It doesn’t sound like the Bengals are going to be silent in Wave 2 of free agency.
The Cincinnati Bengals are flying high after locking up Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to monster extensions. It doesn’t sound like the team is content to sit there until after the NFL Draft.
Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com says the team is looking to make more moves:
“They continue to do what they’ve been doing since free agency opened and are looking to make acquisitions in the runup to next month’s NFL Draft.”
This next phase of free agency is often what is referred to as Wave 2 of free agency. There aren’t as many household names or big dollar amounts being moved around, but there are still quality guys capable of starting for teams or playing a decent amount of rotational snaps.
The deals with Chase and Higgins will potentially create more cap space as Higgins took up roughly $26 million against the cap, and Chase took up nearly $20 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. These extensions should lower those numbers, potentially by quite a bit.
The biggest thing the team has left is resolving the Trey Hendrickson situation. There are reports they are still trying to get him extended beyond 2025 and give him a raise after leading the league in sacks.
Aside from that, the team has a gaping hole at right guard (and realistically left guard) that absolutely needs a starter signed there after releasing Alex Cappa.
They could also stand to add some depth at corner and safety. Maybe even a starting-level player at safety if they feel someone can replace Geno Stone, but that seems like a move they would have made earlier if they were planning it.
We will see what the team ends up doing, but it is nice to hear they would like to potentially fill some more holes prior to the draft.
