Bengals' Duke Tobin ranks third in latest GM rankings
Organizational structure is a bit different when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals. Technically, there is no general manager on staff. That role belongs to the director of player personnel, Duke Tobin. It's honestly a much more fitting title for the job anyways. Tobin has been the driving force behind putting the Bengals' roster together […]
Organizational structure is a bit different when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals. Technically, there is no general manager on staff.
That role belongs to the director of player personnel, Duke Tobin.
It's honestly a much more fitting title for the job anyways.
Tobin has been the driving force behind putting the Bengals' roster together for two decades. Most of that time saw the front office build exclusively through the NFL Draft instead of wisely filling needs in free agency. Their evolution over the past three years has helped the team elevate to true contender status.
Offensive line has been a major free agency focal point for Tobin in the last 13 months, which is one reason why NFL Media's Gregg Rosenthal ranked Tobin as the third-best GM in the NFL.
"Cincinnati's offensive line overhaul last offseason mostly worked, but I love that Tobin didn't stand pat. There is strong cohesion between Tobin and Zac Taylor's coaching staff, which develops rookies like cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt before giving them playing time." – NFL Media's Gregg Rosenthal
Rosenthal brings up a fantastic point in his evaluation. Head coach Zac Taylor was largely Tobin's hire, and they've been joined at the hip building the roster from scratch ever since.
By being on the same page with the HC every step of the way, the Bengals have consistently made good personnel decisions and have brought in the right kind of players almost every time. Their locker room is full of good players who just love ball.
While the team broke its free agent tendencies in 2020 and 2021, there was still a barrier to break with the o-line. Alex Cappa, Ted Karras, La'el Collins, and now Orlando Brown Jr. officially shattered that barrier to smithereens.
Instead of rolling the dice with quarterback Joe Burrow's protection plan, Tobin opened up the checkbook and put together meaningful transactions to build a better pocket for Burrow.
That the team has also drafted well since Taylor's arrival only boosts Tobin's reputation. He's most definitely worthy of top-five status in the GM ranks, even if it's not his official title.
