Bengals can prove their fans right with under-the-radar additions from last year about to test their mettle
The Bengals made a few personnel hires in 2025. It’s nearly time for them to bear fruit.
Atop the laundry list of grievances made by Cincinnati Bengals fans has been the team’s minuscule scouting department. Cincinnati has always operated with single-digit scouts helping out director of player personnel Duke Tobin, and Tobin has consistently made it clear it’s what he prefers.
The Bengals opted for growth in this area last year when Tobin hired Josh Hinch and Tyler Ramsey as scouts, and Trey LaBounty as a scouting research analyst. Despite losing scout Christian Sarkisian to the college ranks, Cincinnati came away with more numbers in the personnel department.
This growth has been known for the last seven months, but now that the offseason is in full swing, it’s time for that growth to bear fruit, and potentially prove fans correct.
Bengals expecting expanded scouting department will make a difference
That’s certainly the goal, is it not? A smaller circle means the voices hold more weight and the trust level is higher, but the undeniable benefit of having more help is being able to cover more ground. Assistant general manager Mike Potts, who used to hold the director of college scouting title, is anticipating it all to come together.
“More efficient and more eyes on more players,” Potts tells Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “Multiple looks at more players on both the college and pro side, and that’s through seeing them in person on visits and watching them on tape as well.”
The addition of more eyes, as Potts puts it, also comes with more minds and different perspectives. LaBounty, for example, has a different role with data on his mind. He takes on responsibilities that are pretty much new to the club, and he’s been busy implementing new tactics to improve the scouting process.
“I’ve got a different background from the technical aspect,” LaBounty said. “And it has allowed me to come in and ask, ‘How can we streamline our processes and make them more efficient?’ And then what are the areas where we can also go in and create new ones?”
More eyes, and different approaches are exactly why Bengals fans have been clamoring for changes in the scouting department. To best avoid familiar NFL Draft and free agency mistakes of recent years, Hinch, Ramsey, and LaBounty are about to put their new perspectives to use with free agency less than two months away, and the draft following soon after.
The timing couldn’t be better. Cincinnati had a lackluster offseason in 2025 featuring low-impact veteran additions, and rookies who weren’t able to immediately contribute positively aside from left guard Dylan Fairchild. As the pressure mounts with Joe Burrow exiting his 20s, the need to bolster the roster has never been more important.
It’s still not that large of a scouting department, but it’s larger than it’s ever been before. We’ll soon find out if it makes a difference.
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