Reassessing Bengals' Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What's Left to Address

The Cincinnati Bengals' offseason is roughly three months old now, and outside of losing their defensive and offensive coordinators, there's not much to be said for those three months.

Overall, the Bengals have been mostly quiet on the free-agent circuit, and speculation about who they will be drafting is wide open.  For a team that really has never made big free-agency splashes, this comes as no surprise.

However, for the third year in a row, the Who Dey nation was left in stunned silence after the NFL playoffs' opening weekend.  Cincinnati was ousted by the San Diego Chargers at Paul Brown Stadium after finishing the regular season 8-0 there.  In short, the fans needed more this offseason.

What has been done, and what is still on the slate?

Roster Losses

David Richard

At this point in the offseason, there's no doubt that Cincinnati has lost more than they've gained.  The biggest losses definitely consist of left tackle Anthony Collins, defensive end Michael Johnson and wide receiver Andrew Hawkins.

Collins and Johnson both jetted for Tampa Bay, while Hawkins received a payday in Cleveland.  Other losses include Taylor Mays, Chris Crocker and Kyle Cook.

Johnson was the star of this group despite a down season in 2014, followed closely by the man that will join him as a Buccaneer, Anthony Collins.  Collins stepped in admirably at left and right tackle during the 2014 season, which earned him a lot of attention from the Queen City.

Still, while these losses are huge on paper, there's no sense in spending big money now when Vontaze Burfict and A.J. Green are going to demand big paydays in the near future.  I'm all in favor of a conservative approach this offseason, but the Bengals should tread softly when it comes to who they lose the rest of the way.

It may not be a bad idea to re-sign Taylor Mays to get some depth at strong safety, which is still a question mark.

Signings

Eric Gay

If this were an audible report, you'd probably hear mostly crickets on this slide.  As stated in the intro, the Bengals have largely been silent during free agency.

Their biggest move this offseason has been the addition of safety Danieal Manning.  2013 was a short season for Manning, playing in only six games.  He likely isn't going to put up the numbers he did in 2009 with Chicago (92 tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries), but he should fill in nicely on the field for George Iloka, Shawn Williams and Reggie Nelson.

Other free agents that have joined Cincinnati include Jason Campbell, R.J. Stanford, Dontay Moch and Marshall Newhouse.  Not exactly a star-studded lineup.

Going forward, the team should consider signing a guy like James Anderson to fill out the linebacker corps or Terrell Thomas to add a solid cornerback.  However, it doesn't seem like the Bengals are much in a deal-making mood. 

Re-Signings

David Kohl

To begin, re-signing Vincent Rey and Domata Peko on the defense were both good moves.  Peko has been a staple on the Bengals' defensive line since 2006, and while he's not the best nose tackle in the game, he's still performing to the tune of 52 tackles and three sacks in 2013.  

Rey, meanwhile, came out of nowhere after filling in for James Harrison and Rey Maualuga.  To put into perspective how different two years can be, Rey played in all 16 games in 2012, totaling 22 tackles and a sack.  In 2013, Rey again appeared in all 16 games, conglomerating 57 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.  I think he needed to be back.

Now, I began the slide with "To begin"—I could also have put "The end" at the end of that paragraph.  Just as they've been silent throughout free agency, the Bengals didn't re-sign many of the guys whose contracts ended.  Taylor Mays is the only one of the group I could see coming back, but I don't expect it.

Then again, Chris Crocker seems to go through this dance every year, so he very well could be back as well.  While it seems bad to not re-sign guys from a playoff team, there wasn't much lost that was effective anyway.  Probably better off to save cap room for young draft picks.

In the coming months, contract extensions for Andy Dalton or Vontaze Burfict could be coming.  I would recommend doing so for Burfict, but it seems hasty to do that for Dalton.  However, Marvin Lewis is ready for his quarterback to get an extension.  

Coaching Changes

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Going into the offseason, there likely weren't many plans on the table to make any coaching changes, outside of maybe the smaller-scale coaches.  That all changed when both Mike Zimmer and Jay Gruden bolted Cincinnati to become head coaches.

The loss of Zimmer made a lot of noise in Cincinnati given his success over the years.  For example, Cincinnati's defense ranked third in takeaways last season, per Pro Football Reference.  He's been responsible for the development of perennial all-stars like Vontaze Burfict and Geno Atkins.  

Zimmer has now been replaced by Paul Guenther, formerly the team's linebackers coach.  While the former defensive coordinator, Zimmer, is credited with the team's incredible defense (for good reason), Guenther has been key in developing Burfict and undrafted player Emmanuel Lamur.  Guenther, having been with the Bengals since 2005, knows the system.  I expect him to thrive.

The loss of Jay Gruden is not as big, at least not to this writer.  Yes, he took a young team to the postseason in 2011, but the offense has really never developed since that time.  Andy Dalton still makes questionable passes, play-calling was erratic over the last three years and the running game has really never been a big factor.  

The hype surrounding Hue Jackson's promotion to offensive coordinator comes as no surprise.  He coached one brief season in Oakland, finishing 8-8.  That was an Oakland team led by Jason Campbell, until he was hurt and Carson Palmer came in and started in a brand-new system.

It can be expected that the Cincinnati run game will thrive under Jackson, especially with the speedy Giovani Bernard at his disposal.  

Ultimately, the loss of Mike Zimmer and a familiar offensive coordinator in Gruden hurts, but the right guys were hired.  The Bengals' front office had to think quick on its feet and get quality guys to fill the spots.  

It remains to be seen how they will do, but I think this chapter of the offseason can close.  Guenther and Jackson are the guys, and there's no reason to be dissatisfied.

NFL Draft?

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

As of now, this part of the offseason remains in the dark.  There aren't any monstrously gaping holes on the Bengals' roster at the moment, but everyone can agree that it wouldn't hurt for them to get a cornerback.

Leon Hall can still perform at a high level, but there's not much to be confident about behind him.  Dre Kirkpatrick isn't looking like the first-round pick that he was, and Adam Jones and Terence Newman are getting up there in years. A younger corner, like Jason Verrett from TCU, would help a mediocre secondary get quicker and keep up with the likes of Josh Gordon and Torrey Smith.

To lay out a plan for the draft, Cincinnati should be keeping a big eye on the cornerback position, then look to add depth at the linebacker and quarterback positions.  Keep an eye on that quarterback idea—Andy Dalton has yet to receive a contract extension from his rookie deal.

Follow Andrew "The Dunn Deal" Dunn on Twitter @atdu222