The Bengals have some of the most exciting young players in the league. But they also have some veterans who are far closer to the end of their careers than the beginning.
Coach Marvin Lewis hopes to have the right number of both he prepares for a shot at the team’s third playoff berth in four years.
“We will keep seeing if there are guys who are released who can help us and make us competitive but we want to strike the balance of the young players too,” Lewis said regarding the fact that the team currently has five open roster spots, via Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I don’t want to fill up our 90 spots with all old players. We’ve got to have some young guys to help supplement the draft picks and so at the end of the day you have an opportunity of guys trending up. We don’t want to have too many guys on the other side of their careers.”
In free agency, the Bengals have added players like running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, guard Travelle Wharton, cornerback Terence Newman, and cornerback Jason Allen.
Last year, the Bengals took the AFC by surprise, landing the sixth seed. Still, they were swept by the Steelers and the Ravens. This year, the challenge will be to change some of those four losses into wins.