‘Most Inept Front Office,’ ‘Embarrassing’ — Bengals Fans Rip Duke Tobin and Ownership After ‘Botched Trade’ as Cincinnati Takes ‘Big Gamble’
· Yahoo Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals have come out all guns blazing this season. Behind a defensive unit that has held its own and Joe Burrow having an MVP-calibre season, the team is near the top of the playoff picture in the AFC.
But #WhoDeyNation isn’t fully thrilled with the franchise after it failed to make a significant addition at the trade deadline. After backing out of a move, fans are placing the blame on Duke Tobin for failing to make the roster adjustments they needed.
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Bengals Fans Aren’t Happy About the Trade Deadline
After struggling over the last few years, the Bengals have made a noticeable improvement this season, climbing to number 15 in PFN’s Defense Impact Metric.
But for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, fans were hoping that they could add some reinforcements, especially given their form so far this year. With a potential trade for Arnold Ebiketie, it looked like the team was listening to those ideas.
However, the Bengals backed out after discovering that acquiring Ebiketie could cost them a projected third-round compensatory pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, tied to Trey Hendrickson’s departure for Baltimore in free agency. The potential loss made the deal considerably more expensive than the sixth-round pick Cincinnati had initially agreed to surrender.
“The optics are horrible for the Bengals. Not only did they fail to add to a defense that clearly needs more quality depth, but they also botched a trade that would’ve given them an edge rusher with Cashius Howell out,” Mike Petraglia argued.
Continuing, he added, “And on top of that, nearly all of their AFC competition made moves to get better, not stand pat. Bengals are gambling that Joe, Ja’Marr and Tee can cover up all imperfections. Big gamble.”
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One fan questioned, “How can Duke Tobin be employed after this? The ineptitude is off the charts. But will @Trags and the media get a chance to ask any questions or demand accountability? We all know the answer. This front office is a clown show.”
Another fan blamed the ownership for the team’s failings, writing, “The Bengals ownership way! Nothing will ever change, and it’s embarrassing.”
For one fan, this was further proof of the MVP season Burrow was having so far. He argued that beyond the production on the field, the veteran quarterback was also overcoming the problems of the franchise as a whole.
“And THIS is why Joe is the leader in the clubhouse for the MVP,” the fan claimed. “He doesn’t just have to beat other teams, he has to do so while overcoming the most inept front office of any team with a contending roster.”
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It remains to be seen if the pieces they currently have suffice the Bengals for another deep playoff run.
After three consecutive seasons without a postseason appearance, Cincinnati is looking to snap that drought and make some noise at the turn of the year. Given the amount of talent on the roster, the hope has to be that they can be in the running for the Super Bowl once again.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.