Recently Malik Jefferson Jersey Limited , a prominent national media member called the Bengals out on the carpet with the accusation that they actively attempt to be non-competitive. Is there truth to the notion?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteCincy Junglea Cincinnati Bengals communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsLibraryBengalsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBAFiled under:The Orange & Black InsiderBengals NewsAnalysisIs the Bengals’ lack of franchise success deliberate, or due to sheer ineptitude?New,176commentsRecently, a prominent national media member called the Bengals out on the carpet with the accusation that they actively attempt to be non-competitive. Is there truth to the notion?EDTShareTweetShareShareIs the Bengals’ lack of franchise success deliberate, or due to sheer ineptitude?If you’ve been keeping up with the news surrounding the Bengals’ OTA sessions, you would be noticing a different vibe from that of the Marvin Lewis era. Players are openly noting a more uplifting, educational and positive experience this summer, as opposed to recent camps. However, even with these glowing reports and the seemingly-solid draft class comes continued doubts. Some pundits have the Bengals going 3-13 in Zac Taylor’s inaugural season, while others seem to completely disregard the team in any AFC North prediction scenario. Furthering that point, Evan Silva of RotoWorld Sports recently asked an interesting question, which once again painted the Bengals in a negative light. At first blush, this seems like nothing more than “lazy journalism”, with Silva piggybacking on an anti-Bengals propaganda snowball tumbling down a mountain. The “glass is half-full” fan will likely put this comment up as bulletin board material for the team as they look to potentially surprise the league this year. It also seems like a counter-intuitive argument for other reasons. Lewis was hired 16 years ago, as a move to shy away from the same, internal hires and bring a championship background to the team. As we all know, Lewis was instrumental in dragging the Bengals into NFL modernity, despite his 0-7 postseason record. Subsequently, one can look at the massive coaching overhaul this season as result in the displeasure of Lewis’ lack of results in big-time scenarios. Very few coaches were held over, as the team is an early jumper to the league trend of grabbing a young William Jackson Jersey , offensive-minded head coach. Still, even though he didn’t directly point at this facet, one has to look at the team’s similar practices from “The Lost Decade” of 1992-2002 to support this argument. Free agency approach is perhaps the most obvious indicator. Cincinnati didn’t go after many highly-coveted outside free agents, opting to sign two rotational players from the Giants’ defense in B.W. Webb and Kerry Wynn, as well as John Miller, the guard from Buffalo. That’s not to say this trio won’t be effective for the team in 2019, but their signings didn’t really move the national needle. Additionally, it appears that the Bengals are out of the Gerald McCoy sweepstakes. After slyly noting interest and McCoy throwing compliments Cincinnati’s way, the All-Pro defensive tackle could be heading to one of their division rivals. Yes, paying over $10 million per year (projected numbers for McCoy) for a guy who would be a rotational interior lineman for Cincinnati is a big price tag. Still, Baltimore has been able to sign some high-priced free agents and be in the running for McCoy with less cap space than the Bengals, while Cleveland has become the NFL’s darlings this year with their own headline-grabbing signings. Common knowledge tells us that if the Bengals save the money that would have gone to McCoy, it will be going towards extensions for A.J. Green and/or Tyler Boyd. But, what if the miss out on one of those guys as well?Really, the McCoy situation looks like it’s headed the route we’ve become very familiar with over the years. Cincinnati has both not learned from past mistakes, but also continues to staunchly stick to its guns after getting burned in the past. Of course, in the free agency realm, we’re talking about the Antwan Odom and Antonio Bryant disasters, even though those occurred a decade ago. There are other peripheral signs pointing to the support of Silva’s stance. Like when we hear that Mike Brown is alone on a voting island during the annual owner’s meetings, or when our Orange and Black Insider podcast speaks to former Bengals greats like Anthony Munoz Cheap John Ross Jersey , as well as fellow offensive lineman Willie Anderson and we have to tiptoe around the fact that they aren’t properly enshrined within the walls of Paul Brown Stadium. But, are these practices (or lack thereof) a deliberate slap in the face by management, or is it simply a lack of social awareness? And, really, which is worse?The truth is that the Bengals are extremely slow-moving when it comes to change. It’s why the past two head coach hires have been pivotal in the direction of the team and its potential dispelling of so many longtime stereotypes.The Bengals just have to prove everyone wrong—not only this year, but also in the years ahead, as the league continues to evolve. While the Brown family wants to show the rest of the NFL that “their way” of business can truly breed a championship, each passing year (andsubsequent baby step changes in operations) tells us that it’s not the path to Lombardi Trophies. Still, I’m not ready to proclaim the Brown family as folks who aren’t hungry for a championship. Most who have peeked behind the curtain to their inner circle have noted that they want to be a franchise that is admired for its on-field success. Unfortunately, they also try to occasionally cut corners, financially-speaking. There are a number of examples of this, ranging from stadium issues, to inactivity in outside free agency, and it feeds the negative image presented by Silva. You can hear the discussion between myself and John Sheeran on this topic at the 31:55 mark of the show. Also on this week’s episode:Indications are that Gerald McCoy has ruled out the Bengals as a possible destination, while also seemingly headed for a division rival. Was Cincinnati just negotiation leverage?Is the “fun” vibe surrounding OTAs a sustainable approach by Zac Taylor and his staff? What happens if things go south early in the year? Will the approach change?With Memorial Day in the rear view mirror, we reflect back on some of our favorite unheralded Bengals players over the years. Be sure to join us for our standalone listener question episode and submit your questions to us via Twitter @BengalsOBI, or via call/text at (949) 542-6241!If you’re unable to join us live for here at Cincy Jungle or YouTube every episode, all Orange and Black Insider content is available here on CJ, the Stitcher, Spotify and Google Play Music apps Tyler Boyd Jersey , our YouTube channel, as well as through Megaphone and, as always, on iTunes! You can tweet us @BengalsOBI or get in touch with us via email at theobinsider@gmail.com. Thanks for listening and go subscribe to our channels! Sean Payton despises the term “Black Monday.” And he’s one of the coaches who always survives it.Six head coaches were fired as the NFL season concluded, four of them on Monday. Two, Mike McCarthy in Green Bay and Hue Jackson in Cleveland, didn’t even make it that far.Saints coach Payton, finishing his 13th season in New Orleans and now owning the second-longest tenure with a team after Cincinnati fired Marvin Lewis , had some strong words about how the coaching carousel gets derailed every year.“Our owners’ network that they own have created this,” Payton said, referring to NFL Network that is owned by the league, “marketed this and sold this ‘Black Monday,’ and that’s just disappointing.”In reference to Lewis, who was with the Bengals since 2003, but went an all-time worst 0-7 in the playoffs, Payton added: “He’s been a fabulous coach, but I don’t want to comment on anyone or all of them (who were fired).”He added that the whole Black Monday scene, which some media outlets promote the way they do actual competition, is “ridiculous.”Payton and every other coach in pro sports recognize that change is understandable and at times necessary. As long as it is thought out and includes a plan for the future, revision can make sense.When it’s more on an owner’s whim or due to some serious impatience John Miller Jersey , that’s another story.Steve Wilks , fired after a 3-13 record in his first — and only — season in Arizona, might be a case in point. Had Bruce Arians not retired, he still would have been with the Cardinals, but Wilks was a hot candidate for several openings last offseason following his work as Carolina’s defensive coordinator. Barring a full-out revolt by the players, as happened with Ben McAdoo and the Giants in 2017, how is one year enough to judge a head coach’s capabilities?Also fired on Monday were Vance Joseph in Denver and Adam Gase in Miami. On Sunday night, Todd Bowles with the Jets and Dirk Koetter with the Bucs were let go.A year ago, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, Arizona and the New York Giants made changes. That’s 14 franchises out of 32 with different head coaches since 2016. The Cardinals and Giants will have had three coaches from 2016-19.Also taking a hit has been the NFL’s initiative on diversity in coaching. The Rooney Rule is exemplary in purpose, though it sometimes gets criticized for how it is implemented.Of the eight head men released, only Koetter, Gase and McCarthy are not minorities. Just three minority head coaches remain: Ron Rivera with the Panthers, Anthony Lynn with the Chargers, and Mike Tomlin with the Steelers.Impatience by owners can’t be blamed for the moves by the Bengals or Jets, both clearly on a downward spiral.Otherwise Cheap Trey Hopkins Jersey , well, it normally takes at the very least three years for a coach’s program to take root. Joseph got two, Gase got three injury-ravaged years, and Koetter also got three.Jackson simply lost too often, particularly with a vastly improved roster early this season, to remain on the job.McCarthy, a Super Bowl winner, had seen things go stale in Green Bay, and he often has been blamed for the Packers getting to just the one Super Bowl with a generational quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.Still, the word stability seems to have been dropped from owners’ dictionaries. They give lip service to wanting to be like the Patriots, Saints or Seahawks.Then, if things turn sour for one season, they begin wondering if the right people are in place. Imagine if John Mara had done that with Tom Coughlin before the 2007 or 2011 seasons, when fans and media were calling for the coach’s removal.Yet, we hear things like this from Broncos boss John Elway:— “Vance made a lot of strides and deserves credit for how hard and competitively the team played this season. There’s always going to be a high standard here. The bottom line is we need to win more football games. We’re excited about the foundation that’s being built and look forward to putting in the work to get the Broncos back on the winning track.”In most places, that winning track has lots of potholes. Not many coaches get the opportunity to navigate around them.