There are a lot of things you can say, but you have to execute.
The Cincinnati Bengals are in the business of saying a lot of things, but not necessarily executing them. They know exactly what to say to please people, but they don’t always fulfill those obligations.
Now, don’t get me wrong, they’ve been a lot better, and I mean a lot better. Not only did they sign the face of their franchise, quarterback Joe Burrow, to the largest contract in franchise and NFL history, but they also signed star receiver(s) Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to multi-year deals. They also gave Burrow a little gift and signed tight end Mike Gesicki to a multi-year deal.
The only downfall is the defense. Unfortunately, that’s the problem child of this family.
One of the worst defenses in the league last year, they have a lot to improve on and a lot to fix. They did pick up a couple of free agents and drafted a few guys, but their main piece isn’t happy.
Along with Chase and Higgins, Burrow pleaded this offseason for his star defensive end, Trey Hendrickson, to also get his big payday. Burrow had several offseason interviews, subtly and directly, urging his team to re-sign Trey to a long-term deal.
Burrow continued to say Hendrickson deserved the new contract with market value. There definitely is some truth to that. The man led the league in sacks last season and was second the year before. However, he is still currently under contract and has been extended for an additional year. To sign those contracts is a two-way street.
For that, I understand both sides. Obviously, you can only control what you can control. You can’t control another man’s decision, unfortunately.
However, as a business, which every NFL team is, you should be smart enough to be open-minded and be able to negotiate correctly and appropriately. You get fans in the seats and give them what they want to see. The Bengals have it somewhere around 80-90% correct so far.
How do you get that number to 100%? You work with Trey and get some type of deal done. He said multiple times in interviews that this is where he and his family want to be.
One more small piece. You have to sign defensive end Shemar Stewart to his rookie contract ASAP. You can’t just call someone’s name in the first round and expect a rookie deal to be automatic. Possibly the biggest and most important positions that you’re lacking were the two empty spots in OTAs, thanks to the absences of Hendrickson and Stewart.
Obviously, the fans have heard the holdup is some type of contractual language. I’m not a contract expert or a business expert, but I am a fan expert. You have to complete Stewart’s rookie deal before training camp and allow the rookie to practice with his new teammates and establish synergy with them. The NFL is different from college, and if he doesn’t get any practice, he will be useless.
Now, am I completely panicked? No, but the Bengals need to hurry and hit the brakes before they go nosediving off the fan cliff. Work with each party, negotiate fairly and reasonably, and get each deal done before it’s too late.