Tuesday Trenches: What are we doing?

Do you know the definition of insanity?

The 2024 Cincinnati Bengals, with their nuclear-powered offense led by Joe Burrow, somehow missed the playoffs. The reasons were simple, if frustrating: an atrocious defense, a few costly special teams mistakes, and a healthy dose of bad luck.

That’s how a quarterback who threw for 4,900+ yards, 43 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions, paired with a wide receiver who won the Triple Crown, ended up watching the postseason from home.

I’ll watch football for the rest of my life (hopefully another 40 or so years), and I doubt I’ll ever again see a team with an MVP-caliber quarterback, a Triple Crown receiver, and the league leader in sacks miss the playoffs.

Bad luck? You can’t game-plan for that. Special teams? Maybe a little more attention to detail there, but Evan McPherson hasn’t suddenly forgotten how to kick.

The defense, though? That was a clear, correctable problem.

So… did the Bengals correct it?

Hahahahahahahahaha.

No.

A quick defensive review:

• Re-signed B.J. Hill (good), Joseph Ossai (good), Cam Sample (good), and Marco Wilson (neat).
• Signed LBs Joe Giles-Harris (neat) and Oren Burks (good), and NT T.J. Slaton (good).
• Did not add a corner or safety, electing to run it back with the same secondary that got torched in 2024 (though injured and untested players are returning).
• Now locked in an awkward standoff with Trey Hendrickson — their only consistent pass rusher — over his contract.
• Drafted an edge rusher (Shemar Stewart) who is currently unsigned and not on the field yet due to his contract.
• Did not add another edge rusher in free agency.

In other words:

• A team that couldn’t rush the passer is in a contract battle with its only reliable pass rusher.
• They used their first-round pick on another pass rusher — who hasn’t signed.
• They didn’t add pass-rushing help in free agency.
• They didn’t add help to a secondary that could use it badly.

What lesson, exactly, did they learn from 2024?

I’m not seeing it. Are you?

Now, the most persistent problem of the Burrow era is protecting Joe Burrow.

Even with his freakish stats, Burrow was hit far too often last year. Yes, some of that’s on him for holding the ball, but both guards struggled badly.

The Bengals responded by:

• Cutting Alex Cappa.
• Restructuring Cordell Volson’s contract.
• Drafting a guard in Round 3 that was projected to go in the latter rounds.
• Re-signing Cody Ford (a utility lineman who’s been okay).
• Signing Lucas Patrick, a 31-year-old journeyman guard/center.

They didn’t spend big. They didn’t land a proven starter. They just tried to get cheaper and “different.”

But different doesn’t mean better.

Duke Tobin said he didn’t want to spend more money just to have the same team. The problem is they are spending more money — on what looks like a worse team.

• Did they spend to solidify the O-line? No. -...