One of the biggest storylines of the Bengals offseason program was how many longtime offensive fixtures weren’t on hand, but quarterback Joe Burrow’s focus wasn’t on what was missing.
Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins spent all or most of the offseason program on their own as part of an attempt to land long-term contract extensions with the team, running back Joe Mixon was traded to Houston and wide receiver Tyler Boyd left for the Titans as a free agent. The team did bring in running back Zack Moss, tight end Mike Gesicki and third-round wide receiver Jermaine Burton, however, and Burrow thinks they will team with Chase, Higgins, running back Chase Brown and others to give the Bengals a lot of options when they line up this fall.
“With the personnel we have this year, we’ll be able to do a lot more with personnel groupings,” Burrow said, via the team’s website. “Putting different people in different spots . . . And doing a lot of different things as far as eye candy and making teams adjust their personnel based on ours.”
All of the roster moves took place after the team promoted Dan Pitcher to offensive coordinator, so the Bengals have undergone their most significant offensive changes since Burrow joined the team. The quicker the adaptation to the new look, the better the Bengals’ chances of ending their brief playoff absence.