Steps were taken in the right direction. Small steps are still steps.
Mark Twain, one of the greatest minds in American history, once said, “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always twenty years behind the times.”
That is true in so many ways, and the spirit of the city has woven its way into the fabric of the team’s front office.
The Cincinnati Bengals grew a little bit on Tuesday, though.
Are they still behind in building and sustaining a championship roster? Yes, but they’re making progress — even if it’s one small step at a time.
The Bengals made a trade before the deadline. They sent a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for running back Khalil Herbert. The addition was necessary. The Bengals lost Zack Moss for the season, and Herbert was collecting dust in Chicago. The two are very similar and both are capable pass blockers. It also saves the Bengals offense from putting too many miles on Chase Brown, which could lead to more injuries.
It wasn’t enough.
The Bengals really needed to add depth on defense. The offense hasn’t been the problem that led to the Bengals’ 4-5 record. The defense’s inability to stop any talented offense has led to losses that should have been wins. Teams don’t often score 30 or more points and lose.
The Bengals could have sent draft picks for a cornerback to help replace Dax Hill and shore up the secondary. They could have gone after an edge rusher to help compliment Trey Hendrickson.
They obviously believe the guys who will step up are already in the locker room. Myles Murphy, last year’s first-round pick, has an opportunity to prove he was worth it. Guys like DJ Ivey and Josh Newton are going to be relied on more heavily than Lou Anarumo would probably like.
Still, they did something.
The Ring of Honor, the Ruler of the Jungle, all the fan engagement, and the new uniforms were all aesthetically pleasing changes to the franchise. Combined with the duo of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, both of whom were gifted to the Bengals because of back-to-back terrible seasons, the team has suddenly become nationally “cool.”
Until now, all of those changes were just like painting an old rusty car—it’s prettier now, but it still isn’t running right.
Maybe this small trade is indicative of a larger trend, though. Maybe this is the toe in the water before the plunge. If the trade works out and Herbert is, in some way, able to help the Bengals recover what has become an extremely disappointing season so far, maybe the team’s front office will see that good can come from making moves. Maybe this is just the first apple on a tree that will become ripe with fruit.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
They didn’t do “enough” for the 2024 season before the trade deadline ended, at least in my opinion, but I am hopeful that what they did was open Pandora’s Box. Only time will tell.
The Bengals have shown they’re not entirely content to just let the chips fall where they may. They’ve taken a step, however small, to adjust to the challenges of a grueling season. Whether this minor moves signals a more substantive change in the future remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Bengals fans can only hope and be happy the team has finally emerged into 21st century—20 years late.
Who Dey!
