The Cincinnati Bengals enter the offseason with a host of questions to answer and free agency possibly providing major solutions.
Granted, free agency presents some hurdles too, considering Cincinnati’s own such as Tee Higgins and Jonah Williams are currently slated to hit the open market.
Still, the cap-savvy Bengals have once again juggled the cap well and currently boast roughly $59 million in free space, the sixth-highest mark in the NFL.
Let’s rank the top free agents the Bengals could target on the open market when it opens, for now looping in all players slated for free agency before extensions and tags happen, including their own.
25. RB Derrick Henry
Great fit? Debatable. But it’s a fun one to have near the end of the rankings, as imagining defenses having to worry about Henry bulldozing them and accounting for Joe Burrow’s passing game seems like a nice mix. He’s slowing down, but still a threat.
24. DL Daquan Jones
Jones can rush from anywhere and excelled in Buffalo for that reason. He’s an ideal rotational piece, especially if DJ Reader isn’t back.
23. OT Mike Onwenu
Onwenu is massive and found a home at right tackle this year, possibly making him a budget Jonah Williams replacement. But the experience at other spots sure doesn’t hurt if injuries occur, too.
22. Edge Jadeveon Clowney
It looks like Clowney is going to finish out his career on one-year pacts. He’s coming off a career year with the Ravens and would look pretty good on the same line as Trey Hendrickson.
21. TE Hunter Henry
The market is pretty weak for tight ends but Henry just scored six more times in a bad New England passing attack and would be a nice option for Burrow.
20. TE Noah Fant
A former first-rounder yet to fully live up to potential, Fant is an interesting fit because of his ability after the catch.
19. RB Tony Pollard
Pollard’s slowing down too, but it’s pretty hard to ignore his explosive plays as a runner or receiver and how that might fit with Joe Mixon, provided the veteran returns as the main back again.
18. RB Austin Ekeler
Possibly more expensive than Pollard (but who knows, given how the league treats RBs), Ekeler remains the blueprint for an ideal pass-catching back and would fit great.
17. G Dalton Risner
Risner would arrive and make for an interesting bit of competition for Cordell Volson at left guard.
16. CB Steven Nelson
Going on 31 years old, Nelson is one of those reliable veterans the Bengals would probably love to add.
15. DL Teair Tart
The Bengals were one of the few teams to attempt to claim Tart on waivers earlier this year, which says it all about the team’s interest and fit.
14. Edge Denico Autry
Autry might turn 34 next year, but what he’s able to do across a defensive line remains impressive and will interest a Bengals team that needs to upgrade the entire rotation.
13. TE Dalton Schultz
Schultz is the best tight end possibly headed to market, reliable down the field and a solid run blocker, making him a pricer option than Cincinnati usually takes.
12. CB Chidobe Awuzie
Awuzie never got all the way back from his injury the year prior, clearly. But if he’s willing to return as a backup and rotational guy, the Bengals would probably love to retain his knowledge and example for a younger developing secondary.
11. OT Trent Brown
Brown is over 30 years old but might be one of those Jonah Williams replacements that makes sense, especially because of his experience at other positons if the injury bug strikes.
10. DB Antoine Winfield Jr.
Hey, do the Bengals want to go all out in correcting the Jessie Bates mistake? It would be impossible to not find a role for a player as talented as Winfield, provided the team is willing to pay.
9. OT Jonah Williams
Williams enjoyed a career upswing at right tackle, even if he preferred to play on the left side. Finally finding a right tackle is surely appealing to the Bengals, though they will need to see what the market pays him like — and if it’s left tackle numbers instead.
8. DL Leonard Williams
Williams continues to enjoy an upswing in pass-rush efficiency in a way that might appeal to the Bengals, depending on if the market goes wild for his services.
7. DE Chase Young
Young makes this list pretty much strictly because there’s a chance he needs to settle for a one-year, prove-it deal. That would certainly be a great buy for a Bengals line already sporting Hendrickson.
6. DL DJ Reader
Reader has been one of the biggest, yet underrated components of Cincinnati’s contention over the last few years. The season-ending injury makes this complicated, but if the market decides he only gets a one-year, prove-it deal, there’s zero reason to not bring him back when he’s ready.
5. CB L’Jarius Sneed
Sneed is a high-end No. 1 cornerback and about to be paid like it. But we’ve got to list him on the off chance the Bengals get impatient with the young secondary and pull a Trey Hendrickson-type move.
4. DL Justin Madubuike
Swiping a producer like Madubuike (half sack in 13 of 17 games this season) from a rival like the Ravens would be a no-brainer of a move.
3. DL Christian Wilkins
Wilkins probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves as an all-around player and would make for a fantastic, versatile option on the Cincinnati front.
2. DL Chris Jones
One of the most popular Twitter theories out there, Jones is one of the best interior pass-rushers and defenders of his generation, which Bengals fans know all too well. The logic here is simple: If Jones does leave the Chiefs, he’ll at least want to play for a contender and he and the Bengals know a thing or two about each other.
1. WR Tee Higgins
Who else? The Bengals are almost guaranteed to place the franchise tag on Higgins, making him their No. 1 target. There’s no sense in giving up that year of control and risking the championship window if they can’t find a way to work out an extension.
