Yesterday was our oldest boy's birthday and things were hectic around the house. I didn't really get a chance to answer Jmble's question fully. So here goes...
Yes, I see the things you're referring to J, the ring of honor, the new Uni's (still ugly
) the community out reach etc....
But that's all window dressing, its nice but it doesn't win games. What do they need to do to show me there's really been a sea change within the football side of the organization...? Glad you asked.....
A. Sign Bates and Reiff. Don't use the Franchise tag on Bates, don't make the negotiations drag out till mid-summer etc... sign them. And both to long term contracts. Show the fans you're committed to winning and winning now by keeping your best players and not making them jump through hoops to get an extension. The unspoken signal they're sending to the other players, teams and fans when they drag out these contract talks is "Yes we want to win.....but only on a budget." They've come a ways in player contracts but not far enough imo.
B. Sign two starter quality interior O-lineman this off season. Don't just sign "bodies" or Journeymen second string type players at the end of the Free Agency period who became desperate to sign anywhere. Aggressively seek out and sign players that are going to come in here and help keep your star QB upright and alive
immediately. Recognize publicly you've got a weak area and address it. Similar to the way KC did after last years debacle in the Super Bowl.
C. Aggressively seek out and sign another starting quality Linebacker. Just like point B above, address a long standing weak point on the team. Don't wait for some ageing veteran with questionable skills and knees to get cut by some other team late in camp. Bring in solid players and sign one during the first two weeks or so of Free Agency and shore up a weak spot....period.
D. Use the first pick in next April's draft to take a player at one of the following positions: CB, LB, OL.TE. Don't look for "bargains" amongst the college players that were hurt last season and have fallen. Recognize you don't have the kind of team that's deep enough to take a chance like that. Make a solid pick at a position of need. I'd rather have the 4th best CB than the 2nd best RB because some player slipped down to us due to injury or suspension etc... Start acting like the 1st pick in the draft is meant to be used on a player that will pay immediate dividends and stop trying to outsmart yourself.
E. Try moving up in the draft to get the player you really need in the 2nd or 3rd round even if it means giving away 5th, 6th or 7th round spots or even spots next year. Act like getting the best handful of players this year is important enough to sacrifice a little bit of our short-range future. In other words...act like you want to win while Joe Burrow is young and still has his health.
F. Cut "Junior" Samples and Trae Waynes. Admit you made a mistake and just cut your losses. Don't keep them around in the desperate hope that Samples learns how to catch and Waynes finally stays healthy. Recognize you need players that are going to help you win now....not at some nebulous time in the future. The future for Burrow and by extension the Bengals is now, not 3 or 4 years from now. Act like it and make player personnel decisions accordingly.
Rings of Honor, Ticket giveaways, new uniforms, fan promotions etc....are all great and in some cases long overdue. But commit your resources to winning games, play-off games and yes....Super Bowls! Nobody on a ring of honor ever helped his team currently win a Super Bowl. Its nice....but it doesn't win games.
Do these things I've outlined here and then I'll believe SoP and the Bengals organization is actually committed to winning the way a normal NFL franchise is. And not at a bargain......
