Bengals’ Duke Tobin defends previous offseason after flurry of all-in moves

The Cincinnati Bengals have had an eventful offseason. In the past few years, the team was oddly quiet during free agency. Instead of going for splashy free agent signings and bold trades, they chose to work on the fringes of their roster. That approach did not get them good results, missing the playoffs for the last three years.

This season, one could say that the Bengals are going all-in. They signed free agents Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook, two of the best players at their position from this year’s class. They also went and swung for the fences before the draft, trading their 10th overall pick in this year’s draft to the New York Giants for star DT Dexter Lawrence. This is uncharacteristic for the Bengals, but it’s easy to see why they’re going for it this year.

In a press conference, Bengals general manager Duke Tobin shed some light on their offseason moves. Tobin also indirectly defended his previous offseason moves.

“I don’t know that I could try any harder than I do every year, to put the best team together,” Tobin said, per Caleb Noe. “I’ve never gone into a year saying, ‘We’ll put a mediocre team out there & see what happens.'”

The Bengals’ past few offseasons have been characterized by inactivity and small, “safe” moves, something that has frustrated fans. In the 2025 offseason, Cincinnati’s biggest acquisition was former Bengal Samaje Perine. 2024 saw the Bengals sign ex-Ravens safety Geno Stone, a move that proved to be a disaster for the team.

That was a stark contrast from the early years of the Joe Burrow era. In 2021, the Bengals signed names like Trey Hendrickson, Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton, and Larry Ogunjobi, players who would end up being key contributors in their Super Bowl run. The 2022 offseason saw Cincinnati completely overhaul its offensive line, with the biggest acquisition being former Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

The success the Bengals saw after the 2021 and 2022 offseasons should be a good indicator for the Bengals’ 2026 season. With a bolstered defense unit and an offense that is one of the best in the league, Cincinnati should at least be back in playoff contention.

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