Tag: Bengals free agency

Bengals re-sign RB Trayveon Williams before free agency

A re-signing for the Bengals before free agency.

The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed running back Trayveon Williams right before free agency’s legal tampering period opened on Monday.

Cincinnati announced the move as a one-year contract extension.

Williams joined the Bengals via the sixth round in the 2019 draft and has carved out a role on special teams while rushing for five yards per carry over 62 regular-season attempts.

With sophomore Chase Brown assuming the change-of-pace role behind Joe Mixon, Williams could have a prominent role on special teams again in 2024. Cincinnati, though, projects to further add to the position in free agency and/or the draft, with Chris Evans as the other name on the roster.

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Bengals WR Tee Higgins requests trade ahead of free agency

Tee Higgins requests a trade.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has requested a trade.

Roughly two hours before the “legal tampering” window of free agency opened on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the following:

Bengals franchise WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, per sources. Higgins loves Cincinnati and hoped to be with the team long term, but is disappointed that the team has not had any talks about a long-term contract extension since March 2023. He’s ready to move on to a new home.

The Bengals applied the franchise tag to Higgins before the scouting combine and currently have until July 15 to work out a long-term extension with the star wide receiver.

Cincinnati’s quick usage of the $21.8 million franchise tag near the end of February seemed to suggest the team might be open to a trade. But Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin pushed back against that idea at the combine, saying the timing had more to do with the dramatic leap of the salary cap.

Higgins has remained adamant that he would like to remain with the team and Joe Burrow’s latest comments on the franchise tag echo the same sentiment.

Though this has consistently felt like a Jessie Bates situation for the Bengals, a trade request and the timing of it is a new wrinkle. Higgins would have to sign the tag to let a trade go through or a holdout could stretch into the summer.

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Bengals impacted multiple ways with Chris Jones going back to Chiefs

Chris Jones is back in KC and it could impact things like DJ Reader for the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals won’t get a shot at superstar defender Chris Jones, not with the defensive tackle and the Kansas City Chiefs agreeing on a massive extension before free agency opens.

But it goes a little deeper than that.

Yes, Jones to the Bengals has been a fun theory for fans on social media. It wasn’t that outlandish that Jones might look at a contender such as Cincinnati if the Chiefs couldn’t make it work, either.

But more concerning now is how the interior defensive lineman market is shaping up. Jones going back to the Chiefs and Justin Madubuike getting a massive extension with the Baltimore Ravens leaves Cincinnati’s DJ Reader as one of the top left on the market.

Reader’s future with the Bengals was already complicated before these market developments because of the torn quad he suffered late last season — his second injury of that variety since joining the team.

When healthy, Reader is one of the best in the NFL, which would explain why the Bengals have already expressed an interest in bringing him back. But that injury outlook made it hard to see just what type of contract he’ll earn and if the Bengals will play ball.

Now, given the shape of the market, it might not matter. If another team panics and throws more cash at Reader despite the injury risk, the Bengals could be out the centerpiece of the defense and need to shift that to the top of the needs list.

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Bengals roster moves: Cody Ford re-signs before free agency opens

The Bengals make a roster move before free agency.

The Cincinnati Bengals have made their second notable move before free agency with the re-signing of offensive lineman Cody Ford.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo was the first to report the news, confirming it’s a one-year deal.

Ford, a second-round pick in 2019 by the Buffalo Bills, joined the Bengals last season and earned a spot on the final 53-man roster, starting one game last season and appearing in 17.

The first big move before free agency was applying the franchise tag to Tee Higgins. The re-signing of Ford secures some younger (27) depth on the interior with flexibility for tackle play, too, before the line figures to be something they address in free agency and the draft, too.

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Bengals surface on list of free agency fits for Saquon Barkley

Should the Bengals go after Saquon Barkley in free agency?

Whether the Cincinnati Bengals make a change at running back this offseason is one of the big conversations around the team ahead of free agency.

It’s only a growing conversation, too, because of the timing of a Joe Mixon contract bonus right around the time free agency starts.

And that open market features some massive names, including Saquon Barkley.

USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz lists the Bengals as one team that ranks as a smart destination for the star running back:

Fun hypothetical to consider, though it only becomes plausible if the Bengals cut Joe Mixon. Even then, that move would seem to be a precursor to the team curbing its spending at the position rather than revving it up. If Cincinnati is only certain to have Tee Higgins for one more season, though, might it be worth some significant push to make the plodding running game more dynamic? His addition, however implausible, would be quite the way to welcome Joe Burrow back from the torn wrist ligament that prematurely ended his 2023 season.

Normally, a top-two pick like Barkely might not be in the conversation for the Bengals. But this is the running back position, so it’s impossible to tell what the market will actually pay the top guys — and if those top guys might take cheaper short-term deals for a chance to contend.

That’s not to say Barkely will do any such thing. But there’s no point in ruling anything out right now when it comes to running backs, so the Bengals have to make lists like this given their back-friendly offense.

Barkley would be a good fit, to say the least, though the Bengals indeed might want to save money at the spot and shift it to more premium positions.

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Justin Simmons headlines stacked safety target list for Bengals in free agency

The Bengals should add a safety in free agency given all the big names available.

If the Cincinnati Bengals want to add a veteran safety in free agency, they couldn’t have picked a better offseason to do it.

With Denver’s stunning release of four-time second-team All-Pro Justin Simmons on Thursday, these are some of the biggest names on the market:

  • Justin Simmons
  • Jordan Poyer
  • Jamal Adams
  • Kevin Byard
  • Quandre Diggs
  • Rayshawn Jenkins

Cincinnnati finds itself with a major need at the position this offseason after losing both Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell to the open market last offseason.

While former first-rounder Dax Hill and sophomore Jordan Battle will get big play next year, depth is paper-thin with the Nick Scott signing a major downgrade and Tycen Anderson struggling to stay healthy.

Given some of the starter-caliber players suddenly available and the team’s willingness to move Dax Hill’s position around (and the reliance on three-safety sets), it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Bengals throw some big cash at the position.

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Bengals named a top destination for free agent DL Christian Wilkins

Should the Bengals go after Christian Wilkins in free agency?

The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have a choice but to address the defensive interior multiple times this offseason.

Depth was a serious problem for that spot on the roster last season well before DJ Reader went down with a season-ending injury.

Now, tack on that Reader is a free agent this month, too.

Those are a few of the reasons the Bengals are often mentioned alongside Miami Dolphins star Christian Wilkins, including now as one of the best fits for him on the market, per Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox:

The Cincinnati Bengals, though, could provide an enticing home for Wilkins. The Bengals should be an AFC contender again in 2023, assuming quarterback Joe Burrow returns to pre-injury form. Cincinnati could also support Wilkins with premium defensive players like Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, B.J. Hill and Logan Wilson.

The problem for the Bengals is the likelihood Wilkins lands a massive top-of-market deal on the market. They’re not opposed to spending big money lately, but his pricetag might be a bit rich when they need to make multiple additions at the same spot.

On paper, the Bengals figure to bring back Reader — especially after sounding interested in doing so. Taking a prospect as high as the first round is on the table, too.

That’s not to completely rule out the Bengals making such a great fit happen (Orlando Brown only happened last year because his reps reached out to the team, after all), especially because it make so much sense on the field. But it’s more of a cautious-optimism situation.

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Former Bengals C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst available ahead of free agency

Two former Bengals starters are suddenly available again.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a serious need a tight end this offseason — and two of their former starters have hit the open market on the same day.

First, the New York Jets cut ties with C.J. Uzomah. The Carolina Panthers followed by moving on from Hayden Hurst.

Uzomah was in Cincinnati before Hurst, with his departure to join the Jets what caused the arrival of Hurst in the first place. Then, Hurst’s similar departure left an opening the team tried to fill with Irv Smith Jr., which went south quickly.

For the Bengals, a reunion with either guy is a task of judging whether either can offer more or better than the combo of Tanner Hudson and Drew Sample. Both of those guys project to be back — which would leave the role of No. 1 tight end open for a free agent or even early-round rookie to occupy.

Going back to veteran names a few years later might not be the way the front office wants to go unless Uzomah or Hurst are willing to return in a more limited role than they had the last time.

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Bengals will reportedly look closely at safety in free agency

The Bengals will be players on the safety market in free agency, per a new report.

The Cincinnati Bengals, as expected, will put in some work at the safety position this offseason.

Even if the defense hadn’t paced the league in explosive plays permitted last year, the team continues to struggle to fill all the gaps left by losing Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell in the same offseason.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway, the Bengals will keep all options open while looking at the open market:

League sources tell The Enquirer the Bengals are checking in and have shown interest in the safety market ahead of free agency. This makes sense given the uncertainty of where Hill fits in Cincinnati’s defense. It seems highly likely the Bengals will address the safety position with a veteran. Jordan Battle is expected to remain the Bengals’ starting strong safety after a solid first season with the club. Free safety is where Cincinnati has a hole.

Hill’s position being fluid isn’t much of a shock given defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s affinity for three-safety sets and moving guys across formations.

While Hill struggled (compared to the All-Pro he was supposed to help replace), fellow rookie Jordan Battle had to emerge on short notice after free-agent signing Nick Scott flopped and depth piece Tycen Anderson couldn’t stay healthy.

Another veteran safety is the obvious move from here, with the Hill-Battle duo very much going into next season as starters and/or rotational pieces, too.

But expected growing pains for a young, revamped secondary, a lack of pass-rush up front and a complementary offense that struggled was a brutal combination that leaves the Bengals looking for help at the position.

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Bengals’ Jonah Williams has interesting proposed landing spot in free agency

Could Jonah Williams land with this team in free agency?

Much of the attention around the Cincinnati Bengals ahead of free agency has focused on star wideout Tee Higgins.

But there’s also the matter of right tackle Jonah Williams, whose potential departure could leave the line in front of Joe Burrow with serious questions yet again.

In an interesting twist, ESPN’s Matt Bowen suggests that Williams could be an ideal signing for the New England Patriots:

With both starting tackles — Mike Onwenu and Trent Brown — set to hit free agency, the Patriots could shore up the edges of the OL with Williams, a Bengals mainstay this past season. Despite his lack of upper-tier power and length, Williams wins with technique, gaining depth to create blocking angles and pass-set lines. He’d start at the right tackle spot for New England.

That registers as interesting because — as we’ve already noted — Trent Brown might be a solid target for the Bengals on the open market, too. Mike Onwenu would be another Williams replacement they might consider.

And this might be the type of sacrifice the Bengals make in the name of building around big contracts for skill positions like Higgins. Spending less at right tackle for a minor downgrade to keep the money flowing elsewhere might just be what ends up happening.

If this is the scenario that starts to play out, it would also keep the idea of a first-round offensive lineman on the table, too.

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