One of the more interesting items to make the rounds with free agency on approach was the idea the Cincinnati Bengals were a great fit for free agent pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
It wasn’t a bad idea — for the right price, of course. The Bengals need pass-rushing help and the front office has talked about targeting veterans similar to Hayden Hurst and his one-year deal now that they aren’t rebuilding.
And now the idea has popped up again courtesy of Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport:
“Ngakoue hasn’t been a player who will post truly gaudy numbers, as he’s hit the 10-sack mark just twice in his career. But he has been consistent. In fact, those 9.5 sacks in 2022 made so that he’s recorded at least eight sacks in each of his first seven seasons—a feat that has been accomplished just five times in the history of the NFL.”
That’s the fun part with Ngakoue — it’s impossible to ignore his production. He’s bounced around with a few different teams lately too, so he might be a guy who unexpectedly gets a short-term deal of the prove-it variety.
At a time the Bengals appear ready to shift more money from the defense to the offense for obvious reasons, Ngakoue might not be in play. But he’s one of those interesting bigger names who might have interest in the Bengals similar to Taylor Lewan.
