The hype of free agency has come and gone and now it’s time to look at what teams have gained and lost since March 16th and where they stand as they prepare for the upcoming draft. Let’s break down the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati Bengals
Key acquisitions: G Alex Cappa, G Ted Karras, OT La’el Collins, TE Hayden Hurst
Re-signed: FS Jessie Bates (franchise), DT B.J. Hill, CB Eli Apple, LS Clark Harris, CB Tre Flowers, S Michael Thomas, DT Josh Tupou, WR Mike Thomas
Departures: TE C.J. Uzomah (Jets), C Trey Hopkins, CB Darius Phillips (Raiders), CB Trae Waynes, WR Auden Tate (Falcons), OT Fred Johnson (Buccaneers)
Remaining free agents: DT Larry Ogunjobi, G Quinton Spain, OT Riley Reiff, LB Jordan Evans, CB Vernon Hargreaves, P Kevin Huber, DT Zach Kerr
Analysis: Offensive line. Offensive line. Offensive line. That is what the Bengals heard all of last season, throughout the playoffs, and all offseason after their Super Bowl loss to the Rams. They needed to fix their offensive line, and that’s exactly what they did. Much like their AFC Champion predecessor Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals reworked their entire line, signing three new starters, two of which were at the very beginning of the legal tampering period, and one fell into their lap later on.
The first guy to sign was former Buccaneers right guard Alex Cappa, who’s been a very good full-time starter the last three seasons, to a four-year contract. Then they signed former Patriots semi-starter Ted Karras to a three-year deal. He was a backup early in his career, but always played well when asked to start. Now he gets a chance to be the guy, either at guard or center. The final guy was La’el Collins, who was cut by the Cowboys in a salary cap move, and he gets a three-year deal himself to play right tackle. That’s three new starters, with Jonah Williams already at left tackle, with a question mark at an interior spot. I would guess Cappa would play right guard, with Karras at either left guard or center. The team released Trey Hopkins, who’s been a starter the last five seasons mostly at center, and Quinton Spain is still a free agent after two seasons as a left guard starter. The team has Jackson Carman (six starts), Hakeem Adeniji (14 starts over two seasons) and Trey Hill (three starts) on the roster who could compete for the final spot.
After spending all that money on offensive line, the rest went to re-signing a lot of their own guys. Their first move was franchise tagging safety Jessie Bates, who had an incredible playoff run that will earn him a lot of money if the Bengals can sign him to an extension before the July 15th deadline.
They also gave an extension to another playoff hero in defensive tackle B.J. Hill. After being acquired before the season for former first-round bust Billy Price, Hill emerged as a key starter and made big plays in the playoffs to make a name for himself. He gets a three-year extension to stick around.
A few guys in the secondary got short-term extensions in Eli Apple and Tre Flowers. Apple played very well for the team in 2021, but all that is forgotten after he gave up the game-winning touchdown to Cooper Kupp in the Super Bowl. Fans won’t forgive him for it, hopefully he can regain the reputation he had worked to change after flaming out with the Giants a few years ago. Flowers is a guy who has a lot of starting experience with the Seahawks, but was cut and was a special teamer and spot starter in Cincy, and gets a chance for an increased role. Also worth noting the release of Trae Waynes, who signed a big deal in 2020, but missed that entire season and most of this past season due to injury after five years in Minnesota. Goes to show not all deals work out and understanding when it’s time to move on from a mistake. They also let Darius Phillips sign with the Raiders, who was a very good return specialist and was a starter in 2020, but they have plenty of depth.
A key member of the franchise signed elsewhere this offseason. Tight end C.J. Uzomah signed with the Jets after seven seasons in Cincinnati and turned himself into an important starter the last few seasons and an important member of the community. To replace him the Bengals signed former first-rounder Hayden Hurst, formerly of the Ravens and Falcons.
Conclusion: The Bengals did it right this offseason. They listened to criticism, identified the issue, and fixed it. They have a new-look offensive line for Joe Burrow to not get killed by, and hopefully this helps them continue in their establishment as a legitimate team. The Bengals need to prove that 2021 was not a fluke and that they are here to stay and dominate, but it won’t be easy. The competition is insane in the AFC, and the North is still a very competitive division, but with an offense led by Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, anything is possible.
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