Bengals Graphs 2015 Part 4

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the different Cincinnati Bengals autographs he has gotten.

Top Five Bengals Free Agents

Now that I have had some time to pick up the pieces of my broken heart that shattered when my Cincinnati Bengals proved to be their own worst enemy during their 2015 playoff loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I believe it is time to put that horrendous night in the rearview mirror and look ahead to the 2016 season. There is no doubt that this team will indeed look different next year. A few coaches such as Hue Jackson and Vance Joseph have left the Bengals to take coaching positions with other teams, and 15 players are now free agents. These players are cornerback Leon Hall, tackle Andre Smith, safety Reggie Nelson, linebacker Vinny Rey, cornerback Adam Jones, linebacker Emmanuel Lamur, defensive end Wallace Gilberry, wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, safety George Iloka, tackle Eric Winston, defensive tackle Brandon Thompson, wide receiver Marvin Jones, wide receiver Brandon Tate, defensive tackle Pat Sims, and center T.J. Johnson. In a perfect world, the Bengals would bring back every player (yes, even Adam Jones). Unfortunately, salary cap restrictions and high contract offers from other teams pretty much guarantee that some of these free agents will end up somewhere else. So who should the Bengals offer new contracts to out of these 15 players? Keep reading to see who I think are the top five players that need to be brought back.

Marvin Jones is a no brainer. If there is a must have player on this list, it is number 82 for the Bengals. Jones is a fantastic wide receiver and made some incredible catches and plays this season. He bounced back nicely after injuries put him on the bench for all of 2014, and he proved that his breakout 2013 campaign was no fluke. The Bengals need to bring him back and keep their triple threat of wide receivers together. The triple threat I am referring to is A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, and Mohamed Sanu. Speaking of Sanu…

…the Bengals need to bring him back as well. Sanu has proven to be the most versatile player on the team. He hauls in touchdown passes and has even thrown a touchdown pass to A.J. Green. In fact, he has a perfect passer rating! Aside from catching and throwing touchdowns, he has also rushed for a few and has become a man of all trades for this team. The Bengals need to bring him back as his versatility on the field is something that the offense has used time and time again to its advantage.

George Iloka is another player I would love to see back as a Bengal. He has had a solid four years as a Bengals safety and is a guy that I definitely see becoming a leader of the defense. He may not have as many picks as Reggie Nelson, but he has something that Nelson does not have: youth. Iloka is only 25 years old while Nelson is at the age of 32. Plus, Iloka will be cheaper than Nelson as Nelson is sure to garner a huge contract in the offseason. So when it comes to Iloka, I would definitely bring him back. He is a leader in the making, a solid safety, and a much more affordable option for the Bengals.

I would also bring back linebacker Vinny Rey. Not only is he one of the best linebackers on the team, but he is also the smartest linebacker on the team. He routinely makes excellent plays, he knows how to control his emotions, and he has come through in the clutch on multiple occasions. Just look at his game clinching interception against the San Diego Chargers. With Vontaze Burfict being suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season, the Bengals need somebody to fill the void. Rey has filled that void before, and I know he is more than capable of filling it again.

The last player I would bring back is Wallace Gilberry. The man is an intelligent football player who is also a beast on the defensive line. He along with Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, and Domata Peko were monsters for opposing offensive lines for most of the season. Like Iloka, I also see him beginning to emerge as a leader on the defensive side of the ball. He is a really good player and one that I believe can keep the other defensive players in check.

Those are my top five Bengals free agents that I would bring back. Obviously I would love it if the Bengals could bring them all back, but everybody knows that is virtually impossible. Guys will want more money and the Bengals can only offer so much. Football, like every other professional sport, is all about the “Benjamins” and hopefully the Bengals offer money to the right players.

Who Dey!

Photo Page Update

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) January 6, 2016

Bengals 2015 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2015 season of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Andy or AJ

Please note that this was created and posted before the final preseason game of the year, and as a result, the final preseason game was not taken into consideration when this post was written.

Quarterbacks are considered to be the most important players on football teams. Not only do they manage the offense and are responsible for making sure that an offensive drive ends with points being put on the scoreboard, but they also are the centerpieces of their respective franchises as teams often attempt to build a successful dynasty around the quarterback position.

The Cincinnati Bengals believe that they have in fact created a successful team with Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback. However, Dalton’s erratic style of play that has defined his career with the Bengals has many fans in Cincinnati calling for a change in leadership. Many members of Who Dey Nation have pointed to backup quarterback AJ McCarron as the savior of the Bengals offense, citing his success as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide as to why he should start over Dalton.

More fuel to this argument was added when Dalton left the third game of the preseason against the Chicago Bears with an apparent neck injury. Dalton had snuck the ball into the end zone for a touchdown that capped off an impressive Bengals drive before leaving the game. After his first drive ended with a three and out, McCarron came back on the second drive with the entire first team offense, the same offense that Dalton had commanded two drives ago, and successfully stormed down the field before throwing a laser to wide receiver Marvin Jones who scampered into the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown.

The following offensive possession of the Bengals resulted in another touchdown after McCarron dropped in a 25-yard pass to tight end Tyler Eifert that set up a Jeremy Hill touchdown run from the one-yard line. It was a very impressive outing for McCarton who finished the first half with a passer rating of 158.3. So does he deserve the chance to become the starting quarterback for the Bengals?

Absolutely not. At least not yet. As much as half of the city of Cincinnati wants McCarron to get the nod over Dalton, the fact of the matter is that this was only McCarron’s second NFL game of his career. The Bengals, who signed Dalton to a massive contract last season, are not going to make the man they tagged as the face of the franchise a backup to a guy who has only played in two NFL preseason games. However, should Dalton get hurt or play horribly, then McCarron will get his chance to shine when the games matter during the regular season. Until that happens, expect to see McCarron on the sideline rather than the playing field.

I’m not going to lie. The thought of McCarron being the starting quarterback for the Bengals entered my mind as he continued to throw accurate passes on a consistent basis throughout the game. It was an entertaining thought, but as I said earlier, the job is Dalton’s unless he gets hurt or just flat out stinks. Based on the game though, it looks like the Bengals should be in good shape with either Dalton or McCarron leading the offense.

Who Dey!

Photo Page Update

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— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) August 2, 2015