The future is now in Cincinnati.
Longtime Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday after 12 seasons, officially marking the near end of an era that includes players from his 2011 draft class retiring, including future Hall of Fame defensive end J.J. Watt.
Green, who played with current Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during Burrow's rookie season, headlines an exclusive list of franchise all-stars including, but not limited to, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmanzadeh and Carl Pickens.
However, Green's prime was almost a decade ago. Today, the Bengals are focused on shaping superstars like wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins who are each respectively starting to mold their own status amongst Cincinnati's best stars of the decade alongside Burrow.
Where does Green rank alongside past stars like Johnson and current phenoms like Chase and Higgins? What would the Bengals look like if Green played with Burrow in his prime, rather than quarterback Andy Dalton? That's asking a big "what if," but it certainly weighs in on Green's legacy and caliber in 12 seasons.
As the Bengals continue building for the future with Burrow, Chase and Higgins, there's no shortage of talent that they could stack on through this April's NFL Draft. Last week, some of college football's finest players showcased their talents leading into the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl. Multiple draft prospects showcased their talent during practice leading up to the weekend's bowl game.
The Bengals' draft needs will likely be shaped by decisions made in free agency in March. However, they still have some positions that could and should be built on regardless of who comes or leaves through the free agent market.
Who could the Bengals zoom their attention on from last week's pool of talent? Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave turned heads last week and has even drawn comparisons to Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer. The Bengals could also use some depth behind D.J. Reader and B.J. Hill while building a project edge rusher behind Trey Hendrickson, who has two years left on his deal.
The Strictly Stripes crew reconvenes after a weekend off to assess Green's legacy and how he impacted the wide receiver position during his career. They break down some of the biggest names from last week's Senior Bowl, such as BYU tackle Blake Freeland and Wisconsin interior lineman Keeanu Benton, just to name a few.
Furthermore, they revisit the coaching carousel and talk about Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo being a finalist for the Cardinals' head coaching job.
This podcast features Mohammad Ahmad, Andrew Gillis and Michael Niziolek.
Music: Starfields by Hallman
Music Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nQ9ldbVF7D/
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