The Cincinnati Bengals and director of player personnel Duke Tobin don’t want to give too much away to other teams about their offseason approach to free agency and the draft.
But when it’s this obvious, what’s the difference?
Tobin’s recent press conference was a lot of things. It was new. It was underwhelming. Frustrating for fans, too, given the obvious lack of change.
But it was also telling about the offseason priority: Pressure.
Not really pressure on the decision-makers. But pressure created on the field as they head into an offseason with Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai scheduled to be free agents.
“They have to be able to pressure the passer,” Tobin told reporters. “You’d like to be able to pressure with four. I think we need pass rush. I think that relieves some of the strain on the coverage. So I’m a guy that believes in the front on both sides of the ball, that is my focus.”
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Tobin made it clear he understands the team’s reputation, especially thanks to its incredible hit rate on wide receivers:
“People might not believe that, but that is my focus. They might believe I love throwing the ball down the field and having great wideouts. But I want to build the front. I always want to build the front. And so there are a number of pieces that we think we need and can add, and we’ll see if we can.”
Go ahead and pencil a pass-rusher or interior defensive lineman who can do it all in at No. 10, then.
It’s hard to imagine the Bengals and Hendrickson do another deal, barring a terrible trip to free agency for the veteran. Ossai could very easily get more money and years elsewhere.
That would leave the Bengals with first-rounders Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart as the primary hopes for future pressure. Murphy appeared to have a light turned on, but the risk of being a one-off is real. Stewart is only just starting to develop as a pro.
On this topic, for Bengals fans, cautious optimism is probably the theme. The desire to add pressure creators across the front seven is the proper course. Whether they actually nail the pick with the same scouting staff and front office once again, though, is hard to say. Murphy took three years to break out, Stewart has been embattled, to put it nicely.
The intent, at least, makes sense…and makes the mock draft stuff easier to do.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Duke Tobin’s comments hint at Bengals’ draft strategy
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
