Media rips Bengals for poor free agency showing

The Bengals have been active, but most outlets aren’t impressed.

The Cincinnati Bengals have made some moves since the start of the NFL’s legal tampering period.

They signed nose tackle TJ Slayton from the Green Bay Packers, linebacker Oren Burks from the Philadelphia Eagles and brought running back Samaje Perine back from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Players from 2024 who were retained include offensive lineman Cody Ford, tight end Mike Gesicki, defensive tackle BJ Hill, cornerback Marco Wilson, and defensive end Joseph Ossai.

While they have been active, they haven’t made any real splash signings and some media outlets are disappointed in their efforts at this point.

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons laid into the Bengals for having what he described as the “single-worst game plan” that any NFL team has had thus far.

Pro Football Focus was also not impressed, marking the Slaton signing as “below average.”

“Slaton didn’t play well in 2024, earning a 43.0 PFF overall grade that ranked 16th worst at the position,” per their tracker. ”He did earn PFF overall grades above 60.0 in the two years prior, though. If he can get back to that level, then this can be a solid depth signing for the Bengals.”

It is worth noting that Slaton did lead all defensive tackles in terms of run-stop win rate in 2024. PFF numbers on tackles typically don’t tell the whole story.

Ossai came back on a one-year, $7 million deal, and PFF called that an ”average” signing.

“The Bengals brought Ossai back for a higher-than-projected number, but they couldn’t afford to lose any more depth on their defensive line,” The tracker said. “He’ll try to get back to his 2023 production, including a 68.4 PFF overall grade.”

ESPN insider Bill Barnwell wasn’t impressed either, showing the most displeasure with Gesicki’s contract.

“Needing to squeeze every dollar out of their budget, the Bengals somewhat inexplicably decided to bring [Gesicki] back on a three-year, $25.5 million contract, paying him $12 million in 2025 in the process. Gesicki hasn’t been that caliber of player for the vast majority of his career. As something much closer to a wideout than a tight end, he plays a position that is well-stocked in free agency with veteran options. And the Bengals are already attempting to re-sign both Chase and Higgins, which would keep Gesicki in his role as the team’s third option in the passing game.”

Media opinions are just that, opinions. This could all change if the Bengals take the field this fall and these players make an impact to push Cincinnati back in the postseason.