Free Agency 2024

[Jamie_B]

2 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

 

The Bengals need to reconsider their no talks during the season approach. Had they gotten ahead of this they may not have lost Reader. Same with the Tee requested trade.

[JC]

DJ can say what he wants but the Bengals weren’t giving him $9M guaranteed so it wouldn’t have mattered whether they started talking week 1 or in FA.

[stryker57]

i think what DJ was saying is , the entire off season they didnt talk 

and i understand if there are no talks going on in cincy, then when the window opens you have your agent talk to whom ever wants to talk. 

i personally think cincy management was probably waiting to see how the knee responded, 

banking on other teams would be cautious with a DT just having knee surgery

and it looks like they waited too long

[sparky151]

Yeah, if DJ wasn't hurt, they would have made him an offer before free agency opened. But with his knee injury, the Bengals were simply more cautious than other teams. Maybe it will prove wise if they can find a good replacement for him in the draft. But whoever that is won't be playing at the pre-injury level of Reader as a rookie. 

[stryker57]

But i also wonder if we would have kept DJ.( i am a big dj fan) how long before we would have got the pre injury DT?  not knocking him or his rehab, just your not going to blow out a big mans knees and have him be back in 6-8 months

 

[texbengal]

11 minutes ago, stryker57 said:

But i also wonder if we would have kept DJ.( i am a big dj fan) how long before we would have got the pre injury DT?  not knocking him or his rehab, just your not going to blow out a big mans knees and have him be back in 6-8 months

 

100% - loved the guy, but he's no kid and he's had injury issues - bad enough for any player, but a huge dude, 330+, and knee-related, two major surgeries and rehab in 3 years? That's a lot of stress on the knees. And yeah, I'd be surprised if he answered the bell at the start of the season. But if/when healthy, Detroit has a helluva defensive front. 

I believe DJ was rehabbing at the Bengals' facility, so they were able to monitor his progress. Not that they didn't want him, and what he brought to the team, both on the field and in the locker room and community - and he will be hard to replace. But I don't blame the Bengals for treading lightly. 

[|BlackJesus|]

^ Re: DJ ... I think the Bengals may also be shifting their defensive scheme somewhat and wanting two 3-techs on the field, rather than a traditional NT.  If they don't draft Sweat they may have to go that route by default anyway.

 

But if they draft Byron Murphy or Newton at 18, then all their DTs will be on the smaller but quicker side. Great for rushing the passer and beating the Chiefs and Texans in January, but not ideal for stopping the running teams in the AFC North unless you get a lead on them early. 

[BBR]

I wouldn't be surprised if they add more IDL that are better at rushing the passer that they are at stopping the run.  All the analytics are pointing to it being a more successful approach to be better against the pass than it is to be better against the run.  The number of times teams run the ball appears to be trending downward too.  I keep seeing articles all over the place about exactly that.  All of the fancy charts and models show it.

What if they go with Byron Murphy and someone else like Michael Hall Jr.  That could add a lot of spice to the interior pass rush rotation.

[texbengal]

59 minutes ago, BBR said:

I wouldn't be surprised if they add more IDL that are better at rushing the passer that they are at stopping the run.  All the analytics are pointing to it being a more successful approach to be better against the pass than it is to be better against the run.  The number of times teams run the ball appears to be trending downward too.  I keep seeing articles all over the place about exactly that.  All of the fancy charts and models show it.

What if they go with Byron Murphy and someone else like Michael Hall Jr.  That could add a lot of spice to the interior pass rush rotation.

 

Possibly, but something to keep in mind, AFC N teams are run-heavy with King Henry, Harris/Warren, and an assumed healthy Chubb and then come playoff time with the weather, run D takes more center stage. So they need to make sure they're at least capable of playing competently in that situation and not getting totally shredded. If they don't, teams will play ball control and the Bengals' offense will have little margin for error. 

[sparky151]

6 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

^ Re: DJ ... I think the Bengals may also be shifting their defensive scheme somewhat and wanting two 3-techs on the field, rather than a traditional NT.  If they don't draft Sweat they may have to go that route by default anyway.

 

But if they draft Byron Murphy or Newton at 18, then all their DTs will be on the smaller but quicker side. Great for rushing the passer and beating the Chiefs and Texans in January, but not ideal for stopping the running teams in the AFC North unless you get a lead on them early. 

 

One strategy would be to take the pass rushing DT early. Murphy/Newton at 18 and pair them with a day 3 pick of Kristian Boyd or Evan Anderson or McKinnley Jackson as the big body. That means instead of being married to picking Sweat/Jenkins at 49 we could go OT or WR or CB or IOL. 

[|BlackJesus|]

Screw Pop Tart ... Mail him the bill for his Jeff Ruby's 🥩

 

[Griever]

 

[|High School Harry|]

1 hour ago, Griever said:

 

 

Ew, David

[MichaelWeston]

This might be somewhere else but Logan Woodside was added as a camp arm

 

Mitch Wilcox signed with the PAts

[sparky151]

Welcome back!

[claptonrocks]

On 3/18/2024 at 3:00 PM, Le Tigre said:

Wonder who the "BIG players" are? Maybe some other semi-stiff can be found for RT, but where is the wide-butt blocker-eater at even Pop Tart level? 

He's here now in the form of a monster named Amarius...😎

[|High School Harry|]

While Free Agency 2024 is currently dormant until some player the Bengals deem too good to pass up (running back, perhaps?) is cut by another team and a Bengals JAG ham-'n-egger goes in IR with a mystery injury let's take a Sour Apples Harry look at Bengals Screw Ups Past...just for gits and shiggles... 

 

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-worst-free-agent-signings-cincinnati-bengals/

 

Worst Cincinnati Bengals Signings of All Time: From Antwan Odom to Antonio Bryan

 

5) Preston Brown (2019)

After getting a solid return on their investment in Brown in 2018, the Bengals gave the linebacker and Cincinnati native a three-year, $16.5 million extension in 2019.

The new contract included a $4.8 million signing bonus, which eclipsed the $4 million Brown made in 2018 when he only started seven games before knee and ankle injuries ended his season.

Brown started the first eight games in 2019. But frustrated with the linebacker’s weight and lack of production, the team benched him for the ninth game and cut him the following week.

After playing three games with the Raiders, Brown got cut again. He finished that season with the Jaguars and never played another down in the NFL.

 

4) Antwan Odom (2008)

It’s odd to see the name of someone who still holds a franchise record on this list, but outside of one memorable game in Green Bay, Antwan Odom was an expensive flop for the Bengals.

Cincinnati gave Odom a five-year, $29.5 million contract after his eight-sack season with the Tennessee Titans in 2007.

Odom battled injuries and had just three sacks in 2008. But in 2009, he had two in the season opener against Denver a franchise-record five (sacks) the following week at Green Bay.   👈 great trivia question, there

But an Achilles injury in Week 6 ended his season, and he played just four games in 2010 due to injuries and a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Odom ended up getting $18.7 million of his $29.5 million contract, and the Bengals got little production in return.

He never played another down in the NFL.

 

3) Trae Waynes (2020)

After going 2-14 in 2019, the Bengals made their deepest dive into free agency in 2020 to try to build a competent roster around No. 1 pick Joe Burrow.

While two players in that 2020 free agent class — Vonn Bell and DJ Reader — made the list of the best Bengals signings of all time, Waynes counts among the worst.

The Bengals gave Waynes a three-year, $42 million contract, but the cornerback suffered a season-ending pectoral injury while weightlifting before he ever took the field in training camp.

Waynes missed the first three games of 2021 with a hamstring injury before making his Bengals debut in Week 4.

He played so poorly that he was a healthy scratch in Weeks 6-14 before making two starts late in the season, one being the finale in Cleveland when the Bengals rested all of the starters and regulars.

Cincinnati ended up paying Waynes $30.8 million for four starts, 12 tackles, one pass defended, and no interceptions.

Waynes never played another down in the NFL.

 

2) Laveranues Coles (2009)

Looking to find a WR2 to pair with Chad Johnson after T.J. Houshmandzadeh signed with the Seattle Seahawks, the Bengals gave Laveranues Coles a four-year, $27.5 million contract.

Coles turned 32 during the 2009 season, and it was clear he no longer could separate from cornerbacks, frustrating quarterback Carson Palmer and many others in the organization.

Coles caught just 43 passes on 77 targets for 514 yards and five touchdowns.

The Bengals cut him after the season to sign the No. 1 worst signing on this list.

 

1 Antonio Bryant (2010)

Forget Cincinnati history — this might be the worst free agent signing in NFL annals.

The Bengals either missed or ignored Antonio Bryant’s knee injury when they signed him to a four-year, $27 million contract, which was almost a carbon copy of the contract they had given Coles the year before.

Their return on investment in Bryant? One practice.

The 29-year-old wide receiver said after his first practice in training camp that the muscles around his knee weren’t healed enough for him to go full speed.

Bryant continued to sit out until the day after the third preseason game when the Bengals cut him, meaning they ended up paying him $8.5 million for one half-speed practice.

Bryant never played another snap in the league.

 

 

 

[Jamie_B]

Hard to knock them on Odom, he was a beast in TN just never lived up to the hype here.

[texbengal]

11 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

Hard to knock them on Odom, he was a beast in TN just never lived up to the hype here.

 

Odom was on his way in 2009 after that 5-sack game... he was playing well. Just got hurt and was never the same after that. He was the only guy of the 5 on that list that played worth a damn. 

Coles was kinda OK for one year, but that was it. Funny, saw a guy at the gym one day and he had a Bengals' jersey with Antonio Bryant's number on it. I went to talk to him, turns out he was a friend of his. He could really play when he was healthy but clearly, the Bengals botched that from the jump.

 

Brown was straight-up garbage and Waynes was a total miscalculation... he was terrible. 

[sparky151]

Bryant was a very good player once upon a time, He won the Biletnikoff award in college and played well for the Cowboys. But the Bengals team doctors were once again terrible when they signed off on his knee. Maybe they spent all their time on Richie Braham's bruise or something. 

[|High School Harry|]

3 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

Hard to knock them on Odom, he was a beast in TN just never lived up to the hype here.

 

3 hours ago, texbengal said:

 

Odom was on his way in 2009 after that 5-sack game... he was playing well. Just got hurt and was never the same after that. He was the only guy of the 5 on that list that played worth a damn. 

Coles was kinda OK for one year, but that was it. Funny, saw a guy at the gym one day and he had a Bengals' jersey with Antonio Bryant's number on it. I went to talk to him, turns out he was a friend of his. He could really play when he was healthy but clearly, the Bengals botched that from the jump.

 

Brown was straight-up garbage and Waynes was a total miscalculation... he was terrible. 

 

3 hours ago, sparky151 said:

Bryant was a very good player once upon a time, He won the Biletnikoff award in college and played well for the Cowboys. But the Bengals team doctors were once again terrible when they signed off on his knee. Maybe they spent all their time on Richie Braham's bruise or something. 

To be fair, these five are all from the 21st century.

I'm sure there were some other real turkeys going all the way back but can't think of any off the top of my head.

A.J. Hawk didn't set the Bengal world on fire, for example.

[Le Tigre]

Honorable Mentions

Gus Frerotte, QB, Signed: May 2002

Gus Frerotte beat out Jon Kitna for the starting quarterback job in training camp. Frerotte started three games and got a quick pull from Dick Labeau after completing 51.8% of his passes for 437 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions.

Frerotte became the eighth quarterback to start for the Bengals from 1997-2002. That group included Jeff Blake, Neil O'Donnell, Akili Smith and Kitna. Only four quarterbacks across the league had a worse DVOA than Frerotte in his one-year run with the Bengals.