The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive fronts in football, but that doesn’t mean the team shouldn’t be eyeballing some of the remaining names in free agency.
Those Bengals, after all, lost Larry Ogunjobi to free agency while bringing back B.J. Hill on a big extension, leaving a gap at interior pass-rusher next to D.J. Reader.
Of course, the fact Ogunjobi is still a free agent spurs this conversation.
Ogunjobi had his massive free-agent deal with the Bears fall through due to a medical issue and though a reunion sounded unlikely in late March, an early May visit with the Jets hasn’t led to anything.
A reunion might be ideal for both parties if Ogunjobi doesn’t have something new by training camp, as this was the strong environment that helped him become a sought-after free agent last year.
Still, this second-tier market of free agency boasts other intriguing names for the Bengals:
- Akiem Hicks
- Eddie Goldman
- Sheldon Richardson
That’s just to name a few, but the point is simple — there’s no downside to adding someone like Ogunjobi soon if the market isn’t moving. More bodies and competition is only a good thing.
The Bengals could sit on their hands here and hope that some tandem of rookie Zach Carter and guys like Khalid Kareem can kick inside in certain packages and fronts to cover this gap. But with free agency offering some notables at affordable prices, it would be surprising to see them not at least browse the market, if not make a move.
