Ja'Marr Chase: Defensive moves have raised our expectations

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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called this year's roster the most talented one he's been a part of in the NFL and the offseason moves on the defensive side of the ball are the biggest reason to feel that way. The Bengals traded for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence after signing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, edge rusher Boye Mafe, and safety Bryan Cook in free agency and before drafting two more defenders with their first two picks in the draft. Those moves addressed a major shortcoming for the Bengals in recent seasons and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase said on Tuesday that everyone is looking for immediate results from the new arrivals. "At the end of the day , we got to the Super Bowl in '21 and never went back," Chase said, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. "So, expectations have always been high since 2021. But now that we have improved our defense a little more, the expectations have gone up for the defense to show us what they could do." The defense hasn't been the only rough spot for the Bengals during their current playoff drought, but it's been the most glaring one and that needs to change for the Bengals to get where they want to go in 2026.