Cincinnati Bengals
At least one member of the Bengals was not happy that this squad lost two of its best offensive linemen in free agency. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth signed a team-friendly deal with the Los Angeles Rams after being a mainstay on Cincinnati’s offensive line for the past 11 seasons.
Meanwhile, former first-round pick Kevin Zeitler signed a massive contract with the division-rival Cleveland Browns. In reality, these are two huge losses.
Cincinnati did plan accordingly during the 2015 NFL Draft when it added tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher with its first two picks. Considering how inexplicably cheap the Bengals have been in retaining their own free agents, this is what they have to do in order to remain competitive.
Outside of the offensive line, there are surely other holes that also need to be filled here. Jeremy Hill has proven to be nothing more than a bust after two consecutive down seasons. Meanwhile, Giovani Bernard is coming off an injury-plagued 2016 campaign. Is either the answer at running back? Who will fill in as the Bengals’ No. 2 receiver behind A.J. Green? Surely, Tyler Boyd played well as a rookie. But can the team rely on him taking the next step in 2017?
On defense, there’s a talent vacuum that must be filled at linebacker. Rey Maualuga isn’t getting any younger in the middle and Marquis Flowers is a liability at the weak-side linebacker position.
Fortunately for the Bengals, they have done a tremendous job replenishing their roster through the draft. Despite last season’s substandard on-field performance, this hasn’t changed. It’s now just magnified a bit further considering the team’s struggles in 2016.