The Cincinnati Bengals are having one of their best offseasons ever. They made a big trade and major free-agent signings. They didn't cut corners on rebuilding one of the NFL's worst defenses. There's been no contract or off-the-field drama (so far). Cheers to you, long-suffering Bengals fan. Your franchise did you a solid for once. Here are four reasons fans should be ecstatic:
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1. Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown showed willingness to change
Yes, you read that correctly. And by showing a willingness to change for the first time in franchise history, the Bengals owner also signaled that he’s serious about winning.
The big change: The Bengals traded away their first-round pick in exchange for an established player for the first time in franchise history. Finding a way to acquire three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is the type of bold move Bengals fans have repeatedly watched the AFC’s top franchises make.
Lawrence joins veteran free-agent acquisitions Bryan Cook, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen on the rebuilt defense.
Isn't it great not to feel like a second-class franchise to Kansas City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and New England for once?
Moreover, what does Brown’s willingness to change mean for the future? Perhaps that depends on how well Lawrence performs and whether the Bengals make a deep playoff run.
2. Quarterback Joe Burrow is apparently happy
Burrow posted on social media last weekend after the NFL draft: “Got better,” supposedly referring to the Bengals’ offseason moves.
The whole Burrow-isn’t-happy-here narrative got overblown by the national media last season. The guy’s a winner – and winners shouldn’t be happy when they’re not winning. Still, the Bengals were flirting with the potential of Burrow pulling a Carson Palmer and demanding a trade at some point if they did nothing to improve the defense.
“Joe is positive,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin told reporters on Monday. “He wants to help. He wants to be involved. He believes in our team and his teammates and the guys that we’ve got coming in, so it’s all good.”
Now, can a happy Burrow remain a healthy Burrow?
3. Bengals acquired winners, leaders
Cook, a safety, has two Super Bowl rings with Kansas City. Mafe, a defensive end, won the Super Bowl last season with Seattle. Lawrence and Allen have playoff experience. By all accounts, they're great locker-room guys, too.
This is a big deal for team culture. These are the types of guys the Bengals needed around the last few seasons as they were trying to build their defense through the draft. Instead, they drafted a bunch of guys and then stuck them in a locker room that was void of defensive leaders. (And no, Trey Hendrickson wasn’t a leader, nor was he interested in helping anyone.)
Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, the second-round pick in 2024, now has two Pro Bowlers in Lawrence and Allen who can mentor him. Edge rushers Shemar Stewart, Myles Murphy and Cashius Howell can learn from Mafe. Cook can mentor Jordan Battle.