The Cincinnati Bengals and their roster decisions! Yup, it’s still going. The team has not made all of their major decisions. And this has been going on for so long that fans are losing interest in them. Even the team’s QB, Joe Burrow, is concerned about who will be on the team. Massive names like Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase remain hanging in the centre. But aside from them, several other players are also waiting to see if the team would extend their contracts. And, another big decision from the team has come.

The speculation was that the team would make their ultimate decision on Higgins this week. But it is not him. Instead, Joe Burrow’s team has made their ultimate decision regarding Guard Alex Cappa. The man who joined the team during the offseason of 2022. And since then has become the team’s backbone for more than 50 games. Unfortunately, he is not going to join them in the future. The Bengals made a shocking decision by tweeting out, “We have released G Alex Cappa.”

While this was a truly shocking announcement, there was some speculation about it. Starting with the fact that Alex Cappa did not have a great year in 2024. The guard was not able to get a good hold on the field and allowed several sacks. Ouch. Although the 30-year-old was a significant part of the team before last season, 2024 signified his ultimate downfall. The former Super Bowl winner had a Pro Football Focus (PFF) pass-blocking grade of 50.5 last season. Can you believe that? This ranked him 110th among the 135 offensive guards in the NFL. Jeez! Perhaps this prompted the Bengals to click the release button.

More than that, by dismissing Cappa, the Bengals will save $8 million in cap space. This money might be used to meet Joe Burrow’s demand for the massive WRs. Everyone knows that the quarterback has been openly supporting Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. And even behind the scenes, he has insisted that the two wide receivers should return. A true leader indeed. Burrow believes that by continuing to focus on previously established sync, the team will remain intact and may do great things.

From all this, it’s safe to say that the team did release Cappa only to gratify Burrow’s wish. But will this get the team in trouble? Wait, what trouble?

Did Joe Burrow’s desire to keep the receivers damage the team’s defense?

There is a universe in which the decision to release Alex Cappa will lead to the team’s downfall. Regardless of how horrible Cappa’s past season was, he remains a good, experienced player. And perhaps with more practice, he could have performed better. Right? But again, releasing him was necessary to fulfill Joe Burrow’s goal. Well, that is right too. Everything is OK until now, but wait, there’s another big twist. This twist is the team’s CB Mike Hilton.

The 30-year-old standout was the NFL’s best cornerback last season. Everyone noticed that his incredible coverage score of 68.5 and his run defense grade of 91.7 made him a fan favorite. And while the team and Bengals fans would have been pleased with his performance, it appears that he was dissatisfied with the team’s performance. According to reports, the CB’s deal for $24 million has expired and after that, he plans to become a free agent.

Even ESPN’s Aaron Schatz has confirmed that he is doing it and potentially the Jaguars can pursue signing him into a probable 3-year deal. Schatz reported: “Hilton has always been special as a playmaker in the slot. He can play coverage, defend the run and blitz. For example, he made his average run tackle after a gain of just 2.6 yards this past season, the best figure for any cornerback with at least 20 run tackles. In addition, 17 of his 35 tackles after a pass reception stopped the receiver short of a successful gain; only Dru Phillips had a better rate among cornerbacks. Hilton would be a useful playmaker to move around in Anthony Campanile’s new defense.”

This indicates that the Bengals’ defense will become significantly worse than predicted. This also implies that the organization may be looking forward to signing some fresh upcoming stars or veterans via free agency or the NFL Draft. Only time will tell us what they are going to do to make a strong defense for the 2025 season.