The Cincinnati Bengals have made some major strides toward fixing their defense so far in free agency. Signing safety Bryan Cook was an instant upgrade from what we saw out of Geno Stone last season. Defensive end Boye Mafe’s ceiling appears to be very high if he breaks out the way the Bengals plan for him to. They addressed the interior of the defensive line by signing veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.
All of those are solid moves, but with a defense that has been so bad the last two seasons, there is still plenty of room for improvement. There are also some players still on the market that could help them.
Here are five free agents who are still available and who should be Bengals targets:
Linebacker Bobby Wagner
Wagner isn’t the player he once was. That is no secret. While the Bengals clearly believe in young linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter, it is no secret that they need a veteran to help them along. Wagner had a 90.3 run defense grade, per PFF. He doesn’t move like he used to, but he is still very good against the run and a strong tackler, earning a 90.5 tackling grade.
EDGE Joey Bosa
Bosa is similar to Wagner. He definitely isn’t the player he once was, but he could still bring value in a rotation. The Bengals essentially replaced Joseph Ossai with Mafe, but there is still a spot vacant after Trey Hendrickson left for the Baltimore Ravens. Bosa has missed time over the last two seasons, but he can still win off the line of scrimmage and pressure quarterbacks. Being the fourth defensive end could still yield him plenty of snaps.
Tight End David Njoku
The focus of free agency has been defense… as it should be. With that said, the Bengals haven’t replaced Noah Fant yet. Fant didn’t have a great season, but Njoku is a far more talented option. With the Bengals’ already potent offense, Njoku could stretch the seam and give Joe Burrow yet another weapon to choose from. Njoku could likely sign a short-term, prove-it deal and look to cash in on the open market in 2027.
Defensive Tackle D.J. Reader
Reunion, anyone? The Bengals signing Allen makes the reunion less likely, but Reader back in stripes could make sense. Allen, T.J. Slaton, and B.J. Hill will take on the bulk of the snaps, but behind them is unproven. Kris Jenkins Jr. hasn’t lived up to his second-round draft selection as of yet. McKinnley Jackson requested a trade last season before seeing a bump in his snaps, but he left plenty to be desired. If they chose to, they could let Jackson and/or Slaton go and replace them with a veteran run stuffer in Reader.
Quarterback Joe Flacco
It isn’t fun to think about Burrow’s injury history, but it is reality. Jake Browning is gone to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so the backup quarterback spot is wide open. Flacco was reported to want the chance to compete for a starting job, but that opportunity doesn’t seem to be out there as of yet. He made his first Pro Bowl in Cincinnati last season and seemed to enjoy playing there, so if he is open to the idea of backing up Burrow, the Bengals covering their backup sooner rather than later would be beneficial.
Who out there on the market would you like to see the Bengals bring in? Let us know in the comments!
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