It seems to always be the biggest question and/or debate heading into the offseason: what is the biggest area of need on the Bengals’ roster? I have broken their needs into three groups:

1. Positions that may need a new starter in 2023
2. Positions that may need a new starter after the 2023 season
3. Positions that need depth in 2023

I have broken down each spot, and I will let you decide. What positions should the Bengals prioritize in the 2023 Offseason?

Positions that may need a new starter in 2023

RT: 2022 was a struggle throughout for La’el Collins. While he still flashed some ability as a run blocker, he failed to show the pass blocking ability he had during his peak in Dallas. Collins missed all of the 2022 training camp with a back injury and rested every Wednesday practice in-season to try to keep the back rested. Still, Collins often looked off balance in pass sets and ended up on the ground after desperation lunges far too often. Collins also tore his ACL and MCL on Christmas Eve in New England. It is doubtful the RT will be ready for the start of the season, and when he gets back, will there be anything left in the tank? Cincinnati can save $7.7 million (only $1.6 million dead money) if they designate Collins as a post-6/1 cut. The Bengals could use that money to bring in a similar level vet to what they hoped for in Collins, or spend it elsewhere and try to find his replacement early in the 2023 Draft.

TE: The Bengals went into last offseason with a similar question about the TE1 spot. CJ Uzomah got overpaid by the Jets, and Cincinnati was happy to sign Hayden Hurst to a 1 year, $3.5 million deal. The offense did not miss a beat, and Hurst proved to be a slightly more dynamic pass catcher than Uzomah was. The Bengals would likely be happy to bring Hurst back on a cheap 1- or 2-year deal with a slight pay raise, but in a weak TE free agency class, it is possible a team offers Hurst more than the Bengals want to give him. If that happens, it is likely the Bengals will act similarly to last year and cycle in a new cheap veteran TE on a one-year deal. If a TE falls to them in any round of the draft that they like the value on, the cheap vet wouldn’t prevent them from pulling the trigger on him. While many mocks have the Bengals targeting a TE at pick 28, they would likely have to change the TE’s role in the offense to make that pick worth it. Dating back to even his LSU days and carrying over to Cincinnati, Burrow has never used the TE as a focal point of the offense. Typically valuing big play WRs on the outside, while using the TE as a checkdown option to get a few yards if nothing else is there. In 2022, The Bengals targeted TEs on just 15% of their passes (3^rd lowest in the NFL). Hayden Hurst only pass blocked on 15 snaps the entire season, and Cincinnati left their Tackles on islands (no double teams or chip help) the third most in the NFL. We have seen teams like Kansas City this past year run more 12 and 13 personnel (2 or 3 TEs on the field), which has allowed them to run more effectively while forcing defenses out of two high shells. Investing a high pick at the TE position would likely signify the Bengals tweaking their offensive identity to do the same.

RB: It is no secret that Joe Mixon is coming off his worst season as a Bengal. For the second straight year, his explosive run rate has been near the bottom of the league, and his pass blocking remains unusable on 3^rd downs. Two years ago, Mixon was (correctly) taken off the field for the final drive of the Super Bowl due to his poor pass blocking. This year, he was out-snapped in the AFC Title game vs KC by Samaje Perine. If you can’t be trusted in pass pro in a pass heavy offense, and can no longer hit explosive runs, then what do you really offer this team? Cincinnati can save about $9 million if they cut Mixon this offseason, and the 2023 NFL Draft has the best and deepest RB class in 6 years (coincidentally since Mixon’s draft). The Bengals would be wise to cut Mixon, draft a rookie RB on day 2 or 3, and pair him with a cheap vet such as Perine or another free agent that complements the rookie. The money saved by cutting Mixon is much better off used elsewhere.

LB: Linebacker is the final position that the Bengals may be starting a new player at in 2023. Germaine Pratt had a career year this year, which may see him cash in in free agency. He will always hold a special place in every Bengals fan’s heart for his interception that secured Cincinnati’s first playoff win in 31 years. However, it’s hard to imagine paying Pratt $10 mill a year (or more) is a priority for Cincinnati. As stout as Pratt was on early downs, Lou Anarumo frequently took him off the field on 3^rd downs in favor of an extra DB or pass coverage LB Akeem Davis-Gaither. Giving LBs second contracts has proven to be a risk around the NFL in the past, and Cincinnati already has the more well-rounded Logan Wilson’s looming extension to figure out. The Bengals will more likely prioritize Safety Vonn Bell. Anarumo seems confident in the young LBs behind Wilson and Pratt, so do not be shocked if he trusts Davis-Gaither and Markus Bailey to play more prominent roles this year. A LB later in the draft could be on Cincy’s radar, but it is hard to foresee them taking one early.

Positions that may need a new starter after 2023 season

LT: Jonah Williams is entering year 5 as a Bengal and will be playing on his 5^th year option. When healthy, Williams has been pretty much an average starting LT. At this point, with his limited length and athleticism, it is hard to see him developing into much more than that. That is just fine for Cincinnati this year. The difficult part is deciding whether to extend Jonah beyond this year. The LT market is quite inflated. Average LTs around Jonah’s level have been receiving $15-18 mill a year extensions. If Jonah surprises everyone and has a career year this season, Cincinnati could definitely pay him. Most likely though, he will have a similar season to what he has been. With better players such as Burrow, Higgins, Chase, Wilson, and Hendrickson soon to all be on big money deals, the best option for Cincinnati would be finding a Tackle this year that can slide in at LT for cheap next year. However, judging by the Bengals recent OL drafting, that will be easier said than done.

WR: It is all but certain that Ja’Marr Chase will receive a big extension from the Bengals next offseason. This offseason, Cincinnati has the opportunity to negotiate on an extension with Tee Higgins ahead of the final year of his rookie deal this upcoming season. Whether or not the two sides are able to reach an extension, Higgins will play this year and will almost certainly be franchise tagged in 2024 if he is not already under contract. So, no need to worry about Chase and Higgins for the near future here. However, Tyler Boyd enters the final year of his second contract with the Bengals, and it seems inevitable that he will be gone by the 2024 season. While the trio has been arguably the league’s best when healthy over the last two seasons, they have sorely lacked depth at the position. As cool as Trenton Irwin is, there is no one in the WR room (outside of the current 3 starters) that should be starting at any point. For some teams, the third WR spot is not very important. It is in Cincinnati’s current offensive scheme. In 2022, the Bengals ran 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs) on 82% of their early down offensive snaps (2^nd highest rate in the NFL, the only team higher was Zac Taylor’s former HC, Sean McVay and the Rams). Burrow preferred 11 personnel at LSU as well, so it is no surprise that Cincy has ran so much of it. Unless there is a fundamental scheme shift, expect 3 WRs on the field throughout Burrow’s time in Cincinnati. Which means expect the Bengals to always try to have an elite WR trio.

NT: This one is straightforward. DJ Reader has been an awesome signing for the Bengals and an integral part of their defense. 2023 is the last year on Reader’s deal. He will only be 30 in 2024. The Bengals are not typically big on giving out third contracts, but Nose Tackles as good as Reader are tough to find. It is also worth noting that NTs usually take 2-3 years to figure it out at the next level. It is unrealistic to pick a rookie in 2024 and expect him to start right away. Many NTs have aged well into their young 30s. So maybe the two sides are able to find common ground on a 3 year extension for “The Grave Digger,” but if not then Cincinnati should be looking for a replacement in this year’s Draft to learn behind Reader for a year.

Positions that need depth in 2023

CB: Cornerback is clearly the position lacking depth the most at the moment. Assuming ACL recovery goes well for Chidobe Awuzie, then he and Cam Taylor-Britt will likely be starters on the outside with Mike Hilton in the slot. Outside of that? They have pretty much no one that has played a relevant number of snaps on the roster. Tre Flowers is a free agent. Even if he is brought back, he only fills a very specialized role as a TE defender in the slot. Eli Apple is also a free agent. He was “passable?” last year, but there are rumblings many in the organization are tired of his antics. Awuzie has been awesome but is coming off a serious injury at age 28 and is in the final year of his deal. Much like we saw with the selection of Dax Hill last year, Cincinnati selecting a CB some time in the first two days that can provide depth at outside corner in case of injury, and then take over as a starter next season could make a lot of sense. Much like the RB class, the CB class in this Draft is probably as good and deep as we’ve seen in a while. Might as well take advantage at those two spots if possible.

OL: I know, I know, every team in the NFL needs depth on the offensive line. But that doesn’t make it any less true. It is hard enough to find 5 good linemen, let alone good backups. But with how frequent injuries can be on the OL, adding good young depth that you can develop is vital. In particular, the Bengals could use a backup Center with some Guard flexibility. Also, as mentioned earlier, a developmental swing Tackle that could possibly take over for Jonah Williams next year would be nice.

DL: Finally, the Bengals could use more bodies that can get after the passer on the defensive line. Particularly on the interior, where as Paul Dehner Jr. of the Athletic pointed out, Cincinnati only had one player on the DL between 290 and 325 pounds last season (BJ Hill). Rookie Zach Carter flashed late in the year as a run defender, but did not contribute much as a pass rusher. Cincinnati as a team was just 21st in the NFL in pass rush win rate and 29th in sack rate. Adding another interior pass rusher would allow Cincy to get more heat in their 3-4 looks, and would also keep BJ Hill (who was 8th in snaps among all NFL DTs last year) fresher and more effective on a down-by-down basis. With all four DL starters on second contracts, the Bengals currently have the 2nd most expensive DL room in the NFL. They will have to hit on some young guys to try to get cheaper at the position as the young offensive stars begin to get paid in the coming years.