Every season for the last few years, every Bengals fan has said some version of “this is the biggest offseason in franchise history.” After going to the Super Bowl in ‘21 and the AFC Championship in ‘22, they’ve missed the playoffs three seasons in a row, and if they don’t get things right, heads could finally start to roll.
The defense needs to be overhauled. Struggles on that side of the ball have largely been the reason the team has been held out of the playoffs over the last two seasons, and improvements
need to be made at all three levels.
Typically, when free agency opens, the Bengals only like to dip their toes in the water. They’re usually not willing to jump all the way in until a couple of days have passed and the big names are gone.
That didn’t happen this year.
Legal tampering opened, and the Bengals immediately landed themselves a new safety and edge rusher.
First came the news that the Bengals signed former Bearcats and Chiefs safety Bryan Cook. Geno Stone struggled with missed tackles over the last two seasons, and in response, Duke Tobin and company landed Cook, who is a very sure tackler.
In 2025, he earned an overall defensive grade of 83.5, per pff, with a run-defense grade of 80.1, a coverage grade of 83.2, and a tackling grade of 88.4.
He’ll step in next to Jordan Battle, at least for now, and hopefully help turn things around for Al Golden’s secondary.
Then they signed former Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe, making him the first free agent in franchise history to land a contract worth $20 million. Mafe only had two sacks in 2025, but he had over 40 pressures and ranked in the top 10 in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate.
If he builds on the progress he made in Seattle, he could become the team’s best pass rusher. Will that mean he’s as good as Trey Hendrickson? No, absolutely not. But he comes in and stops the Bengals from being desperate enough to overpay someone without as much potential—or worse, force their hand early in the draft.
Have they done a good job so far?
Yes. If I were to give them a grade, I’d go with an A to A- right now. They needed to address edge and safety, and they did so on Day 1.
So now what do they need to do?
Well, they’re not done—or at least they shouldn’t be done—with the defense. They could use more help in the secondary as well as at linebacker.
Cam Taylor-Britt took a big step back in 2025, and he’s a free agent who likely won’t be back. The front office is working on extending Dax Hill and DJ Turner, but there is still a need for another starting corner and additional depth.
Marshon Lattimore or Trevon Diggs would certainly make a splash if the Bengals were able to land one of them, but there are plenty of options available, at least for now. Greg Newsome, Jeff Okudah, and former Bengals corner Marco Wilson are among them.
Then there’s linebacker. Long-time linebacker Logan Wilson is now gone along with Germaine Pratt, and they were replaced by 2025 draft picks Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter. The new linebackers both flashed at times, but the unit could definitely be upgraded.
Kenneth Murray and Devin Lloyd are two free agents they could target, but there are several others who could step in and help fill the void. That includes Wilson—which would be cool only because I have his jersey—and Akeem Davis-Gaither, another former Bengal we know well.
On the offensive side of the ball, I would understand if the front office decided to add some depth on the offensive line, especially at tackle since Orlando Brown Jr. is in a contract year. Maybe they add a tight end to the roster to replace Noah Fant, but that side of the ball is pretty set.
Special teams is set too.
The whole point is to avoid going into the draft with a glaring need that has to be addressed immediately. When a team enters the draft intent on filling a specific need, they tend to pass up better players simply because those players play a different position. That’s not how you build a winning football team.
Without any glaring holes on the roster, the Bengals would be able to select the best available player at No. 10 (within reason, of course), whether that be a safety, linebacker, defensive tackle, edge rusher, cornerback, or maybe even a tight end. That’s a large net—and a much better chance the guy they grab will be able to make an immediate impact.
What were your thoughts after Monday came to a close? Are you satisfied? What moves do you want them to make moving forward? What grade do you give them so far?
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