Sharp: He’s Finally back” after a bad year” Zac Taylor welcome back his most trusted threat…

Sharp: He’s Finally back” after a bad year” Zac Taylor welcome back his most trusted threat…

In 2024, the Cincinnati Bengals hope to mount a successful comeback. Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury late in the regular season last year ended Cincinnati’s hopes of making the playoffs. The Bengals’ realistic hopes of competing in 2023 were essentially dashed by this injury. But you have to give them credit for putting Jake Browning on the field late in the game and managing to finish with a 9-8 record.

The Bengals aim to exact revenge on the whole NFL, and Joe Burrow is expected to start in Week 1. Cincinnati has taken several steps to solve the issues they encountered in 2023 by using free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.

They naturally focused a great deal of attention on the offense. Assuring Joe Burrow would have an ample supply of weaponry to work with both now and in the future was just as important as keeping him safe and healthy. To strengthen the offensive line, the Bengals added tackle Trent Brown and re-signed guard Cody Ford in free agency. Along with adding and keeping a few tight ends (Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, and Mike Gesicki), they also replaced Joe Mixon with Zack Moss. In addition, they offered Sheldon Rankins a substantial two-year contract to take D.J. Reader’s place.

Several of these draft picks were followed through on by the Bengals. Amarius Mims, a giant tackle prospect who is expected to start on the bench, was selected with their first-round selection. But for a very long time, he should be an amazing Joe Burrow defender. Cincinnati also expanded their depth on both sides of the ball by adding receiver Jermaine Burton.

Cincinnati has a strong roster, but they are not quite finished. Although they have a lot of young players with promise and a strong defense, their front seven could use some veteran depth. Before training camp, the Bengals ought to think about acquiring a guy similar to Yannick Ngakoue. Should they succeed, they will be well-positioned to create a stir in the AFC this season.

Throughout his NFL career, Yannick Ngakoue has demonstrated great promise as a competent edge rusher.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Ngakoue in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In his first season, he recorded eight sacks; in his second season, he recorded 30 tackles and 12 sacks. Since then, Ngakoue has become a reliable pass rusher.

After signing his rookie contract, he departed Jacksonville and has been employed as a mercenary ever since, living in Minnesota, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, and most recently, Chicago. At the moment, he is unrestricted.

Ngakoue would be a premium backup defensive tackle for the Bengals. Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard have been holding down the fort and doing fantastic work. Hendrickson allegedly desired a trade earlier in the summer, but he has now joined the squad and is expected to participate in games this year. Nonetheless, Cincinnati would be well advised to have some kind of backup plan in case his mood swings recur.

Another reason to think about adding Ngakoue is the depth behind Hubbard and Hendrickson. The Bengals’ strongest choices behind the starters are Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai, and Cam Sample. Murphy was not a very good rookie, despite being a former first-round pick. Ossai can serve as a reliable backup, but not much more. The sample is still undefined. Ngakoue’s addition would be a positive step in making sure Cincinnati’s pass rush is formidable on every pass play.

Lastly, Cincinnati’s pass rush is crucial due to the inexperienced and youthful secondary. Josh Newton, Cam Taylor-Britt, Dax Hil, and DJ Turner II are all promising young players on their own. They haven’t, however, quite bonded as a team yet. The Bengals’ strong pass rush, which gives opposing quarterbacks more time to make plays, may help cover up any shortcomings in the secondary.

The Bengals should have no trouble signing Ngakoue because they have a plenty of cap space. Before training camp, Cincinnati ought to give Ngakoue a meaningful trial run.