Cincinnati Bengals
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A former Bengals cornerback signed with the Dolphins
Early in free agency, the Cincinnati Bengals have been reshaping their defense. This comes after they allowed the third-most points in the NFL last season. The unit has regressed each year for the past three seasons after finishing as the fifth-best defense in 2022.
Undoubtedly, the biggest departure for Cincinnati was All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who signed with the division rival Baltimore Ravens. However, despite losing Hendrickson, the Bengals might have improved their defense as they have made substantial additions to the unit. As new players come in, other players leave, and now a cornerback who failed to make much of an impact has joined another AFC team.
Former Cincinnati Bengals Cornerback Signs With Dolphins
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Dolphins had signed former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Marco Wilson to a one-year deal.
Wilson signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Bengals prior to the 2025 season, after being claimed off waivers by Cincinnati during the 2024 season. In total, over his two seasons with the team, Wilson appeared in 10 games.
His role on the team was limited in the 2025 season as he played only 22 defensive snaps. He did not qualify due to his limited snap count, but he received a below-average grade of 36.4 in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus.
However, losing him means losing a player who could have provided Cincinnati some depth.Sports Illustrated’s Russell Heltman wrote, “Wilson appeared in four games and posted three tackles on defense last season. Cincinnati is a bit thin down the cornerback depth chart, with no clear backup for Jalen Davis at slot cornerback right now.”
Bengals Cornerback Room
The previously mentioned Davis came on strong late last season and figures to be the team’s top nickel cornerback heading into the 2026 season.
While the signing of Davis has gone under the radar after some of the more high-profile free agent moves, he was a key element of Cincinnati’s defense improving down the stretch last season. During the last seven weeks of the season, in which Davis saw his role increased, the Bengals allowed 18 points per game. Had that been the case the entire season, Cincinnati would have finished as the fourth-best defense in the NFL.
Regarding the defensive backs unit as a whole, defensive coordinatorAl Golden said, “Yeah, excited. Really excited about the nucleus we have coming back. It’s not just a fresh start. You’re not starting from ground zero. There are pieces there. A healthy Dax (Hill) at the end of last year, if you look at his last eight, nine games, when he was healthy. Really starting to transition better. His change of direction got better. His agility got better. His man coverage got better. Really excited about that. DJ (Turner II) came on for us. We talked about the linebackers. Myles Murphy really improved. So no, I’m excited. I feel like we can add pieces to it. We can add the leadership. They have to match our culture. They have to have the FBI that we need. Obviously, we need some impact guys. That would be great.”