ESPN Gives Bengals C+ Grade For B.J. Hill Signing

The Bengals re-signed a few players in recent weeks.

Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill (92) reacts after a play against the Denver Broncos in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — ESPN's Seth Walder gave the Bengals a "C+" grade for their multi-year signing of veteran defensive tackle B.J. Hill.

Cincinnati inked him to a three-year, $33 million deal with $16 million guaranteed.

"While their big-ticket players -- Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase, Trey Hendrickson -- all await new deals or trades, the Bengals have now spent a little on the periphery, signing tight end Mike Gesicki before free agency and bringing Hill back," Walder wrote on Monday.

"The 29-year-old Hill is a solid player, but his pass rush metrics dropped off last season. He had three sacks, but his pass rush win rate at defensive tackle fell to 5%. That put him 43rd out of 47 qualifying defensive tackles, but his 37% run-stop win rate ranked 11th-best at the position. Our numbers have never quite liked Hill as much as his reputation. He fills a need for Cincinnati at an important position, but I would have redirected this money elsewhere."

Hill has been ultra-durable since being traded from New York to Cincinnati in 2021, playing at least 720 snaps in each of the past few seasons.

The Bengals still need more defensive tackle juice to rush the passer as fans await another addition there in free agency or the NFL Draft.

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