NFL record predictions hype Bengals' major offseason spending, trades

Fox Sports

Most would agree when Fox Sports' Ben Arthur says Joe Burrow is good for at least nine wins. He has them going 11-6, praising the defensive moves this offseason, though he stresses those have a limit.

“They’ve remade their defensive line with Dexter Lawrence II, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen,” Arthur wrote. “They added a reliable veteran in Bryan Cook at safety. I don’t think the moves Cincinnati has made are enough to get it back into the AFC’s upper echelon, but the team should be back in the postseason mix.”

Sports Illustrated

One of the lower Bengals record projections comes from Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame, who highlights the defense’s bad track record in recent years. He has the Bengals finishing at 9-8.

“If the defense is improved enough after adding nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II, safety Bryan Cook and edge rusher Boye Mafe, and Burrow can play 17 games, look out,” Verderame wrote. “Cincinnati has a soft end to its schedule, with six of its final seven opponents missing the playoffs last year.”

USA Today

Are the Bengals sneaky? USA Today’s predictions think so, with Tom Viera going as far as writing that there could be MVP discussions going on around Burrow by season’s end.

“Just five of their 17 games will be against 2025 playoff teams, two of which will be against the Steelers,” Viera wrote. “Burrow will put up MVP numbers, and Cincinnati will take advantage of four matchups against a feeble NFC South and six games in the AFC North that appears to be undergoing a power shift.”

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL record predictions hype Bengals' major offseason spending, trades