Hey lifelong fan with the draft coming up, what's the latest on Lawson's contract? Do I think Cincy will bring back AJ or possibly draft another Wide out ? Love to hear ur opinion Michael Bowman, Canton, OH
MICHAEL: Thank you for the fandom. With the deadline for designating franchise players set for this Tuesday, my sense is they're in the final stages of deciding if they can reach a long-term deal with Lawson before free agency starts March 17. And if they can't, they have to decide if they'll give him a one-year franchise deal. Also in the mix is cornerback William Jackson III with those same questions.
A big thing driving the internal debate, I imagine, is how many of those players at those positions and skill level are going to be on the market? Given there looks to be a slew of moves with a tighter cap, that may be a fluctuating market.
And there is a philosophical debate as well as market economics. What's worth more? What is rarer? Edge rusher or cover corner?
I think the A.J. Green question is to be decided by other teams. Is a Ravens team that has lusted for him for a decade going to pull the trigger? After coveting Chad Johnson 11 years ago in Foxboro, is Tom Brady interested in luring Green to Tampa? The Bengals need help in a lot of spots and they already have Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd at wide receiver. Green could be back with the right number, but no matter what, they'll be looking for a young receiver somewhere that can fly as John Ross takes to free agency.
What's the teams most needed position upgrade Anthony Cartagena, Silver Spring, MD
ANTHONY: Look, I'll take the bait. I know I got ripped for my last Choice when I suggested they need to upgrade several positions on defense. To some, apparently that meant I think the offensive line rivals the great Bengals units of the late 1980s and needs no help.
Not what I said, so let's try it again.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is 5-1 against the Bengals with a 111.4 passer rating. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is 5-0 against Cincinnati with two 100-yard rush games and a 97-yarder. Browns running backs Kareem Hunt (on 55 carries) and Nick Chubb (on 97 carries) average five and 4.8 yards per carry, respectively, against them. In the last 18 division games the Bengals have 22 sacks.
All that said, they've been racked by injuries on that side of the ball for the last three seasons and have already made some significant upgrades via the draft (safety Jessie Bates III, end Sam Hubbard) as well as free agency when they made nose tackle D.J. Reader and cornerback Trae Waynes their highest-paid free agents in history last year. Safety Vonn Bell has been one of their greatest free-agent pickups ever on and off the field.
All but Bates and Bell missed significant time last season and they still played six winnable games (Chargers, Eagles, Washington, Giants, Dolphins, Cowboys) that they ended up losing, so you'd have to say if they're healthy they're on the uptick. But with their best pass rusher (Lawson) and one of their best cover cornerbacks (Jackson) potentially in free agency and the upgrades needed at defensive tackle, on the edge and at cornerback, I would think defense needs to be a major priority before they keep falling behind in the North. In the draft and free agency.
Clearly they have to do a better job of protecting Joe Burrow. No question they need to upgrade the line. I never said anything differently and I would expect them to do that early in the draft. And if they do indeed take Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell at No. 5, that means they've drafted an offensive lineman in the first round in three of the last four drafts and four of the last seven. So it is not like the line has been neglected. They have invested in it.
My only question is, if you're going to drop $50 million on a high-rent guard or another offensive lineman, what have you got left to sign an edge, a D-tackle and two cornerbacks? If you can do it all, by all means. Pro Football Focus says they can get Dayton's Joe Thuney for four years at $57 million. Love it. But can you do it without blinking against Chubb and Hunt?
To me, it makes more sense to upgrade the O-line with a guy priced in the next tier. And, really, they proved they could win with two solid vet guards in Xavier Su'a-Filo and Quinton Spain. Sure. Upgrade, but break the bank on defense. Plus, the re-hiring of offensive line coach Frank Pollack and putting him in charge of the run game should also count as an O-line investment.
I've said this before. I've said it again. And I'll keep saying it. Their best offensive lineman in pass protection just may be running back Joe Mixon carrying the ball.
Upgrade where you can. And that just doesn't mean personnel. All I'm saying is there's more to do on defense.
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Hobson's Choice: Bengals.com Senior Writer Geoff Hobson answers questions from fans about free agency and the draft - Bengals.com
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