The Cincinnati Bengals have made quite a bit of moves on the first day of free agency.
The Bengals brought back BJ Hill, Joseph Ossai, and a familiar face in Samaje Perine. The Bengals also brought in TJ Slaton and Oren Burks to help bolster the defensive side of the football as well.
The moves are likely not done yet, as the Bengals still need to address the guard position and more help on the defensive line, but this is a decent first day of free agency.
It has been an active day across the NFL, as expected, but the Bengals have made some reasonable moves in the first full swing.
Let’s see how the Bengals community on Twitter responded to all the signings today:
Slaton, 6-4 and 330 pounds, is coming off his rookie deal in GB. Started every game the last two years. He played under new Bengals DL coach Jerry Montgomery there. A reunion as Bengals try to rebuild the DL. https://t.co/HUnxQFHD2i
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) March 10, 2025
Primarily a run stopper, T.J. Slaton rarely played on 3rd down in his 4 seasons in GB.
Snaps by down:
1st - 242
2nd - 132
3rd - 34
4th - 13
But he does have two career sacks, with a half of one coming against Burrow and the #Bengals in 2021 when there were 51 of them. pic.twitter.com/bEJiM2Lsg0
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) March 10, 2025
Bengals DL coach Jerry Montgomery coached TJ Slaton in Green Bay.
In 2022, Montgomery said, "I think he can be a dominant run player when he's doing the right things. That's what I'm going to hold him accountable for."
"When he's attacking, knocking the line of scrimmage back,…
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) March 10, 2025
Oren Burks stepped in and played well during the Eagles Super Bowl run.
Could be an underrated signing.
Some of his impact plays ⬇️pic.twitter.com/k4xzw9UvMC
— Patrick Carey (@PatCareySports) March 10, 2025
Bengals sign Oren Burks
After a quick X search, the vibes seem positive from Philly fans, but he was also loaded with talent around him
Seemed to play great in Super Bowl run pic.twitter.com/64YqfqHcLB
— Ohio Divided (@BuckeyeNatty) March 10, 2025
I think Oren Burks Super Bowl ring and EXPERIENCE alone is worth the two year signing, the #Bengals need that
— Mark Slaughter (@MarkVSlaughter) March 10, 2025
Ossai had 40 tackles and 16 stops in 2024, which was a significant step up from 2022/2023 combined.
His true pass set win rates by year:
2022: 14.2%
2023: 15.2%
2024: 11.6%
If they can get 40-50 tackles and a win rate in the 14-18% range, that’d be huge for the defense.
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) March 11, 2025
Nice to have Ossai back as there's still meat on that bone and they're so thin at that spot. $7 million doesn't scream starter money.
Awesome to break the ice with Mulugheta and get something done.
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) March 11, 2025
The work is nowhere near done yet, but the Bengals are actively working to improve the defense for new DC Al Golden.
These reasonable deals could also show that the team is working around the potential extensions of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase on the offensive side of the football as well, but we will see.