Bengals' most improved player could be costly for the front office
PFF recently put out a list of every teams most-improved player for the 2022 season. The most improved player for the Bengals is an interesting name: linebacker, Germaine Pratt. Pratt was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and has improved every year, since. 2022 featured the best PFF grade of his […]
PFF recently put out a list of every teams most-improved player for the 2022 season. The most improved player for the Bengals is an interesting name: linebacker, Germaine Pratt.
Pratt was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and has improved every year, since. 2022 featured the best PFF grade of his career, which was an 80.6 overall grade that included a 90.1 grade in pass coverage. His coverage grade ended up the best among all linebackers in the NFL.
This is obviously great news for the Bengals, however, the catch-22 is that 2022 was the last year of Pratt's rookie deal.
The Bengals are in a situation where they can afford to pay Pratt, however. Spotrac estimates his contract value is around $10.6 million annually. That still might be considered a value given some of the linebacker wages in the NFL (think Shaq Leonard and Roquan Smith) and the value Pratt brings to the Bengals.
The only two other linebackers that are free agents for the Bengals are Joe Bachie and Clay Johnston and they are both restricted free agents. So, they shouldn't be too difficult to retain if the Bengals choose to do so.
The main question when it comes to the Bengals' former third-rounder is simple: how much did Pratt's play raise his price tag, and is Cincy willing to pay it?
© Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
