Vontaze Burfict is one of the most talented players on the Bengals today and one of their greatest undrafted stories of all time. Unfortunately, they will not have the services of the dynamic outside linebacker for the first three games of the 2016 NFL season due to multiple violations of the NFL's safety rules. Most notably, his suspension seems to revolve around his actions against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Bengals' 2015 Wild Card game, in which Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown were both injured after plays involving Burfict.
The hit on Brown was ugly. Regardless of whether you feel that Burfict's punishment was harsher than the crime, the fact of the matter is he needs to know that this is just not acceptable. The referees made sure to let him know by giving the Bengals a critical penalty that moved the Steelers into position for the game winning field goal and the NFL followed it up with the tough suspension.
As tough as the suspension will be for Burfict and the Bengals, we've already covered how it could also potentially help. Furthermore, the Bengals have a couple players waiting in the wings in P.J. Dawson and Marquis Flowers who could use the three games while Burfict is out to make their marks as valuable contributors.
P.J. Dawson
It was a good rookie year for Dawson, although possibly not up to the standards that some expected of him. It's worth remembering that the Bengals don't typically give rookies a whole lot of playing time, so the fact that he got on the field at all to put up three tackles and flash his valuable coverage ability with a pass deflection as the Bengals were trying to prevent a 49ers comeback is impressive.
The Bengals selected Dawson in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, despite the fact that he was projected to go as high as the late first or second round. He has the kind of flexibility, athleticism, and instincts that could really aid in his bid to earn some playing time in Burfict's absence. In fact, it seems that he's dead focused on making exactly that happen.
"I hope I am asked to do a little more, that's what I'm aiming for," Dawson told Cincinnati.com in May. "That's the plan. That's just me. That's why I worked the whole offseason. I came back a little earlier to start planning, to start getting better. I'm ready. I'm ready for the challenge."
Marquis Flowers
Flowers doesn't have quite the same pedigree that Dawson has, but he does have a bit more experience at the NFL level. He was taken by the Bengals in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft as a result of his athleticism and sheer size, having finished his junior season in college being named the most valuable player of Arizona's 2012 New Mexico Bowl win.
He was less productive in his senior season at college, but the Bengals took a chance on him anyway and ended up with a player who played all 16 games (including one start) in his rookie season. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury during the 2015 preseason which led to his placement on injured reserve for all of his second NFL season.
With the addition of Karlos Dansby this offseason, it could be difficult for Flowers to find some legitimate playing time outside of filling in for Burfict. He'll need to beat out Dawson for the opportunity, but he seems to be ready to do what it takes to recover from his injury and rise to the challenge.
"I'm coming in earlier, cold tub if anything is sore, hot tub, stretch out, roll out." Flowers told Cincinnati.com, "Just little stuff like that because I want to be here and I want to be part of something special."
Flowers is ready to show you everyone what he is capable of. His Twitter history is all you really need to look at to see how determined he is to make an impact and shut the critics and haters up once and for all.
Put some respect on my name, I ain't gonna say it no mo!!!
— Marquis Flowers (@MrHitThat_53) April 28, 2016
We'll need to wait and see how the Bengals will compensate for Burfict's absence in the extremely important three game stretch to start the year. They'll need to find an answer quickly as they travel to East Rutherford, New Jersey in Week 1 to play the Jets, then are off to Pittsburgh in Week 2, and return home in Week 3 to host the world champion Denver Broncos. Dawson and Flowers should possess enough talent to get the job done in Burfict's absence, but we'll only know for sure once season begins on September 11.