The most important offseason in recent Bengals history has begun, and the first move may show where the focus is for improving this unit.
After failing to make the playoffs for the third consecutive year, it’s clear that changes need to be made for the Cincinnati Bengals to return to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl that they are aspiring for. With a $100 million trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, their talent shouldn’t be wasted on a team that fails year after year.
Whether it be through the draft, free agency, or trades, the Bengals need to make upgrades on both sides of the ball, specifically in the trenches. But before they get to adding pieces, it’s important that they re-sign players who have made a positive impact.
Cincinnati Bengals general manager Duke Tobin
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To kick off free agency, Cincinnati chose to stick with the offense it had by re-signing one of the tight ends.
Six-year tight end Tanner Hudson was signed to a one-year extension by the Bengals, granting him a fourth consecutive season with the franchise.
The formerly undrafted tight end out of Southern Arkansas immediately signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018 and went on to win a Super Bowl with them in 2020. He was an All-American in Division II and contributed 43 receptions for 624 yards and six touchdowns in his redshirt senior year. Making the NFL after playing in Division II is difficult, but being able to play at least seven years is extremely rare and should be a testament to his work ethic and character as a teammate and player.
It may not be the splash statistically the Bengals need to make a playoff birth, but re-signing pieces that add value is key to improvement. Hudson is listed as the fourth tight end on the depth chart, but he set a career-high for touchdowns this season with two, as well as games played with 15.
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson
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The offense was clearly not the primary issue for Cincinnati this season. Having your superstar quarterback miss eight games obviously doesn’t help, but when he was healthy, Burrow showed the dominance that Bengals fans have become accustomed to. Higgins, Chase, and running back Chase Brown all showed signs of improvement or continued dominance, further emphasizing the importance of protection for Burrow in the pocket.
While all five starting offensive linemen are under contract for next season, the question becomes how to improve the unit. There are better options both on the market and in the draft, but continuity and chemistry are massively important with that positional group. At the very least, depth needs to be obtained through the draft to address injuries throughout next season.