Bengals 2020 Free-Agency Recap

Overtime Heroics Editorial

1997 days ago

The Cincinnati Bengals put on a SHOW in Free-Agency so far this year. A “show” being relative, of course, because of the team’s lack of moves in previous years. In fact, this is the most activity I’ve seen in the offseason since I was born in the mid-90s. I couldn’t be more excited about the change in culture within both major Cincinnati franchises. As the Reds also made way more moves than they typically do, putting them in a position to challenge for the league title.

Dec 1, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end D.J. Reader (98) celebrates after tackling New England Patriots running back James White (28) for a loss in the second half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Change in Scenery

The city of Cincinnati needed a spark of energy within their sports teams. Fans were beginning to lose faith in either of the organization"s ability to put the club & the fans first rather than the ownerships wallet. There had to be a sense of concern amongst the owners about local support dropping significantly in the near future. Fans of the Reds & the Bengals have grown tired of the same narrative every single year. No money spent in Free-Agency, no communication from the team on the direction they were heading & more losing. But 2020 has been the year of change for Cincinnati. Free-Agent signings of players we"ve heard of, How could that be?

Day One of Free-Agency

The Bengals started slow or, shall I say, non-existent in the free-agent market. As the days went by, all you heard was signing after signing of big names that didn’t involve the Bengals. Every Cincinnati fan started feeling that horrible feeling of "more of the same" from the team they love so much.

Suddenly, there’s breaking news… the Cincinnati Bengals have signed Nose Tackle D.J. Reader from the Houston Texans!? A tier one free-agent signing out of absolutely nowhere. One of the best in the league at his position.

Shortly to follow the team signs Trae Waynes as well, the cornerback from Minnesota. All of a sudden, the Bengals have momentum in the market. The Bengals turned what seemed to be an absent day one of free-agency into a giant win for the defense. Granted, we may have overpaid for Trae Waynes just a little bit at three years/$42M but worth it to have them signing top tier players.

Addition Bengals Signings

The Bengals also brought in ANOTHER Minnesota Cornerback in Mackensie Alexander. This is a player that I’m excited about for next season. It seemed as if every Vikings fan was extremely upset in losing Alexander. He was one of the only corners in the NFL to play 500+ snaps without a penalty in 2019. He also didn’t have a single missed tackle in that time frame. The team also added a guard from the Cowboys Xavier Su’a-Filo on a $1 million base salary, who will mainly serve as depth at the position.

They also picked up special teams specialist Mike Thomas from the Los Angeles Rams. Mike Thomas, not to be confused with Saints star Michael Thomas, will compete for the sixth wide receiver spot on the team. Lastly, they’ve brought in Torry McTyer a cornerback who will compete for a roster spot.

Departures

The Bengals did lose a fair amount of players to free agency. None of the guys lost are going to be detrimental to the team"s success after the signings they made. Cornerback Darqueze Dennard, Safety Clayton Fejedelem, Defensive Tackle Andrew Billings & cornerback Tony McRae have all signed with other teams. I was not thrilled to lose Darqueze, but with the cornerback signings they brought in, we are better off. The Bengals also terminated the contracts of left tackle Cordy Glenn, right guard John Miller & cornerback B.W Webb, saving $15.2M in cap space for the team.

What’s Next for The Bengals

The Bengals are looking to get rid of the contracts of quarterback Andy Dalton and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. Unfortunately, it appears they will not be able to trade either player. Instead, they may be forced to release them into free-agency.

As the Bears grabbed Nick Foles and the Patriots declared they are not interested in Dalton, the Bengals may not get anything in return for him after all. Look for the team to add a couple more small signings for depth at the linebacker and guard position. I have this feeling that Cincinnati might make one more big splash in the offseason, whether it"s a trade or a relatively big signing before it"s all said and done. Keep your eyes out for linebacker Mark Barron or safety Vonn Bell coming into town.

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