Duke Tobin lets his guard down and manages to inspire hope for Bengals fans at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine
Even before the offseason arrived, pressure was being applied to the Cincinnati Bengals from quarterback Joe Burrow. Pressure to pay Burrow's star teammates Ja'Marr Chase, Trey Hendrickson, and Tee Higgins. Pressure that seemed to be directed at the entire front office. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin, the de facto general manager of the club, […]
Even before the offseason arrived, pressure was being applied to the Cincinnati Bengals from quarterback Joe Burrow. Pressure to pay Burrow's star teammates Ja'Marr Chase, Trey Hendrickson, and Tee Higgins. Pressure that seemed to be directed at the entire front office.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin, the de facto general manager of the club, took his place in the parade of pressure in his own way.
Tobin usually keeps things close to the vest and avoids revealing too much in press conferences. The NFL Scouting Combine is one of the few times he talks to reporters every year. You don't normally get much substance from the man Cincinnati designates as its GM.
This was different. There was a sharpness in his words; even, dare I say, confidence? Assertions rather than maybes. Complete alignment in what his quarterback has been saying on numerous occasions over the past two months.
The pressure placed on the organization from Burrow, as well as the fanbase, seems to not only have reached Tobin, but resonated with him. Judging by some of his choice words, it's almost as if he wanted to apply some pressure as well.
These are the answers that made this presser one of Tobin's more memorable sessions.
Tobin has confidence in paying Cincinnati's best players
Plenty from around the game have opined about the Bengals being incapable of fitting extensions for Chase, Hendrickson, and Higgins this offseason. Tobin made it clear that doing so is possible.
"We've got a lot of really good football players, fantastic football players, and we're fortunate to be in a position to where we can fit them all in," Tobin said. "We've managed our cap well. We've got low dead money. We want a high payroll and low dead money so the people that are in Cincinnati playing for us can get all the money. That's what we want, and we're in a position to re-sign these guys. And it's a good position to be in. It really is, and we're going to attack it."
The Bengals will have minimal dead cap on their books this offseason, which will lead to plenty of cap space to fit major deals for highest-priority players. Tobin credited Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn for this style of cap management. It will of course take more cash than cap space this year to get them done, but by not bringing up that point, it's fair to say cash won't be an issue on their end.
But as Tobin pointed out, it's not just about paying those three. Adding more quality players in free agency is also a priority.
"And hopefully, you know, we don't want to just re-sign these guys and pay more for the same football team we had last year. We want to add to it as well," Tobin said. "So we want to resign these guys, reward them for their ability level, and add to the football team. So it's a tall task. We think we're up to it, and Katie [Blackburn]'s got us in position to attack it well."
Tobin also wants these deals done as soon as possible
It would benefit the Bengals greatly to have Chase, Hendrickson, and Higgins sign on their respective dotted lines before free agency begins during the second week of March. Knowing how much cap space the team has to work with will clear the way for a more proactive free agency period.
"The earlier we can do some of this stuff, the freer it [makes] us to build the rest of the team," Tobin said. "We have other needs that we want to build, and so we want to get these kind of things done early enough to where we can really focus on building out the rest of the football team. They're all priorities to us, but the ones that aren't signed are the ones that are on the table first.
"I don't want to just pay more money for the same team we had last year. We have other needs, and I want to go after those needs as well."
This was an important quote. Big extensions given out by the Bengals have usually occurred late in the offseason. Burrow was extended a few days before the 2023 regular season. Talks with Higgins went up to that point as well. A deal for Chase was nearly reached almost exactly a year later with the 2024 season on the horizon.
Tobin and the front office don't have that luxury this year. Higgins will be a free agent in March if they don't place the franchise tag on him again. Chase already missed one entire training camp period due to his contract, and he'll miss another if needed. Hendrickson made it clear he wants to be traded if a deal can't be reached.
These transactions not only need to happen soon for free agency, but for the betterment of the team and locker room. Repeating their past errors will only make for a rockier 2025. It's a huge positive Tobins recognizes this and addressed it publicly.
Tobin confirms his complete alignment with Burrow
Being on the same page with the franchise quarterback is always in Tobin's best interest. He didn't hold back when given the chance to talk about that it.
"I'm optimistic. I want deals done. You know, just like our quarterback wants deals done, everything he says I agree with," Tobin said. "I want them done. I want the best players available, and I also want to add more players to our team."
Again, it felt like Tobin was talking with Burrow instead of at him Tuesday. Is this a sign that Burrow's mission will be accomplished, or that Tobin took a chance to say his own peace at the people above him on the organizational chart?
I think it could be both.
Whatever the case is, Burrow feeling like he has influence in how the team is run is important. It's the relationship the franchise can't afford to ruin, or else fears of Carson Palmer 2.0 will come true in time.
How the fans reacted to Tobin's presser
Bengals fans have gotten so used to Tobin's pressers over the years, and expectations are virtually in the basement. It doesn't take much to exceed that low bar.
Tobin did his best to inspire hope, and fans took notice.
Cincinnati's offseason needs to be damn-near perfect for the team to make it back to the playoffs after back-to-back 9-8 campaigns.
It's a tall task that Tobin sounds confident in helping complete.
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