Tag: Bengals undrafted free agency

Bengals give UDFA RB Jacob Saylors notable signing bonus

The Bengals dished some cash to sign an UDFA.

The Cincinnati Bengals addressed the running back position once in the 2023 NFL draft, then followed up by doing so again in undrafted free agency.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Bengals gave East Tennessee State running back Jacob Saylors a $10,000 signing bonus to get him under wraps.

Saylors, 5’11” and 195 pounds, ran for 1,314 yards and 15 touchdowns last year on a 5.8 average over 226 attempts. On just 143 totes in 2021, he ran for 1,019 and 10 scores on a 7.1 average. He’s caught at least 19 passes in each of the last two seasons, too.

The Buccaneers standout will compete with the likes of Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams behind Joe Mixon and draft pick Chase Brown.

Our whole undrafted free agency tracker is here.

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Bengals finally add TE with UDFA Christian Trahan finalizing deal

The Bengals add a tight end with Christian Trahan in undrafted free agency.

The Cincinnati Bengals surprised some fans by not taking a tight end in the 2023 NFL draft.

But they will add at least one during undrafted free agency.

According to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle, the Bengals and Houston standout Christian Trahan are finalizing a deal in the wake of the draft ending.

Trahan, 6’3″ and 245 pounds, had 23 catches for 237 yards and three scores last season. The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez explained his versatility:

Christian Trahan is a versatile tight end for Houston that plays multiple roles. Trahan will occasionally line up as an outside receiver to take advantage of matchups if the linebacker follows him in man. Trahan will also align as a slot receiver to give the quarterback a big target running the seam in the middle of the field. But Trahan’s best alignment is in the H-back position where he does so many things. From this alignment, Trahan can go in motion and act as a lead blocker on run plays.

Trahan will have a massive opportunity in Cincinnati, where the Bengals lost three tight ends before signing Irv Smith Jr. and bringing back Drew Sample.

Cincinnati could still re-up with Mitchell Wilcox at a later date too, but it was surprising to see the position go unaddressed over the course of eight picks.

Our whole undrafted free agency tracker is here.

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Bengals invite UDFA Mac Hippenhammer to rookie minicamp

More undrafted free agency news for the Bengals, this time with WR Mac Hippenhammer.

The Cincinnati Bengals will keep it local with one of their potential undrafted free agent additions, inviting wide receiver Mac Hippenhammer to training camp.

The news of the invitation for the Miami (OH) standout comes courtesy of Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

Hippenhammer, 5’11” and 190 pounds, had 700-plus receiving yards in each of his last two seasons and scored 14 total touchdowns.

Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline detailed his strengths:

Penn State transfer who turned in a pair of productive seasons at Miami. Very quick, displays proper eye/hand coordination, and consistently extends to snatch the ball out of the air. Tracks the deep pass, gets vertical, and fights to come away with the reception. Extends and exposes himself to the big hit in order to make the catch. Plays tough football. Gives effort running after the catch.

The Bengals drafted two wide receivers, but Hippenhammer will have a chance to come in and compete as the team thinks about potentially needing to replace Tyler Boyd after 2023.

Our whole undrafted free agency tracker is here.

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Bengals to sign UDFA S Larry Brooks III

The Bengals add to the defense via undrafted free agency.

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t done adding to the secondary after the 2023 NFL draft thanks to undrafted free agency.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bengals will sign Tulane safety Larry Brooks III, who put up 212 tackles and nine interceptions over four seasons.

Brooks impressed scouts at the Gridiron Showcase, as noted by CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt:

Brooks was awesome during the week. You’d think he was an offensive player with the amount of passes that found their way into his hands. He’s excellent both in off-coverage as he is in tight man-to-man. He’s another player who got a lot of buzz from the scouts in attendance.

The Bengals have a logjam at safety now, but a knack for timely turnovers is something that will grab the attention of all decision-makers in Cincinnati quickly.

Our whole undrafted free agency tracker is here.

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Bengals to sign UDFA OL Jaxson Kirkland

The first UDFA for the Bengals is Jaxson Kirkland.

The Cincinnati Bengals got their trip to undrafted free agency after the 2023 draft started with Washington guard Jaxson Kirkland.

The move, reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, might just have big upside. At one point, Kirkland was a prospect being mocked in the mid-rounds and his versatility and experience all over lines are traits the team will like.

Here’s a writeup from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Kirkland is likely to ply his trade as a guard, but he might be able to step in at tackle in a pinch. His barrel-chested, high-cut frame looks out of place at guard. He is unable to generate the leverage or power needed as a downhill blocker but does a decent job on positional blocks on the move. In protection, bull rushers can get under him and drive him into the pocket, but he’s quick with his hands and can get on top of rushers quickly when he needs to. His pass protection background could bolster his chances as a Day 3 pick and future backup.

In a move that says a lot about how the team feels about the offensive line, the Bengals didn’t use even one of their eight picks on the positional unit.

That doesn’t mean the 6’7″ Kirkland doesn’t have a shot though, as he’ll compete with the likes of backups Max Scharping and Hakeem Adeniji for work on the interior.

Our whole undrafted free agency tracker is here.

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Bengals undrafted free agency tracker after 2023 NFL draft

The latest buzz on the Cincinnati Bengals and 2023 NFL undrafted free agents.

The Cincinnati Bengals will use the 2023 undrafted free agent class to round out depth across the roster and potentially unearth a steal or two.

Those Bengals used the early rounds of the draft to address the defensive side of the ball for the second year in a row. That, after using free agency to patch most of the team’s major holes well enough that the front office could use a best-player-available approach for the entire draft.

Now, the focus moves to UDFA, where connections the team made during the pre-draft process usually pay off big. Here’s a look at the reported additions for the Bengals.

Note: These are unofficial. None of these signings will become official until confirmed by the team.

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Bengals undrafted free agency tracker

Here’s a look at a reported Cincinnati Bengals undrafted free agency tracker.

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The Cincinnati Bengals started the 2020 NFL draft outright with Joe Burrow and end it on the hunt looking for undrafted free agents.

Zac Taylor’s Bengals made plenty of splashes last year in undrafted free agency with guys like Stanley Morgan, Jake Dolegala and even developmental guys like Keaton Sutherland.

This year’s undrafted class should be a little more interesting than usual. Teams stuck with guys they had more data on due to the all-virtual format and upcoming camps will be virtual too. There should be big talent available on the open market.

Here is a look at reported Bengals undrafted free-agent signings.

Note: These are unofficial. None of these signings will become official until confirmed by the team.

 

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