Cincinnati Bengals: Offseason Panic Mode 2021 Edition

The Cincinnati Bengals looked as if they finally had their quarterback of the future, then it all went to crap. When Joe Burrow went down, so did the Bengals hopes of a good season. If they’re can’t overcome it in the 2021 offseason, they’ll be destined for panic mode again this year.

Joe Burrow’s Return

Not only did Burrow tear his ACL, but he also tore his MCL as well. Full recovery from the ACL alone would be 9 months for a rushed recovery, 12 months for a full. Since his injury happened in mid-November, it would be absolutely a gift if he returned for the start of the 2021 season. Should he not return until the middle of the season, will he be 100% game-ready? Will his chemistry be there with the new additions? Can he still scramble with the same effectiveness as he did pre-injury? There’s a lot of unknowns for these types of injuries.

If Not Burrow Then Who?

Both Brandon Allen and Ryan Finley played in the absence of Burrow, but neither proved capable of carrying the torch. If Joe can’t go for the first part of the season, who will the Bengals put in charge of running their offense? There’s plenty of cap space to be thrown around this offseason and Cincy can afford to be aggressive. Unfortunately for them, there are too many missing pieces for them to spend on a fill-in.

If they were smart, Cincy would call on a vet QB like Ryan Fitzpatrick who’s looking for a spot to start and compete. Fitz would not only carry the season until Burrow was 100% healthy, but he’d also be a great mentor to a young QB.

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Are There Enough Linemen to Go Around?

Cincinnati proved to have a terrible offensive line in 2020. Joe Burrow spent a lot of time scrambling to get out of harm’s way. In order to protect their investment, a large part of their offseason plans needs to be spent on beefing up their offensive front. Unfortunately for them, plenty of teams have money, and all those teams could use veteran experience on the line. If the Bengals aren’t aggressive enough, they’ll be settling for the second tier of talent.

Is There Enough Cap to Go Around?

The Bengals aren’t necessarily in a bad spot with the salary cap this offseason. The only problem is they need plenty of help. Teams in the division are getting stronger on offense and they’ll need to beef up their defense to keep up. In each level of the defense, they could use a strong presence to make plays and improve their entire unit. With needs all along the offensive line, defensive line, cornerbacks, restock on receivers, and uncertainty of their quarterback how much will they have to spend. They’ll need to get really creative this offseason to fill as many holes as they can.

Despite how bad the Cincinnati Bengals were, they’re still not at the top of the NFL Draft. They’ll still get a top 5 player, but with plenty of teams in need of a quarterback, it might be wise to trade down multiple times. In order to fully complete the rebuild, they’ll need as many players on rookie deals as they can get without sacrificing talent. If they can’t speed up the process they’ll easily waste the better years of their young quarterback’s career.