Bengals President Mike Brown joins Bill Belichick on least trustworthy front office list

Mike Brown and Bill Belichick both appeared in the survey multiple times

CINCINNATI — Bengals President and Owner Mike Brown is rarely mentioned in the same sentence as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, but that was the case on Monday. 

Both Brown and Belichick were mentioned in a survey conducted by The Athletic.  

They asked 30 different NFL agents multiple questions, including the front offices that they trusted the least. 

Belichick and the Patriots received the most votes (4), followed by the Broncos (3) and the Texans (3). 

“The Patriot Way is hard to deal with," one agent told The Athletic. 

Cincinnati was tied with Washington and Philadelphia with two votes. 

“I just don’t agree with the way that they [Bengals] do things," an agent told Ben Standig. "I think they’re good people. I just think that when you’ve got four people running a staff when there are other teams with 25 to 40, it’s really hard to do your job and be 100 percent accurate on some things.”

It's not the first and it won't be the last time someone mentions the Bengals' lack of people power within the organization. They've operated with minimal resources in their scouting department and in the front office for decades.

They believe they can win Super Bowls with their current structure. Whether it's fair or not, their methods will always be questioned until they bring a championship to Cincinnati. 

That wasn't the only time the Bengals were mentioned in the survey. They received votes for having the best offseason, which makes sense considering they drafted Joe Burrow No. 1 overall and signed eight veterans in free agency.

The agents were also asked about the teams that were the toughest to negotiate with. The Patriots were first again, receiving five votes. 

Brown and the Bengals were tied for second place (Texans) with two votes. 

“They’re so damn cheap, and it’s all their money," an agent told The Athletic. 

There are plenty of people that believe Brown and the Bengals are "cheap." It's part of their reputation, but that doesn't mean it's entirely true. They did commit over $150 million this offseason to A.J. Green and eight free agents that are expected to contribute or start right away. They signed Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap to long-term contract extensions. 

The Bengals have struggled in recent seasons and they should've been more aggressive in free agency years ago, but they aren't afraid to spend money if they believe a player will help them win games — especially if it's someone they drafted. 

For the latest on the Bengals, go here.