Cincinnati Bengals 2024 offseason primer

Highlights

• The Bengals 2023 season was marred by injuries; the team faced issues but showed resilience.
• Cincinnati’s passing game had problems, but Ja’Marr Chase continued to prove he is one of the league’s best at wide receiver.
• The team will have to make some tough decisions on veterans like D.J. Reader, Tyler Boyd, and Jonah Williams.

The 2023 season was a roller coaster for the Cincinnati Bengals, and the ride unfortunately ended low for the team. Despite finishing 9-8 on the year, the team finished last in the AFC North and dropped two of their final three contests to push themselves out of the playoff picture.

Joe Burrow entered the year dealing with a calf strain that limited the offense, and once the fourth-year quarterback appeared to be getting in rhythm, he suffered a bizarre wrist injury in Week 11 that took him out for the remainder of the campaign.

Now, the team enters the offseason with plenty of optimism—but plenty of unknowns as well. They have key veterans set to hit the open market, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan is gone after accepting the Tennessee Titans head coaching gig, and there are looming extensions to consider when managing their money. So, let’s forecast the months ahead in the jungle.

Bengals bright spots of 2023

Before injuries, Cincinnati seemed on track for a great season

Offensively, the Bengals started out the year rough largely due to Burrow’s calf injury. However, the team looked like they had turned over a new leaf in Week 5 and ripped off four straight victories, including wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills.

Despite the issues in the passing game, Ja’Marr Chase continued to prove he was one of the league’s top receivers with 100 receptions and over 1,200 yards on the year in his 16 games played. The team showed resilience in the absence of Burrow, going 4-3 without their talisman. While Jake Browning filled in admirably, there is reason to believe the team would have reached the postseason if not for their star passer’s extended absence.

Defensively, the pass rush shined. Trey Hendrickson tied for the second-most sacks in the NFL with 17.5, and Sam Hubbard chipped in with an additional six on the season. As a unit, the team was able to create consistent pressure: despite only blitzing on 21.6% of snaps (seventh-lowest in the NFL), they ranked 14th with their 22.1% pressure rate.

Bengals areas for improvement

Jessie Bates was missed in 2023

There was promise in 2023 for Cincinnati, but to blame all of their struggles on injuries would be disingenuous. The team had issues on both sides of the football that would have been more notable if not covered by the guise of missing pieces. The team has the potential to be a contender when healthy, but to go into this offseason stagnant and sitting on their hands would be a costly error that could come back to bite them in 2024.

By franchise-tagging wideout Tee Higgins, the Bengals have officially locked in the dynamic trio for 2024. While the future of Joe Mixon still comes with some clouds of doubt, he likely holds onto the starting role, while the team spends a Day 2 pick at running back to eventually eat into his carries as the season progresses.

Tight end is the position of concern, as the Bengals have four hitting the TE free agency market, leaving them with none on the current roster. That will change by the time the 2024 season kicks off, but the team will need to find someone who can step in on a bargain deal and contribute as a dependable stick-mover like Burrow has had in the past.

The team has had their issues at left guard, but Cordell Volson has been improving with more time and experience, so he will likely keep his job. Right tackle will be the team’s primary focus, as Jonah Williams was unhappy moving over to the role, and is likely too expensive to retain on the open market.

The defense had their issues last season, allowing the second-most yards per contest (374.6) and having issues limiting big plays in the passing game, as they gave up the most net yards per pass attempt (7.1). The missing piece from 2022 that could make sense of this drop off was the loss of safety Jessie Bates III, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons during 2023’s free agency period.

Despite the team investing in the secondary with picks like D.J. Turner, Dax Hill, and Jordan Battle, no one was fit to step in and handle the rangy free safety role that prevents the deep threat of the opposition’s passing game the way Bates did from 2018-2022.

Pending free agents

Some key veterans are set to hit the open market

Thanks to the trusty franchise tag, Cincinnati’s biggest domino (Tee Higgins) has already fallen. Now, they will look to manage the remainder of their budget by retooling the rest of the roster.

Browning is an ERFA, so retaining him for another season should be easy. Bringing back at least one of the tight ends would also go a long way in maintaining familiarity at the position, but the main attention for this group will be turned toward Tyler Boyd and Jonah Williams.

Boyd is an eight-year veteran who hasn’t played anywhere outside of Cincinnati in his NFL career. With the amount of cash going towards Chase and Higgins, the 29-year-old receiver will likely have too much of a market and would have to leave a lot of money on the table in order to return to Cincy in 2024.

Right tackle Jonah Williams was the team’s starting left tackle for his first three years in the league, but was kicked over to the opposite side for 2023 following the signing of Orlando Brown Jr. Williams was reportedly upset by this move and requested a trade at the time. Now set to hit the open market, he will likely pursue a chance to return to his original position at a very high price point.

Despite the smaller number of key contributors hitting free agency, the potential risk of losing D.J. Reader or Chidobe Awuzie is notable for this Bengals defense.

Reader is one of the most dependable nose tackles in the league, showcasing dominant run defense (10th in PFF Run Defense grade among interior d-linemen) and an ability to occupy multiple blockers to maintain position on the interior. He suffered a torn quad late last season that could create some roadblocks to the two parties finding a number to agree on, but the 29-year-old has made it known he hopes to return to the organization in 2024.

Awuzie has been a staple for the secondary since he signed with the team prior to the 2021 season. However, the Bengals have invested plenty of draft capital in the cornerback position. They may be okay with letting the 28-year-old hit the open market while they rely on their youth to fully take over secondary responsibilities this year.

Free agency targets

Could the Bengals make some splash moves this offseason?

The Bengals have some money to play with this offseason, but they will need to be smart with it to keep their future budget open. Still, with an opportunity to add some top-level contributors and make a push for Super Bowl 59, they’d be remiss to sit out of this free agency period entirely. Here are some potential targets they could inquire about in the coming months.

Offensive tackle

In recent years, Cincinnati has made it no secret that they will prioritize the offensive line to protect their face of the franchise, who was sacked 124 times in his first 42 starts, which is the fourth-most since 2000. With Jonah Williams likely to depart, the team could be looking to address their right tackle spot through free agency with a trusty veteran.

New England Patriots’ free agents Trent Brown and Michael Onwenu could be enticing options to fill the position, or if the team still intends to draft a player from this strong tackle class, they may look to a veteran like 31-year-old George Fant to be the bridge starter until their rookie is deemed ready to take over.

Defensive tackle

Should D.J. Reader depart, the Bengals will be pressed to find someone who can step in and help provide the level of run support he generated for the defense. Regardless of what they intend to do in the draft, adding veterans to help beef up the trenches could benefit the team.

Outside of Reader, veterans like Derrick Nnadi from the Kansas City Chiefs or Miami Dolphins nose tackle Raekwon Davis could help add a run-stuffing presence inside and allow the team to draft based on grade rather than need in the middle rounds.

Safety

Despite his athleticism, Dax Hill struggled when tasked with taking on free safety responsibilities in 2023. The team was beaten deep too often, and Jordan Battle had his issues as well. The team knew the risk of letting Bates walk, but assumed their young pieces could step up in his absence.

That wasn’t the case, but luckily for Cincinnati, the safety market is filled with options. The New York Giants’ Xavier McKinney and the Indianapolis Colts’ Julian Blackmon stand out as two veteran options who could help provide the team with the coverage chops they’re looking for.

However, there are countless players who could step in and make an impact, so the Bengals shouldn’t hesitate to pursue an upgrade and let the young safeties battle it out for the strong safety role.

2024 draft and salary cap situation

Hitting with pick 18 could be huge

With the 18th pick, the Bengals have a limited amount of clarity about what prospect they’ll be selecting. However, they are fortunate to have a draft where their needs and the class’ best position are strongly aligned (offensive tackle). With nine total picks, the team will have a chance to collect plenty of young depth, or potentially package some capital to trade up and acquire a talent they covet.

The current expectation is that the team will look to the offensive line, so some names to monitor would be Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State), J.C. Latham (Alabama), Amarius Mims (Georgia), Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma), and Kingsley Suamataia (BYU). With the caliber of this tackle class, the Bengals are likely to see one or more of these players available at 18.

Following the tagging of Higgins, the Bengals currently have over $52.4 million in cap space, the 10th-most in the NFL. Additionally, the team could look into restructuring the contracts of veterans such as Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, and Alex Cappa to create an additional $13.5 million that could help them bolster the roster for a chance at making another run to the Super Bowl.

For Bengals fans, the expectation surrounding this team has been to contend for titles ever since they got a taste for success during their run to Super Bowl 56. While misfortune and youth have had their effect, the window won’t remain open forever. Capitalizing on their current core and making the necessary moves to get this team through the season-long battle is pivotal, and it all starts this offseason.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference and all contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless stated otherwise.