The Cincinnati Bengals did seemingly everything they could to improve a subpar defense.
Apparently, it wasn’t enough for ESPN’s Seth Walder in his grades for the 2026 NFL offseason
.The analytics writer didn’t think Cincinnati went about rebuilding the defense the right way. He called the trade for Dexter Lawrence “unwise” and “too pricey a trade” for a “good player who has been elite in the past.”
Walder cited Lawrence’s 8.4% pass rush win rate and 0.5 sacks last season as evidence that the 28-year-old
nose tackle is on the decline.
The analyst then criticized the Jonathan Allen signing, writing, “he didn’t produce much last season in Minnesota or in eight games with the Commanders the year before.”
Of course, Walder did like some things. He approves of the Boye Mafe signing, saying, “Mafe has always fared well in the win rates.” Still, the analyst has questions about the former Seattle Seahawk taking on a larger workload in Cincinnati.
You can read his entire analysis here.
And check out our discussion of what the Bengals need to do with their remaining cap space below.
