NFL Network News: Bengals Decline Michigan Contract Offer For Two Strong Key Players
The Bengals didn’t make the cut this time around.
— Cincinnati NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger dropped an interesting top-five AFC teams list that did not include the Bengals.
The NFL veteran and longtime film analyst had Kansas City, Baltimore, New York, Houston, and Pittsburgh as the AFC’s top teams in that order.
Three out of the five make sense, while major question marks surround New York and Pittsburgh. The latter doesn’t even have a top-20 quarterback on the roster based on 2023 performance.
It’ll all play out on the field, as Cincinnati looks to get back on top of the conference this fall.
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The Cincinnati Bengals have been pretty busy so far this offseason. The organization clearly didn’t take well to missing out on the playoffs last season, so it has been proactive in the name of improvement.
Some of Cincinnati’s marquee additions include running back Zack Moss, tight end Mike Gesicki, offensive tackle Trent Brown, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and safeties Vonn Bell and Geno Stone, among others.
Following their bevy of additions, some media outlets are pretty bullish about the Bengals’ outlook for next season. In an updated ranking of Super Bowl contenders by Bleacher Report, Cincinnati came in at No. 7. The six teams ahead of them are Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, San Fransisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Here’s some of what B/R had to say about the Bengals:
“The Cincinnati Bengals are a bit of a wild card because everything hinges on the health of quarterback Joe Burrow. The 2020 first overall pick has finished two of his four seasons on injured reserve and led the Bengals to two AFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl in the other two years.
“. . . In Taylor’s four seasons at the helm, Cincinnati has won the division twice and finished fourth two times. The Bengals have shown that they can get to the big game, but the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a last-place finish would be equally unsurprising results for Cincinnati.”
All about Burrow
It’s fair to suggest that Cincinnati’s success in 2024 hinges largely on the health of Burrow, as Bleacher Report did. When Burrow is healthy, the Bengals are a legitimate contender. However, he’s coming off of season-ending wrist surgery on his throwing arm. So until he shows that he’s back to his old self, there will be some skepticism.
The good news for the Bengals is that Burrow has been progressing well, and he plans to be fully cleared by the middle of May. As long as he’s good to go for the start of next season, and is able to stay out on the field, the Bengals should be right in the middle of the mix in the AFC.
The Cincinnati Bengals may be losing wide receiver Tyler Boyd to free agency, but they have enough money to replace him with a cheaper option.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks that the Bengals should take a look at DJ Chark, who is still remaining on the open market nearly a month into the free-agent period.
Chark spent the 2023 campaign with the Carolina Panthers and was mildly productive, playing in 15 games and registering 35 catches for 525 yards and five touchdowns.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at LSU, was originally selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
There was a time when it looked like Chark was about to become one of the best receivers in football.
He barely made an impact during his rookie campaign, but the following season, Chark hauled in 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Unfortunately, Chark took a significant step back in 2020, catching 53 passes for 706 yards and five scores in 13 games.
Injuries then limited Chark to just four contests in 2021, and he has not been the same since.
The Alexandria, La. native proceeded to sign with the Detroit Lions in 2022, and that ensuing season, he went on to snare 30 balls for 502 yards while reaching the end zone three times in 11 games.
Chark then joined the Panthers last spring.
On the plus side, Chark is still young, and he does have a 1,000-yard campaign in his rearview window. Perhaps playing alongside of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in Cincinnati with Joe Burrow throwing him the football would represent an ideal situation for him.
