CINCINNATI — As the free agency period came and went, the Cincinnati Bengals quietly minded their business by choosing to use money for extensions on their own young stars rather than pay cash to others on the market.
Attempts to bring back defensive end Michael Johnson and offensive tackle Anthony Collins were both trumped by large deals with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson pocketed five years, $43 million and Collins six years at $30 million.
Cincinnati points to the fact those will be the only two major pieces not returning to a team that made the playoffs for the third year in a row. But they will be more dependent on the draft to refurbish the team’s depth after a few complementary pieces were released or signed with other teams, including wide receiver Andrew Hawkins, linebacker James Harrison, center Kyle Cook and nickel corner Brandon Ghee.
The hottest topic of the offseason was the team’s extension talks with quarterback Andy Dalton. He enters the final year of his contract and questions whether the team should invest in a guy who led them to three straight playoff berths for the first time in franchise history or dump one who served as a major reason they lost all three has become a lightning rod for debate.
In order to make Dalton feel more comfortable the Bengals were able to add veteran backup quarterback Jason Campbell to mentor him as well as one of the quarterback’s best friends in former TCU teammate and Packers backup tackle Marshall Newhouse. Cincinnati even took a flier on discarded Texans third-round pick from last year Sam Montgomery, who was kicked off the team for disciplinary reasons.
All these leave the Bengals roster still among the deepest in football, so they won’t be facing a glaring need when the first round begins on May 8 at Radio City Music Hall. If any single position went without being addressed, doom and gloom wouldn’t suffocate Paul Brown Stadium. Planning for the more distant future will be more the focus when the Bengals use their nine picks.
The most important position the Bengals must address would be cornerback. Age is advancing to that point of concern at a position that has served as a strength in recent years. Terence Newman is now 35 years old and despite playing some of the best football of his career the past two years will be entering the final year of his contract in Cincinnati. Leon Hall is 29 years old and one of the premier technicians at corner in the league, but how much can the Bengals could on a player who saw two of his last three seasons shortened with Achilles injuries?
Third corner Adam Jones recently cross the 30 threshold. He played well in Cincinnati and, most importantly, did not get in trouble with the law. That said, Father Time ticks loudly on corners.
The team attempted to address the need for youth in 2012 spending a first-round pick on Dre Kirkpatrick, but two years he’s yet to show the first-round production the team hoped for. The word bust now begins to hover around his name entering his third season.
Considering five cornerbacks rank at or near first-round talent and a slew more at the second tier, it would be a shock if the Bengals didn’t address the corner position in the first two rounds, more than likely with their first pick at No. 24.
Maybe the most important question in relation to this draft is how big of an insurance policy will the Bengals take on Dalton as he enters the final year of his deal. Quarterbacks could be abound on Day 2 of the draft and Cincinnati will be looking at them. The earlier the round, the more they hedge their bets in case negotiations break down or they decide to let the QB walk after next season.