It might be time for a hard reset in Cincinnati, and things are lined up for that to happen if someone wants to make that call.
Cincinnati, a team that seems perpetually unable to be anything more than mediocre, the end is nigh for the current regime. The writing has been on the wall for years when it comes to Marvin Lewis, but Andy Dalton’s window might be about to close as well.
It’s pretty safe to assume that Dalton isn’t the answer for the Bengals. He’s been a serviceable starter but has been habitually unable to take Cincinnati over the top, which is a problem if you’re the franchise player. Just like how Lewis has been an average head coach, Dalton is all about looking better than he is before revealing his true self in the playoffs. He has worn out his welcome, and something has to be done.
It’s not a decision to make hastily, but best interests might lie in the Bengals moving on from Dalton this offseason.
If Cincinnati cuts or trades Dalton at any point during the 2018 season, it will save $13.9 million while only suffering a $2.4 million cap hit. That decision could help keep A.J. McCarron in town knowing that the starting job will be his, as opposed to watching him walk in potential unrestricted free agency.
Should it be determined that McCarron isn’t the direction the team wants to go, then drafting the next franchise quarterback seems to be a logical option. Cincinnati is looking at decent draft position and however is the head coach will be able to hand select his guy.
That brings us to the next point: how cooked Marvin Lewis is. He is coaching in a lame duck year, which makes cutting him loose an even easier decision. Cincinnati doesn’t have to fire Lewis, it can simply part ways with him and still respect the service he’s given them. Lewis deserves a ton of credit for turning the Bengals culture around, as they were the Browns of the late 90s and early 2000s. When Lewis came to town, he turned the team into a winner but now it appears someone else is needed to take the team to the next level.
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Cincinnati has wasted too many good years to go through another tour with Dalton and Lewis at the helm. It’s another year of wondering if blowing things might be easier, and it appears the stars have aligned for that to finally happen.