After the pains of letting players like Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler go too soon, the team has been right pretty much every time on letting players walk.
The Bengals Haven’t Just Hit Homers in Free Agency, They’re Nearly Batting a Thousand in Letting Guys Walk
Perhaps the line of demarcation is a coincidence, or maybe the lessons letting Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler walk out the door in 2017 is a driving factor in the sharp turn of fortunes for the Cincinnati front office.
How Health and Trey Hendrickson Are Helping Joseph Ossai Eye A Break-Out Season On Bengals Edge
“These guys are great,” Ossai says of the staff. “Joey (Boese), Todd (Hunt), Garrett (Swanson), they put together a great program. It’s free. So that’s also a perk and you just get to hang out with the guys. Work out with your boys. Work out with your teammates. It’s a great atmosphere, to be honest.”
Report: Cincinnati Bengals plan to release Joe Mixon
Mixon, 27, is set to enter the final year of a four-year extension he inked with Cincinnati in 2020. He agreed to restructure the deal this past July, taking a near $3 million salary decrease from what he made in 2022. Mixon said at the time he agreed to the reworked deal to help the Bengals field a Super Bowl caliber team.
Cincinnati Bengals Select JC Latham, Theo Johnson in ESPN’s Latest Two-Round Mock Draft
“Joe Burrow is set to return next season from a right wrist injury, but with tackle Jonah Williams hitting the free agent market, the Bengals could be left with a hole on the right side of an offensive line that has to keep the QB upright in 2024,” Reid wrote. “They are known to value offensive tackles who can set the depth of the pocket — as evidenced by the signing of Orlando Brown Jr. — and Latham fits that criteria. At 6-6 and 342 pounds, he has good size and quickness, and he’s a really good run blocker.”
Five players the Bengals could target in free agency
The primary positions of need for the Bengals are defensive tackle, safety, right tackle and tight end. What the Bengals do in free agency will very much shape their draft plans. Cincinnati will enter free agency with an estimated $52 million in cap space to work with.
5 possible Tee Higgins trade partners for Bengals before free agency
While Joe Burrow is a guy who wants Higgins back, if another team offers a first-round pick and frees the Bengals of needing to give him a top-of-market extension before they do the same for Ja’Marr Chase, the front office might just blink.
Bengals load up on weapons for Joe Burrow in post-combine mock drafts
For such an approach to work out, the front office will need to either retain right tackle Jonah Williams in free agency or find a suitable replacement who can start for one year at a minimum.
