Yannick Ngakoue has been mentioned as a free agency fit with the Cincinnati Bengals multiple times this offseason.
Make that at least three times now.
Listing every team’s dream signing this offseason, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine slotted Ngakoue as the name for the Bengals:
Yannick Ngakoue fits that profile. The pass-rusher has been unable to stick with a team since being traded from Jacksonville after four seasons. Ngakoue is a limited run defender. At 6’2″, 246 pounds, he’s never been a great edge-setter.
He does know how to get after the quarterback, though. He’s never had fewer than eight sacks in a season, and he’s posted 19.5 sacks over the last two years.
As we’ve mentioned other times this idea has popped up…it’s actually a really good idea for the Bengals.
It’s no secret the team will be after pass-rushing help this offseason. And Ngakoue, specifically, is an interesting case. There’s a good chance he has a quieter-than-expected market because he’s a subpackage pass-rusher and teams won’t want to pay him as an every-down player. Add in the fact the Bengals need this exact help and are Super Bowl contenders and it creates an interesting outlook.
While pass-rushing help could come from the draft, the Bengals would have to raise a serious eyebrow if Ngakoue has a quiet market.
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