Bengals' biggest offseason mistake could bite them at anytime during the 2024 NFL season
Compared to last year, the Cincinnati Bengals have had a tremendously positive offseason. By adding capable veterans in free agency such as Geno Stone, Sheldon Rankins, and Trent Brown, many of the roster holes were filled with immediate solutions. The NFL Draft went according to plan as well, providing long-term answers at their biggest remaining […]
Compared to last year, the Cincinnati Bengals have had a tremendously positive offseason.
By adding capable veterans in free agency such as Geno Stone, Sheldon Rankins, and Trent Brown, many of the roster holes were filled with immediate solutions. The NFL Draft went according to plan as well, providing long-term answers at their biggest remaining needs like Amarius Mims, Kris Jenkins, and Jermaine Burton.
But an objective observer cannot look at the current roster and not notice a potentially pressing issue at an important position.
Cincinnati did not add a veteran cornerback
The one position the Bengals have historically addressed in an aggressive way is cornerback. Several first-round picks have been used at the position in the last 20 years, two second-round picks were spent from the past three drafts, and notable names in free agency are always in consideration.
It would've fallen right into expectation for the Bengals to add an experienced player at the position, but it never happened. The current construction of the position group makes this all the more confusing.
Cam Taylor-Britt and Mike Hilton are reliable starters, but the third starting gig is now in the hands of DJ Turner II and Dax Hill. Turner is a second-year player who noticeably struggled as a starter late last season, while Hill has never been a full-time cornerback in the NFL.
These are the two best options to hold an extremely significant position in the Bengals' defense. The only reinforcements brought in to help is Josh Newton, a fifth-round pick from this year's draft.
Newton only makes this position group more green than it already was. Hill is the most experienced player (in terms of accrued seasons) who could feasibly start there, and he's 23 years old. It's a very young group hoping to learn as much as they can from Taylor-Britt, who's just 24 years of age as well.
This alone is reason enough to add any veteran cornerback with a passable resume. To Cincinnati's credit, the team did get close to signing one back in March. Kristian Fulton, former LSU teammate of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, received an offer from the Bengals before signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers instead.
Other than Fulton? Radio silence.
To make matters more befuddling, there was nothing to stop the Bengals from adding a vet corner. Cap space, roster space, and appeasing egos were all non-issues. Any player similar to Fulton would've sufficed, and given the defense a semi-viable backup plan if neither Turner nor Hill look the part by the time September rolls around.
Instead, Cincinnati is banking on one of those two to assert himself through competition. Early reports had Hill slightly ahead of Turner, which is pretty concerning for the latter considering cornerback is his natural position. Perhaps the coaching staff wanted Hill to get more reps in during the spring to catch him up to speed. We won't have a clear picture of the dynamic until training camp arrives.
Just making it to the regular season will be a challenge. How the position holds up throughout the season is another beast in of itself. Cincinnati needed a little more security at the position, and instead sat on its hands. It could cost them if plans go awry in the fall.
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