Five Areas the Cincinnati Bengals Must Address in the Offseason

The New Orleans Saints danced their way down Bourbon Street Tuesday celebrating the first Super Bowl title in the franchise’s 43-year history.

New Orleans’ win should give hope to all of those teams that have languished at the bottom of the pile for so many years. If the Saints, famously called the ‘Aints by their own fans, can win the Big One, why can’t the Bengals?

Of course, New Orleans’ success did not come overnight. Good decisions in free agency, in the draft and in the hiring of coaches helped the team turn around its fortunes. If there is one thing all 44 Super Bowl champions have had in common, it is good decisions on personnel.

The Cincinnati Bengals went 10-6 this past season and won the AFC North championship. That’s a big step for a franchise with just two winning seasons in the past 20 years. But the next step, to the Super Bowl, is the biggest—and hardest step—of them all.

What do the Bengals have to do in the offseason to take that next step? They are off to a good start, re-signing defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to a multi-year deal. But there are five more things Cincy can do this offseason to give itself a chance to party in Dallas next February.

Draft/Sign/Trade for a Wide Receiver

If there was one glaring weakness on the team this past season, it was at the wide receiver position. Other than Chad Ochocinco, who had a nice bounce-back season, the Bengals had no other playmaker at the league’s marquee position.

Laveranues Coles was a virtual non-factor, Andre Caldwell lacks the big-play ability, Quan Cosby is too raw, Jerome Simpson appears to be a bust and Chris Henry, well, we all know his sad story.

In order to compete, the Bengals will have to be a more balanced offense, and that starts at receiver. Brandon Marshall might be available in trade, or local product Mardy Gilyard could be a nice fit late in the first round. There has even been talk of bringing in Terrell Owens as a free agent. Any would drastically improve the passing game.

Acquire a Safety

If the Bengals lack a playmaker on offense, then they certainly lack a playmaker on defense. The Bengals’ D was solid all year, but there wasn’t that one player that could step up and make things happen when it was needed.

The only position that is open is safety, and that’s what the Bengals should target. Drafting a playmaker in the Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed mold would give the defense the kind of swagger it needs to go to the next level.

Develop a Tight End

In fairness, their tight end may already be on the roster. Chase Coffman, the NCAA record-holder for receptions by a tight end, never got on the field, hampered first by inexperience and later by injury.

If Coffman is healthy and able to contribute, the Bengal offense will be even more potent. But if he is unable to be that guy, then the team will need to seek out a big target for Carson Palmer to hit in the red zone and on third down.

Prepare for the Future

The Bengals are, by and a large, a young team, but there are still several important players that are closing in on the end of their careers.

Bobbie Williams and Dhani Jones in particular are both key cogs in their mid-30s. Both are still viable NFL players, but the Bengals need to make sure that the next guard and middle linebacker are in place.

Stay Healthy

OK, staying healthy is more about luck than skill, but it’s still a facet of the game that Cincinnati has struggled with in recent years. Somehow, someway, the Bengals need to find a way to keep their best players on the field.

The answer may involve changing offseason workouts or bringing in medical experts to change the way the team practices and performs. Or maybe, they can get a little bit of the New Orleans voodoo. Whatever works.