking news, and hardly a risk to bump up against the unofficial team-imposed deadline of the start of the regular season the way the A.J. Green negotiations did in 2015 when the 2011 first-round pick agreed to a four-year extension just before the team flight left for Oakland for the season opener, but it’s unquestionably the No. 1 organizational priority until it happens.

The “if” factor really isn’t in play here with Burrow, but the “when” is important. With wide receiver Tee Higgins and linebacker Logan Wilson also eligible for extensions, finalizing the Burrow deal needs to be done first. The expectation is that Burrow will be the highest-paid player in league history in terms of average annual salary, but how the contract is structured will dictate how the organization proceeds with Higgins and Wilson.

Defensive tackle D.J. Reader, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, and wide receiver Tyler Boyd are also entering the final year of their contracts and are worthy of at least discussions about keeping them in Cincinnati. The viability of keeping any of them will be tethered to where the Burrow money lands.

Sign a Veteran Tight End

Signing Irv Smith Jr. to a one-year, $1.75 million contract has a chance to be one of the better free agency steals in franchise history one year after the Hayden Hurst heist for $3.5 million. But it just as likely could end with the oft-injured Smith not available for a significant stretch, as was the case in 2022 when he missed nine games and in 2021 when he never played a snap.

If Smith misses any amount of time, the options to replace him are Drew Sample (58 career receptions in four seasons), Tanner Hudson (15 catches, four seasons), Devin Asiasi (four catches, three seasons), Nick Bowers (zero), and undrafted rookie Christian Trahan.

Despite the lack of experience and production, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has repeated throughout the offseason that he is comfortable with where the group stands.

“We’ve got guys in the room who I really like and are all here for a reason,” Taylor said in April. “From top to the perceived bottom, it’s a really good group of guys who have a good opportunity to come here and compete for roles. If we add to the mix, we add to the mix. I don’t feel like it’s something we have to do.”

But given Smith’s injury history and the fact that the team did not add to the mix in the draft, bringing in a veteran tight end — whether it be via a signing or trade — should be a priority.

The remaining free agent pool isn’t exactly flush with proven production, but there are a couple of veterans who would be inexpensive insurance options, including Cameron Brate.

A nine-year veteran (all with the Buccaneers), Brate — who turned 32 last week — has been a consistent and reliable receiver. He had just one drop on 38 targets last year, and his 4.8% drop rate was tied for ninth-best among tight ends with at least 35 targets.

Even going back to early in his career, when he had 81 and 77 targets in 2016 and 2017, respectively, Brate has been dependable. Among tight ends with at least 300 targets since 2016, Brate’s drop rate of 4.6% (12 in 391 chances) ranks fourth. In his last eight seasons, Brate has played in 121 of a possible 130 games.

There aren’t a lot of other intriguing options when it comes to currently available free agents, but there could be a few on the waiver wire after final cuts are announced.

Add a 3-Tech Defensive Tackle

Acquiring B.J. Hill for Billy Price just before the 2021 opener is on the short list of best trades in team history, with the Bengals re-signing Hill for three years and $30 million after his first season in stripes.

The team drafted Zach Carter in the third round in 2022 to be Hill’s backup despite the fact he rarely played inside at the University of Florida. The position change caused issues mentally and physically as Carter navigated his rookie season undersized to play his new role.

He bulked up this offseason, and the coaches remain bullish on his future, but a team with championship aspirations should look to add as much depth as it can to its interior pass rush. Just look at where 3-techs have been drafted the last few seasons and how much they’re making in free agency to see the spike in valuation league-wide.

The expectation is that Anarumo will use defensive ends Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy, this year’s first-round pick, in some sort of third-down NASCAR package along with Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. But in terms of a true backup 3-tech, there is just Carter and the questions that come along with him.

There are a lot more defensive tackles available than tight ends, including a couple who are still on the right side of 30.

Among the available options are Chris Wormley, who is 29 and has played his entire career in the AFC North with the Ravens and Steelers, and Matt Ioannidis, who is 29 and has 25.5 career sacks and accounted for 35 pressures in 2022 as a 3-tech and edge rusher.

Or the Bengals could attempt to duplicate the Hill-for-Price trade with a team desperate for offensive line help. The O-line has been one of the Bengals’ biggest weaknesses for years, but a lot of free agent dollars and draft capital have gone into fixing that, and there are going to be at least two or three guys who won’t make the final 53-man roster who could be assets elsewhere.