The Cincinnati Bengals are a very conservative franchise and have been for a very long time. Someone who is very familiar with the way they do business is former Bengal Andrew Whitworth.
After being traded from the Bengals to the Los Angeles Rams, he watched them make several big, aggressive moves that ultimately helped them get to the Super Bowl. He references these moves in the video below on Twitter, where he talks about the Bengals needing to make some aggressive moves like the Rams did in order to win it all.
I asked @AndrewWhitworth when, with Joe Burrow at his best and best, he wishes the Bengals would handle their roster/contracts/talent differently.
He does
“Let me see what kind of move you make. 'Wow, they really dared.'”
It's amazing that this is football today. NOW ESPN2. pic.twitter.com/LCoKMTPmcO
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) December 17, 2024
The Rams' aggressive plays eventually led to a Super Bowl, a team Whitworth was a part of, beating the Bengals. While some key players were homegrown talents, there were others like Whitworth, Jalen Ramsey and Matthew Stafford that the Rams only had through aggressive moves in free agency and trades.
These aggressive moves led to a bit of a team implosion in 2022 where they underperformed, but they were right back in the playoffs in 2023 and are firmly back in the playoff hunt in 2024.
Obviously, these aggressive moves weren't all that damaging in the long run, so it would be very encouraging if the Bengals could make an aggressive move. The team has Joe Burrow, but who knows how long they can keep Burrow and the talented offensive core.
The Bengals need to show that they are as committed and hungry to win as Burrow and the fans. Make a big free agent push or a big trade to acquire some high-end talent and take this team to a new level.