[jwplayer NbHm3jlP]
The Cincinnati Bengals had a plan this offseason and stuck to it.
While the overarching plan was a roster overhaul, one of the smaller items was a simple strategy — attack cornerback in free agency because they liked the linebacker draft class so much.
Pro scouting director Steven Radicevic even confirmed as much while name-dropping third-round pick Logan Wilson alongside big-money free agents like Blake Martinez and Joe Schobert during a sitdown with Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic:
“With (the) free agency thing, we were talking about Schobert, we were talking about Martinez — not to put Wilson in that category — but in my opinion, he’s faster than those guys, a better athlete, cover player than those guys and those guys all got 10-plus (million). So, everybody is all pissed off because we didn’t sign a linebacker in free agency but, in my opinion, we ended up drafting one that’s going to be better.”
High praise. It was reported the Bengals were aggressively in on Joe Schobert. We can safely assume they had eyes on guys like Nick Kwiatkowski and Blake Martinez too.
But from a valuation standpoint, Cincinnati funneled money into more premium, game-altering spots like cornerback and let the draft chips fall however they may at linebacker.
It just so happens they got Wilson, a guy they had a high grade on, as well as Akeem Davis-Gaither and Markus Bailey. Instead of wrapping up a ton of money in a free-agent ‘backers at a questionable value, Cincinnati locked up premium, proven veterans in the secondary and nabbed three modern, versatile linebackers on rookie contracts.
Call it more proof this has been an uncannily solid offseason for the Bengals where everything seemed to just fall their way.
[vertical-gallery id=32154]