CINCINNATI — Sports Illustrated's Matt Verdarame graded the offseasons for all AFC North teams this week, and Cincinnati checked in with a middling "C" grade after their moves in the past few months.
Cincinnati signed its top star wide receivers to new deals, but it's hard to tell where they've improved greatly at any spot on the roster.
"Last season was a nightmare for the Bengals," Verdarame wrote. "(Ja'Marr) Chase won the receiver’s triple crown (receptions, yards, touchdowns) while Joe Burrow had an MVP-worthy season, including leading the league in passing, yet the Bengals still failed to make the playoffs because of their 25th-ranked defense. Cincinnati was expected to attack its defensive issues, whether in free agency or the draft. Instead, the Bengals did little to improve, except for the selection of Shemar Stewart in the first round.
"The secondary remains the same sans the loss of (Mike) Hilton, while the front seven didn’t get a meaningful veteran addition. Essentially, the defensive improvements will need to be from Stewart and new coordinator Al Golden, who takes over from Lou Anarumo, one of the more respected coaches in the league."
Over The Cap has Cincinnati sitting at around $26 million in cap space as of this writing. That follows the team having Geno Stone take a salary reduction from $6.475 million to $4.9 million in 2025.
There is still plenty of time and names available to possibly boost this grade, including with a contract resolution for Trey Hendrickson.
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