How the Bengals have built a perennial playoff contender

Say what you will about the Cincinnati Bengals' inability to win a playoff game, but Marvin Lewis' squad has been to the postseason in six of the last seven seasons, including a current run of five straight appearances.

Over those past five seasons, only the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos have more regular-season wins than the Bengals' 52.

While the Patriots and Broncos have been led by two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history through that time, Cincinnati has taken a different route, building one of the deepest, most complete rosters in the league.

It's been a stubborn process at times, with owner/general manager Mike Brown calling most of the shots from the front office. That relentlessness surrounding team strategies to not overpay in free agency, sticking to the draft plan, giving players second chances, and constantly looking to improve has built one of the league most's consistent regular-season products.

Best Player Available

It's fairly impressive how much the general opinion of a prospect changes between the end of the college season and the draft itself. Character concerns, workout habits, odd personal stories, disappointing combines, and pro days start to factor in more as time passes.

For the Bengals, on-field performance is looked at in higher regard, making it simpler to determine the best player available, regardless of position. By not chasing needs and regularly restocking the cupboards, the Bengals have been able to let players leave in free agency with depth available to fill the void.

At the 2016 draft, nose tackle Andrew Billings was taken in the fourth round to eventually replace 31-year-old Domata Peko after being projected as a first-rounder by some. In 2015, neither of the team's top two picks - offensive tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher - saw major action as rookies, while veteran tackles Andrew Whitworth and Eric Winston work toward the end of their careers.

Second Chances

NFL players are people too, and people make mistakes. Unfortunately, if you're a young, talented football player, you can lose millions of dollars for your mistakes. Every year, several talented players are passed over for a slip up they've made as a young person, but good news for them: the Bengals are here.

Pro Bowl defensive end Carlos Dunlap slid in his draft year after receiving a DUI prior to the 2009 SEC Championship while at Florida. All-Pro cornerback Adam Jones was involved in several legal issues, including possession, disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice, and alleged assault before finding success in Cincinnati.

Recent former players Andre Smith, Orson Charles, Leon Hall, Jerome Simpson, and current starting linebacker Rey Maualuga all experienced various legal issues with the Bengals or prior to joining the team.

Constant Competition

In the same spirit of always drafting the best player available, the Bengals are always looking to put the best product on the field.

Lewis and his staff have invited competition at every corner of training camp and practice to ensure they find the best player at each position.

The Bengals pitted veteran cornerbacks Jones and Hall against each other last year while both were in the final season of their contracts with only one new deal eventually given out. With that in mind, the team drafted three first-round cornerbacks in five years to create a heated competition for the open spot.

Quarterback Andy Dalton lost two of his top targets in free agency, so his team acquired a pair of receivers in both free agency and the draft. A.J. Green is securely established as the team's No. 1 option, but after that, it's everybody for themselves.

Lewis may not have all the superstar pieces, and he definitely has a question mark under center, but his team's commitment to putting the best product on the field has rendered his roster among the most complete.

Lewis' lack of playoff success has been a dark cloud over the Bengals organization. But the consistent, competitive, regular-season effort seen over the past five seasons is a rare sight in today's ever-changing NFL.