The Cincinnati Bengals got off to a faster start than most of the NFL when the league’s legal tampering window opened on Monday, signing two offensive linemen and bringing back B.J. Hill.
They fell completely silent on Day 2.
But that’s obviously not going to last, not with major needs still across the offensive line and at positions like tight end (C.J. Uzomah signed with the Jets) and cornerback, to name a few.
How might the Bengals approach some of these needs? Geoff Hobson of the team’s website provided some major insight:
(Word is that rotational nose tackle Josh Tupou, a 350-pound land mass, is close to coming back after playing most of his 410 snaps on run downs for a defense that finished fifth against the run.)
When it comes to tight ends, think younger than Uzomah (29), not older. Think a second contract. They’ll want a guy that can catch and get down field while leaving the blocking to Drew Sample.
Bringing back Tupou is a no-brainer because he won’t cost a ton and, more importantly, he’s been excellent in his role.
The writeup about tight ends isn’t any sort of shocker either — the team likes guys getting roughly their second contracts who have shown they can play, but also hit at more upside to come. That sort of approach is why, while signing JC Tretter sounds amazing, it might not happen.
Names like former Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard come to mind within those constraints. Either way, it’s clear they want to leave Drew Sample in his current role instead of seeing if he can step into the Uzomah void.
While more moves could happen right away, this sort of approach could also take days. Either way, keep in mind the La’el Collins is still out there as a way for the Bengals to perfectly fix the offensive line soon.
