EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCINCINNATI -- Every move the Cincinnati Bengals made this offseason was characteristic of a club and front office that feels the team is on the cusp of being a winner again, even if the last few years haven't felt that way.That feeling was validated Monday, when Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn met with a small group of reporters to discuss the last few months and the upcoming season ahead.Trading for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II and restructuring quarterback Joe Burrow's contract to clear up cap space were the two moves that were outside of the profile for the front office.But when viewed through the right lens, it was inside the window of a more important timeline -- the one looming ahead after three non-playoff seasons and Burrow's contract set to expire in 2029.Based on Monday's conversation that ran for just over 30 minutes, the Bengals feel closer to the team that was on the brink of winning the Super Bowl and less like the club that has struggled in recent years."Obviously, we feel good about the talent we have," Blackburn said. "We feel like we have a strong base to work around."Does that make you take advantage of that other little piece? Maybe that factors in a little bit, yeah, because you feel like you're close."Lawrence was the move that cemented a rather aggressive offseason for the Bengals. Cincinnati traded the 10th overall pick for the standout defensive tackle, a position that was a major need for a defense that finished 27th in the points allowed per drive last season.Bengals vice president Elizabeth Blackburn, who is Katie's daughter and the granddaughter of team president Mike Brown, also was part of Monday's media gaggle. She said the addition of Lawrence was "on and off the table at different times." But when the opportunity presented itself ahead of this year's draft, the Bengals took advantage."When a defensive tackle like Dexter -- that's a pretty special player who can do a lot for your defense -- they are rarely available," Elizabeth Blackburn said. "Those are the types of moves you figure out a way."Because of that move, the Bengals converted $13 million of Burrow's base salary into a signing bonus, which added more than $10 million in salary cap space for the upcoming season. Typically, the Bengals have been hesitant to sacrifice future cap space to put more money into a current roster. Elizabeth Blackburn added that the way Cincinnati has historically operated enabled the team to trade for Lawrence later in the offseason cycle."We've always been pretty careful of trying not to make things unbalanced," Katie Blackburn said. "So we're thoughtful about not trying to create something that is problematic in the future, so we're balanced about doing it."If we can do it and it can help us, then we're certainly open to doing it and this time, we did."The timing was notable. It came on the heels of a rough year for the Bengals and Burrow, who suffered his fourth major injury in three NFL seasons. Last year's turf toe injury that sidelined him for nine games marked the third time the former MVP finalist has been on injured reserve.When Burrow came back for the end of the season, discussions about his happiness dominated headlines as the Bengals sputtered to another disappointing season.Katie Blackburn said the team didn't talk to Burrow more than in previous offseasons. But his comments last December served as the backdrop for this year's talks."There were conversations with him and he's always pretty easy to talk to," Katie Blackburn said. "There was no rub. He has good conversations that are, I think, productive. Certainly not edgy in any way and I would generally say positive."And as the Bengals look forward to 2026, Burrow and the front office are confident that this will be the year that the team can turn things around. That was cited in the reasoning for retaining coach Zac Taylor, who will be entering his eighth season with the team, and de facto general manager Duke Tobin."We feel good about them for a lot of reasons," Katie Blackburn said. "There's also that element of consistency that hopefully will prove out to be beneficial, too."I think those are the things that we would rather try to take advantage of and build on rather than having to regroup and figure things out a little bit from scratch. We think they deserve another opportunity to prove that we can do what we hope we can do."Blackburn didn't go as far as calling this season a make-or-break year for the future of the club. But the offseason moves, coupled with Monday's comments, solidified just how the Bengals feel this year should go for a team that played in a Super Bowl four seasons ago."If we can keep key guys out there on the field," Katie Blackburn said, "I think we have a real shot to do really well."
