I was listening to the Move the Sticks podcast recently & it inspired me to write about how each of the Super Bowl contending teams were constructed for the 2021-2022 season. I’m not about to re-hash everything analysts Daniel Jeremiah & Bucky Brooks said in their latest episodes, but rather summarize what they said & throw in my own flavor to the conversation too. The NFL is a copycat league where the hottest trends are replicated time & time again. What lessons can be learned from how each of these contenders went about building their franchises? Let’s continue our series by exploring how the 2021-2022 AFC Champion team was assembled.
Homegrown offense
Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, & Joe Mixon were all drafted by the Bengals organization. These guys are the engine of the Bengals offense, with role players such as Tee Higgins & Tyler Boyd joining them in recent drafts as well. That’s not all, as most of their offensive line was also drafted by the team. Add all of this up, and it’s clear that the Bengals have prioritized drafting & developing their own players on offense while spending money improving their defense. Now, it certainly helps that most of their picks on offense in recent years have been home runs; however, this organizational philosophy will surely be duplicated & utilized by other teams going forward.
Mercenary defense
The Bengals essentially fixed their defense, going from a mediocre unit to an average one, in one offseason by signing twelve defensive free agents before the start of the 2021 season. Some of these guys (Larry Ogunjobi, Eli Apple, Ricardo Allen) signed 1-year “prove it” deals, while players like Trey Hendrickson, Mike Hilton, & Chidobe Owuzie got paid the big bucks. All of the signings worked out well for the team, with Hendrickson & Hilton having great years. Is it possible that it’s more difficult for this team to draft defensive players who fit their scheme? Or could it be that defensive rookies from the draft take longer to develop into starting players? Whatever the reason, this franchise has emphasized signing defensive players over drafting them.
Special teams emphasis
Special teams is an important yet often overlooked aspect in terms of a team’s identity. The Bengals were ranked 7th in the latest special teams rankings over the course of the season. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson scored 48 of the 92 total points in the Bengals postseason run. Do you realize the value in having a strong special teams unit after giving you this information? It’s no coincidence that the Bengals just enjoyed their most successful season in decades after making investments in their special teams unit this offseason by drafting McPherson in the fifth round & re-signing punter Kevin Huber & long snapper Clark Harris to new one-year contracts.
The bottom line
This is a model of success that most teams can get behind, as the Bengals haven’t needed to go out & make splashy free agent acquisitions or trade for the best available players just yet. I’m sure teams are going to try & copy their approach, but I question if many teams will succeed. That’s because I believe this team’s superior draft strategy will be difficult for teams to replicate. After all, almost their entire offense is home grown & their last 3 drafts have been outstanding. Most importantly, they haven’t had to pay their quarterback yet while some teams already have. There are certainly lessons to be learned here, but this Bengals team seems like it’s truly unique.
The Sports Beacon 