2026 FA Thread | S Bryan Cook 3/40m | DE Boye Mafe 3/60m | DT Jonathan Allen 2/28m | QB Josh Johnson 1/1m | S Kyle Dugger 1/?m

[Prophecy]

Good extension. I'd rather have continuity along the Oline and Brown is at least average. Potentially having 3 starters on the Oline as free agents next offseason worried me.

Still should have given Risner 2 or 3 years, but it is what it is.

[ArmyBengal]

41 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

Apropos of nothing, Al Golden was spotted at Clemson’s pro day, where Woods is reportedly doing some drills but not others including the 40, after not working at the combine…ugh.

Woods is my least favorite, most hyped DT in the entire draft.
Literally nothing I like about his game.
He's like the Myles Murphy of DT's.
He probably likes Froot Loops too.

[HoosierCat]

Well, we got a DT...

Quote

The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. It's a two-year commitment worth $28 million.

Meh. 14 AAV for Allen but 19 AAV for Oso was too much?

[Prophecy]

Allen might help. Hard to get excited about it, but I fully understand that the Bengals will never get top tier guys because these cheap fu*ks still never want to guarantee anything more than the 1st year of a contract. Top players want security. 

[Stripes]

Allen was an excellent interior pass rusher at his best, but he hasn't been at his best for 2-3 years. Hope he helps.

[ArmyBengal]

GREAT signing !!!
Couldn't be more pleased with this move.

 

Wait, you mean it’s not 2021 ??
Nevermind, we still suck.

[HoosierCat]

Marco Wilson signing with Miami.

[Stripes]

Polymarket’s betting odds for Maxx Crosby are now putting the Bengals at 2nd place (distant, behind staying with the Raiders). Amusing. If that was ever to be taken seriously, I think the Allen signing tanks it.

[COB]

13 hours ago, HoosierCat said:

2. They are done in FA (at least until we hit dumpster diving time) and they picked now basically as PR so it looks like they are doing something when they really aren't.

This kind of cynicism is unbecoming of fan of a team that goes all in every year.  Your penance - listen to one Up With People record and then contemplate how dull the tri-state area would be if Saint Mike hadn’t hand picked Cincinnati back in the 1960s to have this family Dairy Queen operation that cosplays as an NFL Franchise.  

[Stripes]

I find myself thinking about various draft possibilities.

At #10, I think there's a very real possibility that Reese, Styles, Bain, and Downs are all off the board. They're then stuck reaching for someone that has no business going that high or taking some other position (maybe a corner) for "BPA".

It's a less exciting prospect than I'd like from a selection in the first third of the round. It motivates me more than usual to trade the pick for an impact player.

Of course, that's me. The Bengals would never.

[COB]

Reese would be amazing, probably gone but you never know.  Workout hero Sonny Styles has bengal written all over him, Mike will probably have some kind of old person break down when he gets picked before us.  Underwear Olympian AND an Ohio State player, be still Mike’s barely beating heart.  Downs could possibly fall to us.  What a year to not have a bunch of QBs for the bottom feeder franchises to waste their top ten picks on.  Totally sucks.  
 

Reese would be the dream pick, worth a trade up for sure.  They whiff on half their picks anyway.  

[COB]

Teams were ready to give up high picks for Crosby on an expensive deal.  I am certain Arvell Reese is a Maxx Crosby level player.  He plays the run well, he can rush the passer, he has a high motor, and he’s a football first personality.  And you get him for 4 price controlled years.  He fits exactly what we need.  I’d absolutely pursue trading up, the fit for what we need right now is just about perfect.  Finally, the fall off after our 4 defensive targets are gone is pretty steep.  It’s so worth it, I hope they’re thinking about it, contacting teams, laying the groundwork, etc.

[ArmyBengal]

I mentioned this in the draft thread (I think) but Styles is equal in talent to Reese.
Bold take ??  If I had to pick which player I thought would bust out between Reese and Styles, I'd pick Reese.

Styles isn't just a Combine warrior.  The guy has been getting meaningful snaps since he was a freshman.
He's played in 53 games and his stat line is crazy good.

Reese played in 36 games and didn't register a sack as a freshman.  He really just came on strong this year.
One could easily make the argument of him being a one year wonder when looking at stats honestly.

244 total tackles, 22.5 TFL, 9 sacks, 1 INT, 3 Forced Fumbles and 9 pass defenses.
112 total tackles, 13.5 TFL, 7 sacks, 0 INT, 0 Forced Fumbles and 2 pass defenses.

If someone were to just look at the hype of the players thought to go in the top 10 of the draft, damn near everyone would assume the better numbers belonged to Reese.  They would be wrong.  Sure, one could say if Reese came back for his senior year, he might eclipse those numbers, but he's not and there's no way to know for sure.  They are banking on that continuing in the NFL.

PLEASE, do not misinterpret my thoughts.  I love Arvell Reece and think most should run to the stand with his name on the card.  My take is that they should want to run to the stand with Styles name on it as well.  He's going to be an above average linebacker in the league.  Those two are ridiculous.  How big, how fast, how athletic.  They are perfect linebacking machines.

Well.... until the league proves that theory incorrect.

[HoosierCat]

I agree that all the guys we really crave will be gone, but it seems like a universal projection that Mansoor Delane will be there. I for one am not going to complain about snagging the top corner in the draft.

Mansoor, Turner, Hill, Battle and Cook would be a scary secondary.

[ArmyBengal]

5 hours ago, Stripes said:

I find myself thinking about various draft possibilities.

At #10, I think there's a very real possibility that Reese, Styles, Bain, and Downs are all off the board. They're then stuck reaching for someone that has no business going that high or taking some other position (maybe a corner) for "BPA".

It's a less exciting prospect than I'd like from a selection in the first third of the round. It motivates me more than usual to trade the pick for an impact player.

Of course, that's me. The Bengals would never.

I really don't want to see them trade this pick away outright for a guy like Crosby to be honest.
That doesn't mean I would shit on that move, but just where I am at the moment.
Honestly, with the additions they have made, making a move for Crosby makes more sense now.

As for who might be there if Reese, Styles, Downs and Bain are all off the board, there are guys I like.
Granted, some may or may not view them as a reach, but I don't care if they are close and fill a hole.
Just don't do anything not even close to being in the same ballpark as the general thought to thing.

I expect Bailey to be gone as well, but if he fell, I like his game a lot.  
CB Mansoor Delane from LSU and  LT Monroe Freeling from Georgia are two more I like.
I like our chances of getting one of the players I like at this point.

However, I would NOT be opposed to a trade down and picking up even an extra 3rd.
I've done that in a lot of mocks and the return always looks really good.
As always, it depends on who's on the board when they go on the clock.

[ArmyBengal]

4 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

I agree that all the guys we really crave will be gone, but it seems like a universal projection that Mansoor Delane will be there. I for one am not going to complain about snagging the top corner in the draft.

Mansoor, Turner, Hill, Battle and Cook would be a scary secondary.

I like Delane and Freeling a lot as well, but will admit CB or OT not being my top get in the first.
Especially with OBJ signing a two year extension.  They don't need depth in the first.
They need a defensive player stepping on the field day one capable of impacting that crap defense.

[HoosierCat]

Let’s just say you have a higher opinion of our corners than I do. Delane is not depth.

[ArmyBengal]

No, not Delane specifically.  He would be an immediate slot guy because Newton always has been a hope and pray kind of pick and I hope and pray they don't have him on the field unless absolutely having to.

My point I failed to make is there is a lot of CB depth in the draft.  One can be had later on.

Honestly, my dream slot CB's in the draft, should either fall to us in the 2nd round are:
De'Angelo Ponds from Indiana or Keionte Scott from Miami
I think both of them in the slot would be really solid.

No knock on Delane in the least.

[COB]

We could not stop the inside running game.  Between Reese and Styles I see Reese as the better run stopper, and big enough to be an effective edge.  I think he’s like a lot of nba players.  There were better guys in college, but when they get to the nba certain guys bodies and skill sets fit that league better than others, and I think Reese’s physicality is on another level.  
 

Brown Family Terrorist Organization probably won’t make any move up now that they signed Jonathon Allen, but I can dream.  

[ArmyBengal]

They are almost identical in their size and testing results as well and I love both of them.
I would cheer loudly if either were the pick and think either would help our defense.
Their measurables really are insane.

Reese-  6'4, 243 running a 4.46 forty
Styles-  6'5, 244 running a 4.47 forty

That's insane for people that damn huge !!!

[ArmyBengal]

I don't want to turn the free agent thread into the draft thread, but we are talking about scenarios and I thought I would share an outcome of what I was talking about should all the players we are discussing as a group are gone when the Bengals go on the clock and we trade down.

I traded down, into the upper 20's and picked up an extra 2nd rounder and another 2nd in 2027.
I walked away with what I believe could be 4 starters with my first 4 picks, knowing they all won't be.
OT, S, CB and LB
Those were followed by DT, WR, QB, DE and OG.
Stoked !!

The oddest part and probably highly unlikely for it to happen?
I had three picks from the University of Cincinnati.

[Allentown21]

Ain't gonna lie bengals looked stacked before the draft.

 

Still some young guys on defense too that will get better 

[ArmyBengal]

Stacked you say?

Offense, yes.
Defense, better, but no.

[Prophecy]

I dont want to turn this into the draft thread either, but I believe Styles fits what the Bengals still need the most. The size and numbers seem similar between him and Reese, but I'll take Styles who was credited with only 2 missed tackles all last season (Hell, Knight and Barrett had more than 2 missed tackles each game) and a converted Safety who is excellent in coverage. Thats one of the biggest holes in the defense, and has been my fantasy football cheat code for the last couple of years (Streaming any TE playing against the Bengals, even a 2nd string TE) 

I'd trade up for him, but the Bengals wouldn't.

[COB]

I see Reese as a versatile game wrecker who can line up at edge or linebacker.  His body just looks to me like he’ll put more weight on.  The best comparison I’ve read for him is Micah Parsons.

Styles is described as a sideline to sideline guy who can do it all at linebacker including cover, and is a sure tackler.  A little perplexing to me that I read some draft people saying don’t expect him to cover.  I do expect him to cover! I watched all his games in college but I don’t see him developing into any sort of dominant player.  He’s really good though.  

Reese can make a defense great with splash plays.  Styles can be the pillar, the center of a defense, can lead in tackles, can be that rock, that super solid player.  He can make a bad offense good.

I know Styles is what we need, but Reese is what I want.