One of the most-read things I ever wrote for the Dayton Daily News was a blog the day after the Super Bowl in 2023 about what the Chiefs winning that version of the big game told us about the Cincinnati Bengals.

That piece came about because there was an obvious blueprint for the Bengals to follow: Draft a great quarterback, sign the great quarterback to a big contract, make sure he has the weapons he needs on offense then draft most of the defense.

Meanwhile, the last two Super Bowls were won by teams with great all-around rosters that included dominant defensive lines and playmakers in the secondary, something the Bengals do not have.

They’ve tried that but failed miserably because of the defensive draft miscues in the years since then.

If they don’t start drafting better, nothing else is going to matter.

Will they start drafting better?

I guess anything is possible, but there is not one simple answer to that question.

On the bright side, this much-criticized personnel department led by Duke Tobin has had good runs in the draft. He was the guy who oversaw the drafts that built the team that made the playoffs every year from 2011-15 under Marvin Lewis.

That ’15 roster was loaded, but Andy Dalton got hurt then we all know about the implosion in the playoffs against the Steelers.

After that, the roster went into decline as a cold streak in the draft prevented them from being able to replace a lot of the best players as they started to age out, especially on the offensive line.

That led not only to the end of the Lewis era but also to the need to spend a lot in free agency for a couple of years after they lucked into Joe Burrow. That’s how the rebuilt the defense and the offensive line.

However, I don’t think it’s a coincidence the drafts haven’t improved since Zac Taylor became the coach. I just don’t think he knows what he’s doing, but beyond that his staff has been very weak on paper throughout his tenure. T

The onus on the assistants is to develop players. They don’t all come ready to play.

Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Logan Wilson would be exceptions, but who have they developed? We’re seeing good early returns on Amarius Mims. Is that about it?

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Obviously what the Bengals do in free agency to add the seven or eight new starters they need on defense will make or break this season.

The Associated Press did an interesting story noting the Patriots spent heavily to improve their team while the Seahawks also made some impact signings.

In both cases, a string of poor drafts were listed as the reason they needed to do that.

I suppose that’s good news for the Bengals since they are in that situation now, and free agency was important in building the 2021 and ‘22 teams.

There is a path to victory!

However, the Seahawks actually won it because they already started picking good players again…

Meanwhile, here’s a chilling sentence for Bengals fans:

That’s a headline from The Athletic for a story looking at the staying power of the Patriots and how the Seahawks rebuilt their championship team.

Good thing the Bengals have a great quarterback and Tobin is the exact opposite of of opportunistic…

A major criticism of Very Online Bengals fans is the team has been slow to re-sign some of their stars, which leads to them costing more (or leave) while also perhaps needing to move on from over-the-hill players before they actually go into decline.

They also haven’t pulled as many levers as other teams as far as restructuring contracts to maximize cap space to add as many players as they can in a given year.

Could that change?

I suppose so, especially since now they have more megadeals to restructure than ever before thanks to Burrow, Chase and Higgins.

Until further notice, though, it seems like the Bengals will probably try to build the traditional way: Through the draft and via select signings of free agents, some of whom will be big names and others who might be more role players, based on the normal cap limitations.

That can work, especially with (a healthy) Joe Burrow at the controls of the offense, but I do think people saying they aren’t doing everything they can to maximize their chances of having the best roster possible are correct.

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I suppose that last sentence also applies to Ohio State men’s basketball, but it would also undersell the issues.

Coach Jake Diebler’s team got embarrassed by No. 2 Michigan on Sunday at the Schottenstein Center, where there was lots of maize and blue in the stands and little reason to think these Buckeyes are going to be relevant in March.

Michigan wing Yaxel Lendeborg said after the game, “Ohio State is a good team, but they don’t belong in the conversation as us.”

I haven’t seen much pushback against that statement since it is overwhelmingly true.

Really the only debate would be the first part.

Is Ohio State a good team?

Not really, and there is no mystery why.

They aren’t tall or athletic enough, but they also lack skill. Diebler has also said focus is an issue at times.

Watching them play definitely brings on a certain level of hopelessness because the ceiling is obviously so much lower than it was when Thad Matta really had it humming.

The Word Defining Ohio State Basketball Right Now

Diebler said they hate to lose home Big Ten games, but this was the third time that has happened.

What’s worse is they were just so clearly outclassed in all three games.

Illinois, Nebraska and Michigan dwarf this team — literally.

Ohio State has three big guys that play at all, and the only one who looks like he could be an All-Big Ten type player is freshman Amare Bynum.

Maybe in past years he would have been better able to have a huge impact this season, but college basketball is once again stocked with tall, skilled older players so sledding is tougher for young guys down there in the paint.

What’s ALSO worse is I don’t really know if a coaching change would make that big of a difference.

The coach deflected a question about the talent deficit between his team and Michigan and said they need to worry more about the controllables.

That is valid but also points a finger back at the coach. Ultimately, he’s responsible for how hard they play and how much attention they pay to detail.

Given the building, talent base, fan interest and financial investment, I don’t see how Ohio State men’s basketball gets a lot better without lucking into a genius coach.

I’ve been joking maybe Jim O’Brien would have this team in solidly in the NCAA Tournament even if they weren’t going to beat the teams at the top of the league.

Maybe that’s not as bad an idea as it initially sounds.

Hey, isn’t paying players from Europe legal now?

Last week’s musings: Monday Musings: Reds make big move, Ohio State football updates and OSU WBB pursues consistency