The Cincinnati Bengals have some obvious needs. That’s a given. We all know that they need to add pass rushers and a safety.
Let’s talk about two sneaky needs that we aren’t talking about enough.
Cornerback
D.J. Turner has arrived. 2025 was his breakout season and established him as this team’s CB1 at long last. Dax Hill has been pushed every which way. From safety to the outside to the inside and finally back to the outside. He has found his place and is a high-quality starter opposite Turner.
That all sounds great, right? Well, it is for now, but both Turner and Hill are entering the final year of their contracts.
I would love to keep them both, but without clarity on how that is going to go, cornerback is a sneaky need.
While we are talking about outside cornerback, it might make sense to add someone with the versatility to play inside and out. This way, he could contribute this season and into the future if Turner and Hill are both back in 2027.
Versatility equals flexibility.
The OTHER Safety
There is nothing sneaky about the need to replace Geno Stone. It smacks you in the face every time you turn on the film.
So let’s talk about the other safety. Battle looked pretty solid last year, at least comparatively, but he was in the same draft class as Turner, and you know what that means. He is entering the last year of his contract.
The Bengals had no depth at safety a year ago. If they did, they would have at least tried someone else in Stone’s place. Now Tycen Anderson hits free agency (potentially). They need to replace Stone, but they also need to add a depth piece with the potential to replace Battle in a year.
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