The Joe Burrow contract extension era is officially underway.
With the Bengals set to likely negotiate a contract extension with their star quarterback, that means there will be tough decisions to be made with key players on both sides of the ball, particularly the defense.
Safety Jessie Bates and linebacker Germaine Pratt have likely played their final games in a Cincinnati uniform. Bates was franchise tagged last season and Pratt may have given away signs that he could be elsewhere next season.
Next to Bates though, safety Vonn Bell is also entering the offseason with his contract set to expire. Bell has played his last two seasons in Cincinnati making a large impact through many angles, tying Bates for the team lead in interceptions (4). A team captain who has been one of the leaders of not just the Bengals' secondary, but the defense overall, keeping Bell will be critical if Bates and Pratt do indeed walk.
Moreover, cornerbacks Eli Apple and Tre Flowers are set to become unrestricted free agents as well. They've each spent the last two years together in Cincinnati after coming over from Carolina and Seattle, respectively. Both played significantly different roles but saw lots of action in that span.
Apple, who is entering his eighth season with four different teams, could be at a crossroads. The Bengals might decide to stick with Chidobe Awuzie and rookie Cam Taylor-Britt as their two starting cornerbacks. That means Apple could either be behind them, or he might search for another opportunity elsewhere as a start. Given his age and controversial social media, that could make for an interesting offseason for him.
Offensively, there's a bevy of free agents but the biggest name headlining the offense is tight end Hayden Hurst. Hurst, who's played just one year in Cincinnati, has expressed desire in wanting to stay with the Bengals - his third team he's played for in five seasons. However, the Bengals have shown they're historically not afraid to draft tight ends early. Backup tight ends Drew Sample, a second-round pick, and Mitchell Wilcox both being free agents could sway the Bengals in that direction.
The Bengals' coaching carousel has sped up a bit as Lou Anarumo has interviewed with the Arizona Cardinals and his coordinator cohort, Brian Callahan, is set to do the same. Callahan also has a second interview with the Colts coming up and wide receiver coach Troy Walters has been requested to be interviewed by the Houston Texans for an offensive coordinator position.
That doesn't even scratch the full surface of the Bengals' pending offseason. The Strictly Stripes crew talks at least about those aforementioned free agent names and where the coaching search could turn in Cincinnait. They toss other names that could be considered for other coaching vacanies as well.
This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad and Andrew Gillis.
Music: Starfields by Hallman
Music Link: Hallman - Starfields | Epidemic Sound
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