Mark Twain, one of the greatest minds in American history, once said: “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it is always twenty years behind the times.”
This is true in many ways, and the spirit of the city has worked its way into the fabric of the team’s front office.
However, the Cincinnati Bengals grew up a bit on Tuesday.
Are they still behind in building and maintaining a championship roster? Yes, but they are making progress, even if it is one small step at a time.
The Bengals made a trade before the deadline. They sent a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for running back Khalil Herbert. The addition was necessary. The Bengals lost Zach Moss for the season, and Herbert has been gathering dust in Chicago. The two are very similar and are both capable of blocking passes. It also keeps the Bengals offense from putting too many miles on Chase Brown, which could lead to more injuries.
It wasn’t enough.
The Bengals really needed to add depth to the defense. The offense wasn’t the problem that led to the Bengals’ 4-5 record. The defense’s inability to stop a talented offense led to losses that were supposed to be wins. It’s not often that teams score 30 or more points and lose.
The Bengals could have sent draft picks for a cornerback to help replace Dax Hill and shore up the secondary. They could have gone after pass rushers to help compliment Trey Hendrickson.
They clearly think the people who will step up are already in the locker room. Myles Murphy, a first-round pick last year, has a chance to prove he’s worth it. Guys like DJ Ivey and Josh Newton will be relied upon more than Lou Anarumo would like.
However, they did something.
Ring of Honor, the Ruler of the Jungle, all the fan interactions, and the new uniforms were all aesthetically pleasing changes to the franchise. Combined with the duo of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, both gifted to the Bengals due to back-to-back terrible seasons, the team was suddenly ‘cool’ on the national level.
Up until now, all these changes have been like painting a rusty old car, it’s nicer now, but it still doesn’t work right.
Perhaps this small trade indicates a larger trend. Maybe this is a toe in the water before a dive. If the deal works out and Herbert, somehow, is able to help the Bengals rebound from what has turned out to be a very disappointing season thus far, perhaps the team’s front office will see that good can come from making moves. Perhaps this is just the first apple on the tree that will ripen and bear fruit.
maybe.
Hopefully.
They didn’t do “enough” for the 2024 season before the trade deadline, at least in my opinion, but I hope what they did was open Pandora’s box. Only time will tell.
The Bengals have shown that they’re not quite satisfied with letting the chips fall where they may. They have taken a step, however small, to adapt to the challenges of the harsh season. It remains to be seen whether these minor moves indicate a more fundamental change to come.
Meanwhile, Bengals fans can only hope and feel happy that the team has finally emerged into the 21st century — 20 years too late.
Who dey!
