CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has earned one of the better monikers in football.
As Cincinnati has made deep playoff runs in each of the past two seasons, Anarumo’s players have christened him the “Mad Scientist” for all his schematic tinkering that has confused opposing offenses in key games or situations.
But after the Bengals spent another draft loading up on young players early, he could be in line for another nickname -- the Dollar General.
After spending previous offseasons allocating big money to key defensive players, Cincinnati is staffing Anarumo’s side of the ball with young players on cheap, rookie contracts. For the second straight year, the Bengals took defensive players with their top three picks. With big contracts looming for their stars on offense -- Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins -- the Bengals finished another draft highlighted by players who could help them manage the salary cap in future years.
“I just think that there’s not a lot of glaring holes here,” coach Zac Taylor said. “It’s a lot of guys that are going to have an opportunity to get on the field, probably initially in depth roles and then work their way up. That’s ideally the way that you’re going into the draft.”
In the first round, the Bengals selected former Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy No. 28 overall. That was followed by two more defenders in the next two rounds -- ex-Michigan cornerback DJ Turner (No. 60 overall) and former Alabama safety Jordan Battle (No. 95 overall).
When the Bengals drafted their first offensive player -- Purdue wideout Charlie Jones -- in the fourth round, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan poked fun at the team’s defensive run. He scribbled a message onto a white nametag on his grey quarter-zip that read “Hi! My name is BRIAN.”
“I just felt like Lou had been down here so much I wanted to make sure you guys remembered who I was,” Callahan said.
Of course, Burrow, Chase and Higgins have drawn the most buzz in the past two seasons. The trio -- along with running back Joe Mixon -- have played integral roles in reshaping the franchise. Burrow and Higgins are eligible to receive contract extensions, and Chase can enter negotiations after the 2023 season.
By having young, offensive playmakers on team-friendly deals, the Bengals spent freely on defenders in recent seasons. Four defensive linemen signed contracts worth a total of $168 million in potential money over the past four years.
Defensive tackle DJ Reader, the bedrock of the defensive line, is entering the final year of the $53 million contract he signed in 2020 at the start of the franchise’s turnaround. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who posted a team-high eight sacks in 2022, could give the Bengals $15 million in cap savings if he is cut in 2024.
Murphy and defensive end Joseph Ossai, a third-round pick in 2021, could ascend into key roles over the next couple of seasons. Their ability to rush the passer as interior linemen or on the edge could also be pivotal in Anarumo’s scheme.
“[With] the teams we have to play, and when we have to play them, the more rushers we have on the field at one time, the better we’ll be,” Anarumo said of Murphy on draft night. “He’s the guy who will fit right in with that in that moment.”
The process of replacing expensive defensive starters for young players has already started. Dax Hill, last year’s first-round pick, is projected to play free safety after Jessie Bates III signed with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, a second-round selection in 2022, is slated to start opposite of Chidobe Awuzie, who is entering the final year of his contract.
It’s possible that as many as five starters in 2024 could be on rookie deals.
For now, the rookies and young players will continue to play their given roles alongside the veterans as the Bengals look to return to the Super Bowl, where they lost at the end of the 2021 season.
And while they wait on possible contract extensions for players such as Burrow and Higgins to take their toll, rookies such as Murphy are thrilled at the chance to push the Bengals to the next level.
Said Murphy: “I just want to be that finishing piece that just pushes them over and past that ledge of being a consistent Super Bowl contender and [into a] Super Bowl winner every year.”
