The Cincinnati Bengals left the trade deadline as one of the biggest losers. One of the names getting the most annoyance is General Manager Duke Tobin. The combination of failing to make a move due to a procedural rule Tobin did not understand and not having a counter-offer made the seat get a lot hotter for the Bengals’ leader.
“A fireable offense by Bengals GM Duke Tobin,” tweeted Marcus Mosher after the trade fiasco. “If he knew this and still made the Ebiketie trade, he is a fool. If he didn’t know, that’s even worse.”
JP Acosta of CBS Sports added a joke.
“The Bengals’ FO intern showing Duke Tobin the comp pick post,” tweeted Acosta, showing a funny picture depicting Tobin.
The Bengals went from a 6-2 team competing for their division to the laughing stock of the NFL rather quickly. If the season ends with big playoff wins, this will get blown over. If not, the calls to fire Tobin will only get louder.
Cincinnati Bengals Get Calls to Fire General Manager Duke Tobin
The biggest issue with the Bengals is not doing anything at all. Most would put the Bengals right with the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills as the elite teams in the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs added a receiver to fix a big need. The Broncos added a linebacker to keep the defense strong. The Jaguars went all-in with multiple splash moves, including All-Pro Jessie Bates and cornerstone Jordan Davis. Buffalo got Josh Allen defensive help in the form of a safety.
The Bengals were in the mix with these teams, but none of them stood apart. With these teams adding help and the Bengals sitting on their hands, the odds of winning the AFC have gone down. That will not help Tobin keep his job.
Trade Fiasco Makes Tobin Look Bad
Even if the Bengals added Ebiketie, it would have been the smallest move of all five AFC threats. Still, it would have been some sort of addition. The Bengals trying to make the move and failing only makes them look worse.
Tobin did not understand the rules and needed someone on Twitter to go viral for him to save himself from losing an important third-round pick. If Cincinnati lost their compensatory pick for Ebiketie, it would look even worse than it does now. The fact that it was even on the table makes Tobin look poor.
The trade deadline was not a good look for the Bengals. We will see if they can rebound and make people forget about the gaffe. If not, Tobin will have to be the one to pay the price.
Bengals GM Put on Notice After Trade Deadline