Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Grading Bengals Free Agency: Did They Do Enough on Defense?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Cincinnati Bengals had a three good players to their defense, and we like that. But what they didn't do is going to impact the way we grade this free agency period. It's time. Let's get those report cards out. You are Locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. What up Bengals fans and welcome to another episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day,

Starting point is 00:00:35 and the number one sports podcast network in the land. He's James Rapine. I'm Jake Liscoe. We're your host of the Lockdown Bengals podcast covering your Cincinnati Bengals going all the way back to 2016, which makes this your best place to get all the news, all the analysis, all the information you ever could have possibly dreamed to know about your Cincinnati Bengals. And we're midweek now, week to a free agency. yesterday we talked about the moves that could still be made,

Starting point is 00:01:05 the moves that still should be made, and the history of the Bengals making a few moves around this time in free agency the last few years. But with reports that the Bengals are mostly done, with the cap situation being what it is, where I have them at around $7 million after getting those Jonathan Allen contract details revealed to us on Tuesday. assuming that the big deals are done

Starting point is 00:01:33 and there aren't a whole lot out there to be made anymore anyway besides the one-year bounty hunter ties that we would like to see the Bengals get in on. We'll get into grading free agency and talk about how we got to the grades that we got to. And it's mostly an incomplete feeling, James. Right now it feels much like it has in years. years in the past where we've been like, where's that one more guy?

Starting point is 00:02:02 And maybe that's because we would always want one more guy. Maybe we still wouldn't be satisfied if they had signed one of these linebackers. I think it would feel very different. We talked about that yesterday. There's a little bit of retrospect there. But what's your, what's your methodology? What's your overall process, James, for how you arrive at your grade or how you're evaluating the Bengals Free Agency this year?

Starting point is 00:02:27 Well, yeah, the standards started. with five. And it was five starter level players on a defense that's been awful. On a defense that has had too many Gino Stones and Sheldon Rankinzes and and misses. And we think back to 2020 and 2021 and 2022 when this team was contending for championships. And it was because of what they added in free agency and the hits they had. And because they didn't really partake in free agency last year,

Starting point is 00:02:57 the standard was unrealistically high from a year by year basis but they put themselves in a hole where yeah, five defensive starters. Now it's doable. We talked about a team

Starting point is 00:03:10 right before we started recording and the commanders that did it. They overhauled their defense. But that's, it's not something every year you should be looking to do is add five starters to one side of the ball

Starting point is 00:03:20 in free agency. That's just a lot to ask. And a lot of times it really doesn't work. A lot of times you'll see teams do it. like when Brian Callahan arrived in Tennessee and they spent all that money and traded for the Jerry Seed. And it really didn't work. So that that's always a pitfall that some teams will run into a free agency too.

Starting point is 00:03:38 And so the Bengals would say that, right? They'd be like, well, we have to be in this, this realm or this or that or however. It doesn't matter. The bottom line is, is this year because of where they're at, because they were six and 11, because Joe Broz in his prime, because of all those things, the bar was just really high. and you needed those guys to be hits. No one was asking, at least I wasn't asking, for the Legerius Sneed type of weird trade

Starting point is 00:04:02 that didn't work where you pay him a huge contract. Heck, I think the only trade I mentioned, and we both talked about it was the OSSA deal, and there's no need to talk about it because the Bengals didn't make it. So ultimately, that's where it was. And so if you look at it on paper, the Bengals have gotten three of those five guys for me, which is 60%.

Starting point is 00:04:26 And it isn't that simple, but my oh my, do I want to just make it that simple? Like how in the world could they have, on March 9th, when the legal tampering period, aka the negotiating window, however you want to call it opened,

Starting point is 00:04:44 free agency is essentially when it started? Could they have said, this is what we're going to do? And you have two really nice additions on day one, nothing. It's a drought until you get a guy who makes a lot of sense. And Jonathan Allen on day four of free agency because he's released. And that's it. You throw Josh Johnson in there and that's fine. That doesn't change the overall grade. Like it's, it's frustrating because I think it was doable. Like I acknowledge the

Starting point is 00:05:17 bars really high, but I think it was doable with the resources they had with where they were at from a cat perspective, cash perspective, all of the above. And in a free agent class where everyone said, oh, it's not that good of a free agent class, there were players that would be had to be had, and some still out there, that I think can be difference makers that can impact your defense. And part of it is because your defense stinks,

Starting point is 00:05:40 and it needs to be retooled, and it needs guys that can make an impact. The other part of it is there was more value, I think, than people realized going in. So I wish they had done more. They didn't. it doesn't mean that they didn't add good players. And I want to make that clear.

Starting point is 00:05:55 I just think that this is about being honest about what they've added and where the bar was. Yeah, we'll go player by player as part of this too. And each signing will get its own grade. It's really the lack of signings. It's the problem. If you have the expectation that maybe it's only four guys. And we can talk about what it would look like if you were only expecting four guys and you were expecting them to just leave the hold that they're going to leave at slot

Starting point is 00:06:19 corner, corner depth. not talk about any of those things to say you wanted to see them add a starting edge a starting defensive tackle a starting safety and a starting linebacker then you're at 75% they added guys that are of those caliber and in different tiers at that caliber and you can talk about it that way i'm taking a GPA kind of approach james and and i'm going to say if a signing is an a a four four point o GPA signings a b it gets a three point oh if signing is a c it gets a a 2.0 if signing's a D, it gets a 1.0 for signings an F, it gets a zero. And if you have two Fs, well, you have a real uphill battle to get to a passing grade if you have two zeros in

Starting point is 00:07:05 a formula that you're dividing by five. And that's kind of how it feels, even if it's only four, then you have a zero in there for not getting a linebacker. And maybe they'll add one. If they added Bobby Wagner right now, what would I give it? It's probably like a, like C minus D plus at best. I thought C minus when you asked that. Like my instant reaction was, you know, slightly below average. Yeah. Like the linebacker you could sign slightly below average.

Starting point is 00:07:35 So. Yeah. Because he's older than me. Okay. Like that matters. And he's not going to move as well as he did five years ago. He's just not. He doesn't.

Starting point is 00:07:42 No, he's not the same player he was. He's still a good tackler. And he would bring the leadership they're looking for. Right. So they would get some points for that hypothetically. If they, if they were to add this guy. because they still can.

Starting point is 00:07:52 They still can't add guys. These grades can still change. Sure. And they can prove us wrong. I say this all the time. I would love it if they prove us wrong. And these guys prove us wrong. The players prove us wrong and all these things.

Starting point is 00:08:05 So let's dive into some player by player grades. James, Brian Cook, Boye, Mafé, Jonathan Allen, the significant additions for the Cincinnati Bengals in this free agency period. And really what they didn't do is what's going to weigh them down. And that's kind of been the theme every time we've had to get into this conversation as we're still waiting and looking for those supplementary moves, those complementary moves or high-level linebacker moves to be made. We'll discuss the individual signing grades coming up next. Today's show is brought you by Fandul.

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Starting point is 00:09:26 Go safe, go bold, ride with the Cinderella, or roll with the favorites, regardless. Had to Fandall.com. To get started, that's fandle.com. Fandle, play your game. All right, Jake, let's dive into our overall grade. We kind of prefaced it. Got you, got everybody warmed up and ready to go before we get into the player grades, which I think are, at least on my end, pretty reasonable overall player for player. But I mentioned it. Three of five, three of five starters, that's 60%. And while that would be failing, at least when I was in school, I know the scale could change. Why that would be failing, I'm not going to give them an F because I do like the players.

Starting point is 00:10:07 They add it. I think all three players can help them. They make a lot of sense, which we will dive into. The Bengals get a D for what they've done in free agency. And it's because they haven't done enough. not what they haven't done. It's about what they haven't done, not what they have done. Put it that way.

Starting point is 00:10:23 I like what they've done. And those grades will reflect that. But what they haven't done is fill the needs in the holes that they needed to fill to make sure that Al Golden, Zach Taylor, and this coaching staff has the talent it needs to make a real run, that Joe Burrow has the talent he needs to make a real run, that Joe Flacco, if he comes back, has the talent he needs if Joe Burrow gets hurt for a month to keep the team afloat. have a winning record, not a one in six record or one in five record or whatever the hell it was.

Starting point is 00:10:52 That's the problem. So Bengals, you get a D. Yeah, I think that makes sense. Just cut and dry. Don't get into it too detailed. I went through, did the GPA approach, like I said. So that's where. I'm shocked.

Starting point is 00:11:09 You went in and did the numbers. I'll be a little bit different. But I ended up to like C minus D plus based on that. And the way that you kick it one way or the other is depending on how you count the contracts. Is it double counting the contracts to say that they didn't sign a guy because of the contracts? And also you're penalizing them for the contracts. That's kind of how I ended up on a C minus. Like if you think that maybe they paid $3 million more per year than Boyer Maffa needed to get

Starting point is 00:11:41 or $2 million more per year than Jonathan Allen needed to get. I don't want to actually penalize them for that. Where you could get bonus points, one can say, if they got a value and you really like the player and you really like the money. I think that you could get like, you know, a little bump up for that. I don't want to say, you know what, Bengals, you signed a guy that I like, but you paid them too much. So I'm going to penalize you for that because I don't want to penalize them for signing guys that I like. You know what I mean? So that's where I end up in a.

Starting point is 00:12:15 a little bit of a different place. Definitely, though, when you look at it based on our standard of five starters, they came up short. If you expected Joe Flacco to be back, well, you don't get credit for that yet. That's incomplete. He's still out there. We'll see where that one lands. That's a big part.

Starting point is 00:12:34 If you expect an addition to challenge Jalen Davis at Slot Corner, if you expected tight end or wide receiver depth or interior offensive line depth, or a swing tackle upgrade. Those things are so far from our consciousness right now that maybe that drops you down to the D plus range because they made the three large moves. Sure. But we're still kind of like,

Starting point is 00:13:00 they're going to be complimentary moves. Those are a little bit incomplete right now. So I'm mostly thinking about the moves that they didn't make in terms of finding a starting level player, a starting level linebacker. And so, yeah, go ahead. They could get, like this grade, and you said it,

Starting point is 00:13:15 earlier and that's why we don't come out firing with oh they get a D and this is you know it's all over because they can this grade can rise like a year ago we were saying signed Dalton Risenor a year ago and then they signed him it was just August right right right before September the turn in 10 days before the regular season but securing these guys that can help you if they've identified guys like that that well they should do that sooner rather than late at least before Yeah, and waiting this long, people are going to say, oh, well, it's the comp pick formula, and they're playing the comp pick game and all of those things. And it's just, it's a dangerous game to play. And it's also dangerous because right now they just have more needs than premium picks. And we know what they do when they have needs.

Starting point is 00:14:02 They draft linebackers that are our age. And you just, you don't want to be in that position because that position led them to this position, which then puts them in a rough position going into the draft. It's just, it's a circle. And it's, it's been never ending here with some of their needs, which is, for example, why Brian Cook is a really fun signing because hopefully that ends that gigantic need you've had on the back end. Yeah, when you put yourself in a position going into a draft where you have glaring needs of positions that are not strong in the draft, that's where you get what the Bengals have done the last three drafts. And Andre Yosevaas just turned out to be fine. Like, I care less on day three.

Starting point is 00:14:40 Sure. Especially starting in the fifth round. I still care with your fourth round pick, especially if it's in the top half of the fourth round. That's still a decent pick. Those guys can still relatively often be contributors. It's a numbers game in the draft for sure. But when you spend day one, day two picks on positions of weakness, really day two picks is where this has been a problem, on positions of weakness in the draft, and then you double down on that.

Starting point is 00:15:07 And you don't get impact players. You're not actually smarter than everyone else drafting from the weakness of the job. draft like the thinner positions of the draft earlier than everyone else then then that's where you get into trouble and get into the position that we're in and the draft is going to be obviously of paramount importance like we're going to reflect on the entire offseason after the draft and say okay you're you're through the major talent acquisition window here this is how you did and and this is how we think you adequately or inadequately build your holes where you needed talent drafts a huge part of that that will impact the way we see this team going into the season.

Starting point is 00:15:45 They have a perfect draft, which is going to be perfect in April, right? Like we're not going to know how it plays out for a couple of years. It'll probably be a different feeling after that, right? But it's been a while since they had a draft and we're like, yeah, crushed it. No doubt. Burrow. Browee, yeah. Burrow T. Logan?

Starting point is 00:16:08 Like, yeah. Like, that's it. Logan, Akeem Davis, Gatheath. Yeah. Yeah. Like that's the last one. Like because Jamar was awesome, but instantly we were like,

Starting point is 00:16:16 you're really going to take Jackson, Carmen, please don't do it. And they did it. Yeah. Yep. So, yeah,

Starting point is 00:16:22 I think C minus D plus because I mean, I think they should also get a little bit of credit for Dalton Risner. Like that was a, that was a layup. But they got it done. And they got it. Sure. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:16:35 So, you know, you make layouts, what, 95% of the time? They made that one. They get a little bit of credit for that. as well.

Starting point is 00:16:42 What do you think that it would be if Reisner signed elsewhere, if he got to free agency and signed elsewhere right now and it's just like this and like Kevin Zitler's the only guard out there right now? And they hadn't signed a guard yet? I'd be at enough. Yeah, I'd be at enough. If they didn't have a starting right guard on the roster and yeah. That just shows you where it would be if, you know, there's definitely some Reisner weight.

Starting point is 00:17:06 Which is crazy because like, again, we like the players they signed and it feels kind of weird to say like they they gave out real contracts to these players these are that's what they would say i think they're rolling their eyes at us right now because they're like look at what we've look at what we've done and i think it's important to acknowledge what they've done it's it's more important to acknowledge what they've done we will do that that that's where the rest of the show is probably spent because they gave out real contracts that's a real mid-level starting contract to boy am affe and they're hoping that he's better than he was for them than he was in seattle They're hoping he's an ascending player.

Starting point is 00:17:41 That's a real starting level contract for Brian Cook. They're expecting him to be a top, what, 15 safety in the NFL based on the money, top 12 safety in the NFL based on the money. And he's a guy that we all agreed, those of us that take part in our free agency tier list every year, Joe Goodberry, you, me, Mike's Antagata. We all agreed he was the best free agent option, especially after Cam Carroll didn't make it to free agency where I would have been really interested in curl as well. I would have had him ahead of curl.

Starting point is 00:18:14 Yeah, I would have had him head of curl, but yeah. I think me too, but like if there's one that was going to be close, might have been that one. These are real contracts. Jonathan Allen is a real player. We talked to Luke Braun late last week about why he's a real player. He's not some washed up, you know, PFF, Kates and now, blah, blah, blah. Like, he's still a real player.

Starting point is 00:18:35 They signed real players that, where they didn't have guys should improve at least a couple of units, but you compare to what they lost at defensive end especially, and that puts it into context as well. And so let's talk about these individual player grades, James, that lead to ultimately me landing at a C minus E plus, you're landing at a D.

Starting point is 00:18:58 We'll discuss what they did do and why we liked the moves they did make and discuss our grades for the moves they did make because they did stuff. It's not like they did nothing. We'll finish the show with that conversation next. Today's show is brought to you by Indeed. The Bengals, well, they have some needs to fill.

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Starting point is 00:20:28 This is a job for Indeed, sponsored jobs. As we dive into our individual player grades, just want to remind people that if you're interested in the everydayer club. If you're an everydayer, you're an everyday listener to the Lockdown Bengals podcast, right? You can get a free month with promo code March. And if you sign up before the NCAA tournament tips off Thursday, you can get in on the bracket pools in the Discord channel. Winners will get $100 in Lockdown merch.

Starting point is 00:20:55 You can check that out at Lockdownbengals. Dot supercast.com. You can also check out if you are interested in a direct line to James and myself, where we will give you the updates and analysis that we can share with you behind the scenes direct to your phone. You don't have to check social media for news. Well, you can check out the Lockdown Bengals insider group, a separate group from the everydayer club at Join Subtext. Sorry, what is it, James? Joinsubtext.com slash lockdown Bengals. There you go. Yeah. Is that me messing with you? Yeah. Join subtext.com slash

Starting point is 00:21:29 locked on Bengals. And you've gotten plenty of good tidbits from us for sure. Hopefully we have some more to share from a free agency standpoint. I definitely think we'll have draft nuggets, of course we always do. So it's always a good time in stay in the know. It's a good way to stay in the no for sure. Let's dive into some individual player grades, James. Let's go in chronological order, the first deal that we immediately hopped in to record and talk about Brian Cook back to Cincinnati.

Starting point is 00:22:00 The former Cincinnati Bearcat returns. And like we said at the time was the top free agent safety, according to all of us that took part in that process and the Bengals went out and attacked the need significantly improving tackling at the position to the point where the reactions from Nationals were like I don't know if there's a single bigger one-to-one upgrade in the league

Starting point is 00:22:24 than the Cincinnati Bengals tackling a safety going from Geno Stone to Brian Cook. That was a thing that was said immediately after the site. Yeah, because he hits and he's physical and he's not going to give up big plays and he should be that stabilizing force. Like to me, this fits everything and those that saw Gino Stone's quote,

Starting point is 00:22:46 it also fits culture. Gino Stone was never a culture guy in Cincinnati. Now I can say that and be honest about it. There's a reason. It's ridiculous because he never brought any winning anything, any attitude, any anything. No one wants. I think about all the times I've made fun of him.

Starting point is 00:23:04 And the players are aware, right? No one once was like, hey, man, don't talk about Chino like that. Not once, okay? And I last year was like, hey, just start Tyson Anderson if you're not going to go get a safety. We were talking about Blackman for months on this podcast. Like, just go get someone to compete with him. And so the tackling part, but also the culture part is like a real, like it's a real thing. They need guys that are going to bring identity.

Starting point is 00:23:31 And I think Brian Cook is going to do that. You know why? Because he's just going to do his job. just going to do his job. Like a basic thing like tackling, there should never be a scenario where a national opponent's like, man, there's so much better because he's doing the most basic thing

Starting point is 00:23:44 that you can do as a football player on defense. And yet it's true. And so this is an A plus for me because it fits culture. It fits. Obviously, the city stuff is cool and it's a fun story. I really don't care about that. I care about all the other stuff. And he's going to limit big place.

Starting point is 00:24:00 He's going to be comfortable on the back end. He should be able to take over the Gino's Stone role fit well alongside. Jordan Battle if you want him to do everything you ask him to do and do it at a really high level and also help you leadership wise as well. So I just, I love this signing. I love everything about it. And it's not like they had to go crazy money wise either. Pretty reasonable when you look at some of the other contract projections out there. So thanks to Cam Curl, I think, setting that that tone a bit at the safety market. Yeah, I think this is just an unambiguously good

Starting point is 00:24:30 signing. This one got an A for me. I like it. I like the money. I have no qualms. It addresses a serious need. The culture, quote, man, maybe contribute to a winning culture. Throwing stones in the last houses,

Starting point is 00:24:46 man. When I tell you, like, going through the motions, man, like don't, you can't do that and then do that.

Starting point is 00:24:55 Yeah. The, and that's exactly what he did. He wasn't like Orlando or Ted or DJ Reader or, I don't know, insert whatever, leader that you've noted like whether it's lead by example like a jesse bates or a von bell

Starting point is 00:25:08 or speak up when needed or like it wasn't that and the culture thing's silly too because i asked them about the coaches when they were really shutting it's like it's not the coaches it's us it's not the coaches and then the other thing that just thinking about last off season when you mentioned starting tyson anderson yeah maybe should have been a sign that this front office sometimes doesn't adjust clearly needs i mean kind of had to figure that last offseason was an aberration given the focus that they had on jemar chase and t higgins that's what we thought they they were just too bogged down and that's not a good excuse but like that's what we thought happened and the way things have gone this year that they just maybe didn't get deals on last year maybe they were in on safety's

Starting point is 00:25:54 last year they just didn't get deals on it and it got to the point where they're like how we don't want to we don't think any of these guys are going to make us better uh i don't think they're at that point with linebacker with the way they've talked about the need for leadership there. But let's get to our second guy, James Boyer Maffe, a guy that I liked as a target. We talked about Boy A Maffa and Arnold Edicati is a potential path for them in free agency where they could sign a couple of guys in the position and really add depth and quality depth where they lost a couple of guys. They haven't gotten the second edge rusher.

Starting point is 00:26:26 But I still do really like the Boyer Mafe signing. I think he is a solid three-down plan. player has a good pass rush win rate track record, especially in the pre-McDonald era. And if they can use him in a way that is more similar to the way that got him that that productivity before Mike McDonald came along and the scheme changed in Seattle, then you have a viable piece there. You have a solid pass rusher who, if there's upside there that he can tap into a

Starting point is 00:26:56 little bit and get a little bit better, could be better than that. But again, I have no real issues with this. signing. I think this for me is a solid B, maybe even pushing to a B plus in that range, like a high B, maybe like an 86.5% if a B plus, which for me was starting at 88%, maybe it's an 87% kind of thing, like a good signing, a solidly above average signing. Yeah, it's a B plus for me. It's a B plus. And it's because the upside is there. You could tell me he ends up being the best pass rusher. One, I'm convinced Cook is the best safety in this class, right? This free agent class. you could convince me that Boya Amafi ends up being the best rusher, past rusher in this class.

Starting point is 00:27:36 That'll be a bit more of a surprise to me, but it's possible. Well, Jalen Phillips gets heard, Adafay away isn't as productive. Like there's a real path to that. Now, is it likely? It might not necessarily be likely, but it could happen. And so to get him at that value, he is able to play three downs for you, and you believe that he's going to be able to contribute in that way. I like it a lot.

Starting point is 00:28:00 Now, is it a lot? Do I think that he had a bunch of three-year, $60 million deals that he was going through him and his agent? No, probably not. I wonder. I wonder if he had a three-for-45 from Team A, and then he got a three-for-60, and it was a pretty much a no-brainer-type situation. So that could be it, but do I like the swing? I do. And it doesn't fill the void that Joseph Osai and Tri-Henrichson.

Starting point is 00:28:30 leave behind and I think people forget that Joseph Osai and Trey Hendrickson are both gone now, but Boyer Maffa certainly is a nice signing. So B plus for me, even though obviously Edge is still a need today. Yeah, again, like the signing. I like this stat from Pro Football Focus over the last three seasons. He ranks 31st in pressures and 34th in run stops over that time. So you have an all-rounded three-down player who can contribute in all aspects of the game. Yeah, solid, solid B-plus signing, I think solidly above average. Jonathan Allen, the last significant move the Bengals made reported at two years, 26 million.

Starting point is 00:29:12 The contract details that I have seen so far say it's a two-year $25 million deal, which is effectively a one year, $13.5 million deal with a second-year option. The Bengals can get out of this thing in year two very easily with the way they structured the contract. I actually have no issues really with the Jonathan Allen contract structure because of the risk that comes with a potential fall off from him if he is on the decline. If he's not on the decline,

Starting point is 00:29:37 then you can keep him from year two and awesome. You so have them. So I don't have any issues with the structure here, but a little bit on the lower end, there wasn't a ton available out there at defensive interior, which is going to bring this up. I think this is probably like a C-minus C for me. like I don't dislike it.

Starting point is 00:29:59 I think it's a relatively average move, maybe a little bit below average because I don't think he's necessarily an excellent three-down player anymore, but he can still do some work for you as a pass rusher. You can still generally do his job. Luke Braun talked me into this one a little bit too when we were talking to him about what he did in Minnesota.

Starting point is 00:30:16 So again, I like this deal, James. It's ultimately going to be like, yeah, we like all the players they signed. And like we said, it's what they didn't do on the other end. Yeah, and that's it. is this is a C plus for me, but I understand it because you needed more interior pass rush and there wasn't many options. John Franklin Myers is your only a potential signing in that spot.

Starting point is 00:30:44 Now, could you have traded? Could you have done that? Fine, but they didn't. And so getting a guy that can give you some push there, well, that was a need. You had to fill the need. I'm going to give you credit there. You're right.

Starting point is 00:30:56 the contract structure, they can clear $11 plus million in cap space next year if they move on from him. So he better be productive. Otherwise, he's going to just keep doing these deals that he's doing. And there will be a need for him because it's really hard to find those guys. So I'm fine with it. I understand it. I understand the role he fills.

Starting point is 00:31:14 But C plus, little worse than the other three guys. But you're right. It's one thing. An A plus, a B plus and a C plus, that's that pretty solid report card. The problem is, is that linebacker? is an F for me. That other edge is a big concern because you couldn't even get an average level guy there. And if you're going into the draft without one, it's a concern for me. And it feels like that's the route that could happen. Maybe it changes. But that's how I get to the D. It isn't because of these

Starting point is 00:31:44 three guys. It's not a reflection of what I believe they can or can't do. I think the Bengals made three solid signings, but it's not enough when you're starting from where they were starting from. And that's the ultimate glass half-empty approach that they deserve, honestly, because they haven't built up that equity's all gone. And I was hoping they would build it up. And, well, we're still waiting to see if they're going to fill up that glass. I agree with you there, Jay. And so last step that I just saw just in terms of Jonathan Allen to put a on this one. Still 73rd percentile as a pass rusher, according to PFF last year. So still a solidly above average top 30 percent pass rusher, the defensive interior,

Starting point is 00:32:28 and the Bengals did desperately need that. If he can give them a little bit of juice on the inside as a pass rusher, that's something that we haven't seen from this team in years in terms of a guy that can actually go win on his own. And that could create opportunities for the Boy A. Mafe's and Miles Murphys and Shemar or some potential draft fix that could contribute to this past rush and raise the level of this defense. Like maybe they get to a point where they can cover up some of these holes

Starting point is 00:32:56 because no NFL team is perfect. You have to have strength somewhere. Can they find a way to build a strength through the draft, through the rest of free agency? I don't feel like they've quite done it. And so without having a clear strength, maybe you would argue the secondary with Cook and the corners they have is the strength of this defense.

Starting point is 00:33:13 But time will tell on that one. and we'll see if they make a move that causes us to move this great, James. And we'll wrap up there for this episode of the lockdown Bengals podcast. We have some ideal draft scenarios to get to sometime in the near future after knowing now what they've done in free agency. So we will discuss some of those scenarios in the near future as well on this podcast. Until then, thanks for listening to this episode of the Locktown Bengals podcast. Today and have a good one.

Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Grading Bengals Free Agency: Did They Do Enough on Defense?

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