Predicting the Cincinnati Bengals' notable free agent signings at their biggest positions of need
The further we get into the 2020s, the less predictable the Cincinnati Bengals become at playing the free agency game. We know the types of contracts they give out: lots of cash in the first year with no guarantees beyond that. And we know any player over the age of 28 isn't getting a multi-year contract…yet.Everything […]
The further we get into the 2020s, the less predictable the Cincinnati Bengals become at playing the free agency game.
We know the types of contracts they give out: lots of cash in the first year with no guarantees beyond that. And we know any player over the age of 28 isn't getting a multi-year contract…yet.
Everything else? Your guess is as good as mine. So I might as well give you my guesses.
We're less than a day away from legal tampering starting. Here are the eight notable free agent signings you can expect to see from the Bengals over the next two-ish weeks.
DJ Reader, nose tackle
2024 age: 30
Projected contract: two years, $32 million ($16 million AAV)
I've wrestled back and forth here, and something has to give. The Bengals either have to go out and pay an older defensive tackle they don't know a lot of money, or pay an older defensive tackle they do know a lot of money. The alternative is potentially downgrading at an already weak spot.
If they're going to bend, they'll bend for one of their elite players. See Joe Burrow last year and Ja'Marr Chase next year. Reader is still as valuable to the Bengals' defense now as he was three years ago when he entered his prime. No team knows more about his ongoing recovery from a torn quad than them, as they watched him go through the same process a few years ago.
Reader's market is expected to be hot, even hotter than previously expected, which will force the Bengals to act. This feels like a safer bet than splurging for an unknown.
Geno Stone, free safety
2024 age: 25
Projected contract: three years, $25.5 million (8.5 million AAV)
It's not always the smartest move to predict an obvious Bengals free agency pairing when they've been so unpredictable of late, but this feels worth it to call.
Stone fits precisely what the Bengals are looking for out of a true free safety. The range, ball skills, AFC North experience, and instincts to even fool Joe Burrow all stand out, and will attract them to him. His late-round draft pick pedigree, limited starting experience, and subpar tackling reputation will keep his guarantees low enough for the Bengals to seal the deal.
I expect his AAV to match what A to Z Sports' salary cap experts Josh Queipo and Kyle Dediminicantanio predict even in a saturated safety market. It's the Bengals' way of compensating for not guaranteeing beyond the first year of contracts.
George Fant, right tackle
2024 age: 32
Projected contract: one year, $5 million
The Bengals don't normally pay players this old, but one-year deals are an entirely different story. Think Riley Reiff a few years back.
Much has been made about the Bengals being connected with Mekhi Becton due to Frank Pollack having coached him for the New York Jets, but Becton wasn't the right tackle for the Jets that season. It was actually Fant, who's played nearly equally time at both tackle spots in his seven-year career. He's also a more proven player than Becton, and the Bengals should want a more reliable bridge option at the tackle spot they actually need. He can also be a backup swing tackle if they take a right tackle in the NFL Draft and want to play that pick immediately.
Fant is coming off the most snaps he's ever played in a single season (1,004) for the Houston Texans, but his age will limit his market. Coming to Cincinnati will give him a chance to go for a Super Bowl somewhat close to his hometown of Bowling Green, KY.
Adam Trautman, tight end
2024 age: 27
Projected contract: three years, $13.5 million ($4.5 million AAV)
He's a former Denver Broncos tight end, just not the one many Bengals fans have been clamoring for.
Trautman provides both blocking and receiving ability at the position, though he's never been a feature option in the passing game. The most targets he's seen in a season is 41 back in 2021, and those targets only averaged 6.4 yards of depth. He was thought to be much more as a receiver coming out of nearby Dayton, and just didn't work out in two separate Sean Payton offenses.
Limited production will make Trautman relatively cheap as a 27-year old starting option. He fits the mold of a player needing the right scheme to fully ascend and reach his potential. That's the Bengals' free agency Modus Operandi, and their desire to get a long-term option will have them look here now instead of a Hayden Hurst one-year reunion.
AJ Dillon, running back
2024 age: 26
Projected contract: three years, $10 million ($3.33 million AAV)
While I think it's likely that the Bengals will sign a running back and therefore move on from Joe Mixon, I don't think they'll just sign any kind of replacement. The Bengals will value a player with the size and strength Mixon has carried for years. Call it an archaic AFC North trope, but it's hard to look past that.
Dillon fits that mold better than any back in this tier of free agents. He's nearly 250 pounds but runs well for his size. He's not breaking off any explosive runs, but he does enough in both aspects of the passing game, and can churn out hard yardage up the middle. I believe the Bengals will want those traits secured before moving on from Mixon, and Dillon will cost significantly less in comparison.
Yes, the Bengals need to get more explosive in the run game, and I think that will come from Chase Brown getting more touches, and another running back from the draft.
Rock Ya-Sin, cornerback
2024 age: 28
Projected contract: two years, $5 million ($2.5 million AAV)
Another former Ravens defensive back, because why not? Ya-Sin has been a solid-yet-unspectacular corner for all three teams he's played for in just five years in the league. Cincinnati has seen his most recent tape as they faced him twice this past year.
He knows the division, like Stone, and can start in a pinch. That's ideal for a fourth cornerback.
Justin Jones, defensive tackle
2024 age: 28
Projected contract: one year, $1.5 million
The second defensive tackle they sign probably won't be an expensive one, but it could be a former teammate of one of their starters. Jones and Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill played college ball together at North Carolina State several years ago. Jones' NFL career hasn't panned out quite like Hill's, which will make him extremely affordable as what essentially will be a replacement for Josh Tupou, whose time in Cincinnati looks to be ending after seven years.
I think the Bengals will be very interested in a 3-technique in the draft, as there aren't many enticing options in free agency that fit their budget.
Saahdiq Charles, guard
2024 age: 25
Projected contract: one year, $1.25 million
Finally, a Joe Burrow connection. Charles was Burrow's left tackle at LSU, and has repped at four different offensive line positions in his four years with the Washington Commanders. He's not good enough to start, so he can be this year's Cody Ford.
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