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Readers know we — and many fans — have consistently beat the drum about the Cincinnati Bengals being much better than last year’s two-win record would indicate.
Experts would seemingly agree too.
While analyzing Joe Burrow’s impact on the Bengals, NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks broke down just how uncanny of a situation he enters after writing “this isn’t your typical top-pick-holding team”:
“It’s uncommon for a two-win organization to have a blue-chip running back (Joe Mixon) and a pair of top-tier pass catchers (A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd) already in the fold. Not to mention, Cincy spent the first pick of the second round on Clemson WR Tee Higgins, a big-bodied vertical playmaker who’s excellent on 50-50 balls. That’s plenty of firepower at the skill positions. On the line, the Bengals essentially add another first-round pick in Jonah Williams, the 11th overall pick from the 2019 NFL Draft who missed all of last season after injuring his shoulder during team activities in June.”
It’s hard to come up with a better supporting cast for a No. 1 passer in modern history. Mixon is one of the NFL’s best backs. A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd are 1,000-plus yardage No. 1s, Tee Higgins and John Ross have upside and the line will add the first left tackle drafted in 2019.
Admittedly, there are some asterisks on the outlook. Green has to stay healthy. Higgins and Ross have to pan out. A revamped offensive line has to work well together.
But it’s not hard to see why outsiders like Brooks have gone “hold on a second!” about the team’s 2020 outlook. Bengals fans probably would’ve liked to hear more of that before the draft — but better late than never, right?
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