The Bengals don’t really fly too close to the salary cap sun. In fact at this moment Cincinnati is looking like they will still have over $16 million left in cap space. That is based on Spotrac’s cap space. This isn’t uncommon for the Bengals though. Last season Cincinnati Bengals Hats , they had roughly $11.2 million in cap space to work with, which ranked for the 13th-most cap space left in the NFL. However, in 2016, they only operated with about $6.3 million in cap space. It should also be noted that both of those numbers were under the league average, but there were also some pretty hefty outliers those seasons that helped with that. Some fans may be wondering why the Bengals don’t go the route of teams like the Giants, Chiefs, Washington and Steelers who often hover right around that salary cap line. Why aren’t the Bengals attempting to add that one last piece that could push them over the hill they just can’t seem to get over? Well, we’re about to take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of both styles of running a team, and why it isn’t always a bad thing to keep some space.Staying around the salary cap limitTeams that operate like this are usually teams that are very active during free agency. Teams like the Giants, Dolphins, Saints and Washington love making those huge splashes by adding a big-name player. There are also teams with a big-name quarterback as well as several other big-name premiere players like the Steelers, Ravens and more recently the Packers who have gotten far more aggressive in their offseason approach. The major advantage to these teams is that you know you have an owner and general manager who are committed to fielding a winning team. Losing isn’t tolerated, and that is reflected by moving on from failing players quickly.The major disadvantage is you often see these teams make tough decisions with good players. The Ravens are one of the best examples with this as they saw most of their talented offensive line from two to three years ago leave during free agency as the team brought in big-name defenders and skill position players. The Saints have also had to disassemble their once great offense and build it again after they completely mismanaged their cap by staying active in free agency while having big-name players up for extensions. They had to get rid of players like Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham for this reason. The other huge disadvantage is the outside players brought in don’t always perform. The Saints and Dolphins are the poster children for this. New Orleans has recently bounced back, but they went through some terrible seasons as their big-name free agents flopped. Miami is also recovering from their salary cap blunders.Teams who have done well with this recently though include the Rams and Eagles. They have taken the approach of building their team with a mix of a ton of low-risk players with a few high profile trades. Teams that operate this way are fun to watch in the offseason usually, but the rate of turnover can be incredibly high, which can result in the teams having a roller coaster success rate.Keeping spaceTeams operated in this fashion look to build in the draft. They are also focused on keeping their own talent. These are usually smaller market teams like the Bengals. This allows fans to really connect and grow a connection with their players. It also is far safer from an economical standpoint.The Colts, Titans and Bengals are probably the best examples of this. These teams have made big splashes in free agency, but they are few and far between. They are much more likely to pick over the bargain bin of low-risk players.As mentioned before, these teams are smaller market teams, which means they really don’t have the money to spend like some of these bigger teams. However, the money they do have is usually reserved for payers who have gone through their rookie deals that may also be willing to take a slight discount for the security of a longer contract and/or actually seeing the end of that deal. The added bonus is these teams rarely have to make tough decisions on if they should cut a veteran player in order to stay under the cap. This obviously changed this season with the Bengals when they parted ways with safety George Iloka. That appeared to be more of a shift in philosophy at the position due to rule changes, though.These teams don’t see as drastic a shift from being good to bad. It happens more gradually over a few seasons rather than year-to-year due to the low turnover rate. These teams sustaining long-term success is based off them basically picking and choosing which players to keep correctly.This has been more of a problem for the Bengals recently. They saw most of their free agent class after the 2015 season flock to other teams, and it left a major hole in the team at receiver with no young talent ready to replace them. The following free agent class went just as badly as they watched Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler sign elsewhere after their offensive line was already trending downward. Teams that don’t like to spend big usually are forced to draft consistently well. Otherwise, you have to watch a player like Cedric Ogbuehi try and replace Whitworth.The additional bonus is these teams also have the space to provide extensions to foundation pieces without really having to cut anyone in order to do it. It is a matter of if those players are willing to accept those deals, which hasn’t always been the case with smaller market teams. We just saw this come to fruition with Atkins and Dunlap locking in for four and three more years respectively.The best way for these teams to build a roster is also by hedging their bets with players competing for spots. The Bengals did a great job of this when they brought in Chris Baker through free agency and then drafted Andrew Brown to compete at the defensive tackle position. Ultimately Cincinnati Bengals Hoodie , Baker wasn’t the player Cincinnati was expecting, so they were able to cut him and fall back on other players like Josh Tupou and Ryan Glasgow. The Bengals problem comes when they don’t do this at positions of obvious need more often.OverallThere really is no right way to run a team. We have seen champions built all sorts of ways. The Bengals struggles can usually be tied to struggling with players opting for more guaranteed money upfront in deals that will likely be cut short than a longer-term deal that they will actually see the end of.There is obviously the coaching factor as the Bengals refuse to move on from Marvin Lewis. It is obviously understandable to be frustrated watching talented players walk and watch a good team get disassembled due to frugality and players opting for bigger roles elsewhere. It is also frustrating to watch your team struggle to fill weak spots with new players. Those issues obviously aren’t defined by how much cap space the Bengals have though. The Bengals have a solid philosophy, but its execution misses the mark at times.The 7 best AFC North players, according to Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick Dre Kirkpatrick has been in the NFL since 2012, when the Bengals drafted him in the first-round. He’s been a regular starter since 2015, and he’s now one of the more experienced players on the team. Not many other current Bengals know the AFC North better than the seventh-year player, so The Players’ Tribune asked the Bengals cornerback to rank the seven best players in the AFC North.Kirkpatrick opened with an anecdote about his young teammate, John Ross. Kirkpatrick revisits the first time he lined up against the fellow former first round pick in practice.“I knew about the 4.22 he had run at the combine,” Kirkpatrick began. “But I wanted to show him that speed doesn’t scare me. So I was gonna bait him into thinking I was out of breath or something, then, right at the snap, I’d be like bang! and get right up on him. You know, show the rook what’s up.”When the ball was snapped, however, Ross beat Kirkpatrick so quickly that the corner didn’t even bother chasing him.“I just went over to Pacman (Jones) after the play and was like, ‘Yo, that guy right there? He’s the fastest guy I’ve ever seen in my life.’”But, for all his speed, Ross was not included in the list. Kirkpatrick says that Ross would qualify for a list of the seven fastest players in the division, and that he is the only player in the NFL with speed that frightens him.Kirkpatrick also said that Le’Veon Bell is the best running back in the NFL, but didn’t make this list because he is not currently playing.All that said, here is Kirkpatrick’s list of the seven best players in the AFC North:7. Michael Crabtree, WR, Baltimore RavensKirkpatrick says that the Ravens probably signed Michael Crabtree because he had a monster game against them when he was with the Raiders. The game to which he is referring happened was in Week 4 of 2016, where Crabtree caught seven passes for 88 yards and three touchdowns.Kirkpatrick explains how he did it.“He’s got a big body Cheap Customized Cincinnati Bengals Jerseys , big hands, and even though he’s only 6’1鈥? he’s got a big catch radius. He’s got 34.5-inch arms 鈥?Calvin Johnson is 6’5鈥? and his arms aren’t even that long. So basically, Crabtree is 6’1鈥? but with a wingspan of a guy who’s 6’5鈥?or bigger.”Kirkpatrick says that Crabtree uses his reach to grab jump balls, which is crucial because he says “it opens up everything underneath.”The only AFCN newcomer on this list, Kirkpatrick will get plenty of opportunities against him in the near future.Kirkpatrick’s first game against Crabtree as a division rival came on Thursday night. Crabtree was held to five catches on ten targets for 56 yards and no touchdowns.6. Joe Haden, CB, Pittsburgh SteelersWhen A.J. Green contributed to The Players’ Tribune last year, he included Joe Haden as one of the toughest corners he’s ever faced. Green mentioned that Haden is an expert in throwing off a receivers’ timing.“He’s probably the best there is at knocking you off your route just a little bit,” Green said, “Just enough where the ball is a half second early or a half second late.”Kirkpatrick looks at Haden from a different perspective.“He reads the quarterback. He understands route combinations. He knows his own strengths and weaknesses, so when he’s forced to press he knows he doesn’t have the speed to stay with a faster receiver on a deep ball, so he plays with great outside leverage and forces the receiver inside toward his help. So even though he’s not a true press, shutdown corner, he can still take a receiver out of a play and eliminate one side of the field. He just does it a little differently than most guys.”Even though Haden doesn’t have the talent that other cornerbacks have, he makes up for it with his approach. All he is trying to is keep receivers covered for two seconds. Then his job is done and its on to the next play.5. Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland BrownsThe only member of the Browns to make an appearance on this list is former first overall pick, Myles Garrett. Kirkpatrick totally understands why Garrett was drafted so high.“He’s so physical and quick off the edge, and he doesn’t just use the swim. I’ve seen him throw a couple of spin moves, and he’s got a little power to his rush, too. He has that whole package that you want in a pass rusher.”Kirkpatrick says that, as a cornerback, he appreciates a good pass rush because it means the receivers they are covering have less time to develop their routes. Green says a receiver typically has two seconds to create separation, but a good pass rush can shorten that window to only one and a half seconds. Kirkpatrick agrees and says, “the DBs in Cleveland are loving Myles Garrett right now.”4. Joe Flacco www.thebengalsfootballauthentic.com , QB, Baltimore RavensThis may come as a surprise, especially since the Bengals have not had a hard time defeating Joe Flacco in recent years. It is also interesting because Kirkpatrick offers two ways to beat him.Kirkpatrick is just coming off of a win against Flacco in their Thursday night game, but Flacco still tallied 376 yards.Kirkpatrick says of Flacco, “He’s just so good at executing every throw on the field and taking exactly what the defense gives him.”Flacco is very conservative, so he won’t make many mistakes. Kirkpatrick recommends, first of all, that cornerbacks jam receivers at the line or do whatever they can to throw off the timing so that Flacco, who depends mostly on timing, will go to another read.The other things Kirkpatrick says teams do against Flacco is to disguise their looks pre-snap in order to confuse him.Whatever it takes to beat him, Kirkpatrick has had plenty of time to figure it out. Flacco may not have a lot of time left in Baltimore, but we’ll see how Kirkpatrick will rank Lamar Jackson in the coming years.3. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh SteelersProbably the most unpopular name on this roster, Ben Roethlisberger has had plenty of accomplishments in his long career. Even though he is on the back end of his career and he may not be as good as he was, he has the best resume of anyone else on the list. As Kirkpatrick says, “He might be the GOAT, in my eyes.”“Even when you got guys like we do up front getting after it, or guys like Myles Garrett, Ben always seems to find a way to extend the play and give his receivers an extra second to get open. He just knows how to move in the pocket. He has that sixth sense of being able to feel the pass rush while keeping his eyes downfield.”As a Bengals fan, there is nothing more frustrating than watching the defensive line get penetration, only to have Big Ben duck out of a tackle, flee the pocket, and complete a pass between the broken down coverage. But that is what makes him so great. Kirkpatrick says that the two-second window is actually much longer when playing against Roethlisberger because of his pocket presence and his uncanny ability to avoid the sack.2. A.J. Green, WR Cincinnati Bengals T-Shirt , Cincinnati BengalsHere, Kirkpatrick finally gives a nod to a teammate. “I didn’t really plan on picking any Bengals here,” he says, “but I gotta take it to the home team.”But it would be a crime to leave A.J. Green off this list. “I think A.J. Green is underrated. I play against this man every day in practice, and I’m telling you, he’s faster than you think. He’s stronger than you think. His hands are better than you think. As an all-around complete receiver, he’s top two or three in the league, no doubt.”Green is definitely one of the best all-around wideouts in the NFL, let alone the division. There is nothing that Green can’t do. He’s a physical freak, which probably the most obvious thing about him.“But the sneakiest thing about A.J. is probably his athleticism.” Kirkpatrick adds on.We’ve all seen Green jump up and make spectacular catches and embarrassing cornerbacks. Kirkpatrick can talk about these plays firsthand, as one who has practiced against Green since his entrance into the NFL six years ago. So it’s no wonder Green would be added to this list.1. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh SteelersThe All-Pro is the only player in the division that could conceivably beat out A.J. Green for the top spot.Antonio Brown, number two on the NFL Top 100 list this season, is arguably one of the best receivers in the league. So naturally, Kirkpatrick is going to put him at the top of his list.“He’s very loose at the line,” Kirkpatrick says, “And he varies his speed in his routes so well. He’ll run a couple of routes at like 80% speed, and then just when you feel like you got a feel for his pacing, he’ll come off the ball again at 80% and then just turn on the jets and beat you on a go ball.”If there is any team that Brown is not wildly successful against, it is the Bengals. Adam Jones always held his own against Brown, and now William Jackson has found the secret to stopping him.But just because the Bengals have figured him out doesn’t mean it’s easy.“You have to communicate with your safeties so you know exactly where your help is going to be, because AB is gonna find the open spot. And Ben’s gonna do his thing and duck like three guys in the backfield and spin around or something and throw up a dime. And you’re gonna be the guy dreading film study the next day.”Do you agree with Kirkpatrick’s list? Who doesn’t belong? Who got snubbed?