Cordell Volson’s departure from Cincinnati in March may end up reaching beyond just the depth chart.
The Bengals let the former starting left guard walk in free agency, and now his rough week could have an impact on Cincinnati’s 2027 NFL Draft plans as well. That’s one of the more interesting ripple effects hanging over the team as Week 1 arrives and the season finally gets ready to count for real.
For the Bengals, the timing could hardly be more important. Joe Burrow is back, the offense still carries one of the league’s most dangerous groups of playmakers, and the defense has a different look thanks to additions such as Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen. There’s real optimism around this team, but there are still plenty of moving parts to sort through once the Buccaneers show up.
Health remains part of the picture, too. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have both dealt with minor injuries entering Week 1, though both are expected to be ready for the opener. That keeps Cincinnati’s biggest offensive stars on track for the start of the season, even if the team is still juggling a few concerns beneath the surface.
One of those concerns is the offensive line, where continuity is supposed to be a strength but still has to prove itself when the games begin. Another is whether the revamped defense can truly become the kind of partner this offense needs. And beyond that, the Bengals still have to answer the usual question that follows them into every season: can they keep the key pieces healthy long enough to make all the offseason work matter?
There’s also a little roster housekeeping to note. DJ Turner II said he’s not letting his contract situation become a distraction after an extension failed to come together during the offseason and training camp. On the practice squad, Trikweze Bridges has been identified as the most underrated addition among Cincinnati’s 16 players.
Elsewhere on the roster, defensive end Shemar Stewart remains on the injury comeback trail.
Around the team’s broader news cycle, there’s also a feature on Miami University’s “Cradle of Coaches” growing in the spotlight, with Jacqueline Johnson showing how Paul Brown drew up the Bengals’ first foray into pro football in the stately quiet of King Library.
And outside Cincinnati, the NFL conversation keeps moving. Travis Hunter’s rookie season ended in October after a season-ending knee injury during practice, and there’s new discussion about what the Jaguars’ plan might be for him in Year 2. There’s also fresh debate about the league’s passing game, with a look at five reasons explosive numbers have dropped over the past decade and whether they’ll ever come back.
In Other News...
Bengals Took A Risk Joe Burrow Is Counting On
The Bengals spent the offseason making a real push to shore up the defense, headlined by a $40.25 million deal for safety Bryan Cook and a trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. It was the kind of roster work that signals urgency, the sort of aggressive spending that usually comes with a message to the locker room and to Joe Burrow that the front office believes the window is open.
Still, not every part of the plan has been greeted with universal approval. Analysts such as Daniel Mader of Sporting News have questioned whether Cooks contract matches his past production, which is the sort of skepticism that follows any big investment before a player proves it again on the field. Burrow, though, has sounded encouraged by the changes, and for Cincinnati the real test now is whether those moves actually turn promise into a defense he can count on. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A Real Path To The AFCs Top Seed
The Bengals are starting to look like a team with a much clearer route to the AFCs top spot than they had a year ago. A soft schedule is part of the appeal, but it is the bigger picture that has people around the league taking notice, with Cincinnati also bolstering its defense and giving Joe Burrow a roster that looks more balanced on paper than it has in recent seasons. FOX Sports writer Henry McKenna even singled them out as a club that could push into the Super Bowl conversation.
Burrow, for his part, has sounded upbeat about where things stand and the standards the Bengals are setting for themselves heading into the 2026 season. That optimism matters because this is not just about taking advantage of a favorable slate, but about proving the roster changes actually close the gap in a crowded AFC. The path is there now, and the next step is showing Cincinnati can turn that opening into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Built This Roster To End One Criticism Around Burrow
Joe Burrows health has not been the only thing standing between the Bengals and a real run at the AFC North, at least not in the eyes of Richard Sherman. On his podcast, Sherman pointed to Cincinnatis defense as the bigger issue, noting that the unit has been one of the leagues lower-ranked groups in points allowed over the past two seasons and has helped keep the Bengals from looking like true division contenders.
That criticism is exactly what Cincinnati tried to address this offseason as it started reshaping the roster for 2026. The Bengals made a major investment up front with Dexter Lawrence and also added help in Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook, moves designed to give the defense more punch, more speed and a better chance to back up Burrow instead of forcing him to carry everything again. [Read more 🡒]