Bengals Beat: Some Predictions And Valuable Perspective On 2024 Bengals Free Agency

CINCINNATI — Free agency 2024 is finally here. It’s like Christmas morning for NFL fans who are hoping their teams go out and put all the right presents under the tree for their team to compete and – in cases like the Bengals – have a chance to win a Super Bowl.

The Bengals have several needs, most urgently interior defensive line and right tackle.

Here’s just one observer’s prediction of how things could go starting Monday, and where and why the Bengals could make moves:

Right tackle (1):

With Jonah Williams likely getting big money elsewhere, the Bengals have a hole here and aren’t likely to fill it just with a draft pick in April. They’d like a plug-and-play veteran in the mold of Ted Karras and Alex Kappa to allow a rookie to come in and learn the NFL game. Adding high priced linemen through free agency is just the cost of doing business in the NFL because it takes time for many to develop, something Frank Pollack acknowledged in Indy.

Best available: Trent Brown, Jonah Williams
More likely: Jermaine Eluemunor, George Fant

Defensive tackle (2):

With free agent DJ Reader likely not available to start the season and possibly headed elsewhere, the Bengals have an immediate need to add depth here to complement BJ Hill. They are likely in the market for two interior tackles in free agency and another in the draft.

Best available: Christian Wilkins
More likely: Teair Tart, Sheldon Rankins, Daquan Jones

Safety (1):

This is a fascinating position for the Bengals. They could use another veteran safety to solidify and upgrade the back end. The market is deep and they could add one of high quality without breaking the bank. Again, they’re not going to shop at the top. They will look for someone with great leadership and ball skills. Jordan Poyer could be a fit. And the Bengals absolutely respect Geno Stone, who picked off Joe Burrow in the red zone in Baltimore’s Week 2 win.

Best available: Jamal Adams, Justin Simmons, Budda Baker
More likely: Geno Stone, Jordan Whitehead, Jordan Poyer

Tight end (1):

Hayden Hurst is back on the market and a possibility to return to an offense and quarterback he knows well. But there are other names to consider here, including C.J. Uzomah, who is also back on the market after the Jets cut ties. It’s a pretty thin market in terms of star impact players but the Bengals do have needs at the position, and don’t want to solely rely on the draft for good reason.

Best available: Logan Thomas, Will Dissly
More likely: Gerald Everett, Mike Gesicki, Noah Fant, Austin Hooper

Running back (1):

Everyone is wondering what the Bengals will do with Joe Mixon. The latest report from Matthew Berry of NBC Sports had the Bengals cutting Mixon before his $3 million roster bonus kicks in on March 18. It’s likely that happens this week. If so, the Bengals – again not relying solely on the draft – are expected to add to a room that right now only has Chase Brown and Chris Evans if they part ways with Mixon.

Best available: Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs
More likely: Austin Ekeler, Ezekiel Elliot, Clyde Edwards-Helaire

When looking at this week, remember a few things:

The Bengals do NOT treat free agency like someone who just won Powerball. They never have and don’t expect that to begin now. As much as there is an urgency to winning that first Super Bowl, they’re not going to compromise the window with Joe Burrow by making rash financial decisions.

Don’t be fooled by the $30 million increase in the cap. The Bengals and most other NFL teams were already anticipating a rise to about $250 million. And the Tee Higgins $21.8 million obligation took up a chunk of that. The Bengals anticipate being fully invested in the upcoming season, both from a cash and a cap standpoint. The $30 million bump did little to change that.

They are not going to gamble at the free agency poker table, mortgaging their future 2-3 years down the road, not with Joe Burrow as their franchise quarterback. They approach it within their means. This doesn’t always please their fan base but they ensure that – as they like to say inside the building – “let football make the football decisions”. In other words, don’t get into a bind where you’re cutting valuable players because you’re up against the cap.

They philosophically believe discipline is a good thing. They believe in fully funding their NFL players’ pension plan. They’ve always believed in rewarding their own players who are loyal to the organization and this is one way of doing it. But that requires cash and that is all part of the $255 million cap for 2024.

They also believe in two-way commitments. Sign a contract, accept the risks – positive and negative – and be disciplined with the approach. That line, more than any other, explains their approach in free agency. Yes, they’re going to spend. But they’re not going to overextend. Never have. Never will.

The Bengals always think in terms of worst-case scenario with any free agent deal. If a player doesn’t work out, what is the cost of letting him go. This is why the Bengals almost never cut a free agent loose before the end of the contract because they accept the responsibility of the bonus money they’re paying out and the cap implications. The Bengals respect the rules of the cap perhaps more than any other NFL team.

The Bengals have often been criticized for not spending in free agency over the years but go further and you’ll see that they spend to their limit and just don’t overextend.

Now, sit back, buckle up and hang on for the week ahead.