AJ Green knows what it is like to be a top team entering the NFL under unique circumstances, and it is that experience that leads him to believe that his Bengals have the right pieces in place.
It was in 2011, the year of the NFL lockout, that Cincinnati selected Green fourth overall. A few months later, the Bengals, led by Green and rookie Andy Dalton, compiled a 9-7 record and earned a spot in the AFC wild card round.
While the challenges of the past few months are completely different from those of nine years ago, players have faced similar setbacks in the form of a lack of OTA and access to team facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, Green believes the wave of off-season moves, especially the addition of No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, will translate into good things as long as the team resumes activity on the field.
“A lot of people play with the (narrative) of ‘how long it takes to click,'” he said in a conference call with reporters on Friday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We are all soccer players doing this for a long time. (Dalton) and I came in 2011 and went 9-7, and we had no expectations whatsoever.”
“I feel like when you have No. 1 pick, and what we did in free agency and me coming back, (Tyler Boyd) comes back, John (Ross), Tee (Higgins) and all these pieces we added defense, I feel like the level The talent we have now is very different from what we had in 2011. “
The 2011 Bengals featured a receiving body from Green, Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and tight end Jermaine Gresham; 1,000-yard running back Cedric Benson anchored on the field and the defense included cornerback Reggie Nelson, nose tackle Domata Peko and prominent second-year defensive tackle Geno Atkins. Dalton, Green, Gresham and Atkins made it to the Pro Bowl.
The 2020 Bengals, as Green mentioned, have a totally different composition. The future 32-year-old returns to a WR fast room that includes a 1,000-yard rushing catcher at Boyd, a possible second-round pickpocketing at Clemson’s Higgins and a motivated Ross that is due to injury after play eight games in 2019. Running back Joe Mixon stars in the backfield. The defense will feature the still imposing Atkins, now 11, and the acquisitions of free agents Mackensie Alexander, Vonn Bell, DJ Reader and Trae Waynes. And of course, in the center will be Burrow, the winner of the 2019 Heisman Trophy and star of the national champion LSU Tigers.
Burrow is one of several top players who haven’t signed yet, but it’s only a matter of time before the Bengals get it to 2020 as they did recently with their main receiver. After missing all last season, Green is eager to rejoin the club and try to create magic with Burrow to what he and Dalton did almost a decade ago.
“A lot of people don’t want quarterbacks to be so excited, but I feel like it will bring us the same energy that brought LSU,” he said. “I know what a player he is. I know he’s a dog indeed. I’m excited to play with him and can’t wait to come back.”
