Joe Burrow said during Super Bowl week he wanted to go to a team “committed to winning Super Bowls.” Some took that as a shot at the team that holds the No. 1 pick.
The Bengals have never won a Super Bowl and have played in only two, the last coming during the 1988 season. Their last playoff win was during the 1990 season.
But the Bengals have a chance to prove they are committed to winning this offseason.
First, they are expected to use the franchise tag on receiver A.J. Green. Burrow addressed Green’s impending free agency at the Combine, saying, “I think with any rookie quarterback, the more help you can get the better, and A.J.’s been one of the best players at his position for a very long time. And, you know if I am lucky enough to get drafted No. 1 overall, I would like to have him on the roster.”
The Bengals, who usually spend more on retaining their own players than bringing in free agents, also can prove their commitment this month.
To that end, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Cincinnati is expected to change the “narrative” by being “heavily involved in the upper and middle class of free agents.”
The Bengals have $44 million in cap space, according to overthecap.com. They will free more space by moving on from quarterback Andy Dalton.
They have plenty of holes, too, which they can fill with a combination of the draft and free agency.