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!

Bengal Graphs 2015 Part 2

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the Cincinnati Bengals autographs he has gotten over the course of the season.

When The Saints Go Marching Out

A few months ago, I wrote a post about FC Cincinnati and how excited I was to have another professional team to cheer for in Cincinnati. While discussing the newly arrived soccer team, I mentioned how I thought it would be cool if FC Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Saints, the other local soccer team that plays in the National Premier Soccer League, would play each other in some sort of scrimmage that would bring together Cincinnati soccer fans as well as promote both soccer teams. That will not happen though because the Cincinnati Saints announced last week that they will be ceasing operations in Cincinnati to look for a new city to call home.

The Saints have been in Cincinnati since 2009 and have really helped foster the growing love of soccer in the Queen City. They hosted World Cup watch parties at Fountain Square, and, in my opinion, their success is what ultimately led to FC Cincinnati being established. However, the founding of FC Cincinnati is what ultimately led the Saints to seek a new home city.

In an interview with Fox 19, Saints owner David Satterwhite said that the arrival of FC Cincinnati was too much to compete with and after speaking to supporters, sponsors, and players, the money to fund the team in Cincinnati was no longer there. As a result, the Saints are seeking a new place to call home with Dayton being mentioned as a possibility.

I am not a fan of the Saints leaving Cincinnati, but I understand why they are. FC Cincinnati is owned by wealthy businessman Carl Lindner III, and he has made it known that he plans on taking FC Cincinnati from the United Soccer League up to the highest ranked and most well known professional soccer league in America, Major League Soccer, in three to five years. With such ambitious goals already being set by FC Cincinnati before they have even taken the field for their first ever franchise game, the Saints would most likely get lost in FC Cincinnati’s wake if they do not relocate.

While I did not get to go to any of their games, I did have a good experience with the Saints when I got to meet a few of the Saints players at an episode of “Beyond the Stripes.” They had a soccer ball juggling contest with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. It was a very entertaining segment of the show, and it showcased the skills of the Saints players. They were also really nice and signed a few autographs for me. I was hoping to see them again at an episode of “Beyond the Stripes” this year, but with the announcement of relocation, that will no longer happen.

While I am not happy the Saints will no longer be in Cincinnati, I do understand why they decided to relocate, and I wish them nothing but the best of luck in finding a new place to call home. From now on, all my Cincinnati soccer support is with FC Cincinnati. They will continue what the Saints started, and hopefully it is not too long before FC Cincinnati brings an MLS Cup to the Queen City.