Five Veterans Cincinnati Bengals Should Target in Free Agency

The Bengals need to add proven veterans to their roster this week, starting with a guard.

Oct 8, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones (7) celebrates with guard Brandon Scherff (68) and quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) after he scored a touchdown during the first half of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals finalized long-term contract extensions with Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, but they need to continue to add proven pieces to their roster.

Here are five free agents they should consider signing:

Brandon Scherff, Guard, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Bengals should have Scherff as the No. 1 target on their list. He's the top pass blocking guard available, has played in all 17 games in three-straight seasons.

The former All-Pro was in Washington when current Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters was in Washington.

Scherff, 33, may not be as good as he once was, but he's still playing at a high level and is an ideal fit on a pass-first team like the Bengals. Cincinnati should offer him a two-year contract.

The Bengals should add two starting guards, but starting with Scherff makes sense—especially with Teven Jenkins visiting the Seahawks on Monday.

Calais Campbell, DT, Miami Dolphins

Campbell is still playing at a high level, despite being 38-years-old. He appeared in all 17 games for the Dolphins last season, racking up 52 tackles and five sacks.

The veteran would be a perfect, low-cost option that would give Cincinnati's interior pass rush, their run defense and locker room culture a major boost. A one-year, $5 million deal makes a ton of sense, especially with Campbell chasing a Super Bowl ring at this point of his career.

If the Bengals don't sign him, the Ravens could certainly make a run at the former All-Pro. The last thing Cincinnati needs to deal with is another high-end defender on the Ravens' defense.

Za'Darius Smith, Edge, Detroit Lions

If the Bengals want to round out their defensive line before the draft, they could do it by signing Trey Hendrickson to an extension and adding Smith and Campbell.

Like Campbell, Smith is on the wrong side of 30 (33 in September), but would bring immediate juice to the Bengals' pass rush.

Smith had nine sacks for the Browns and Lions last season in 17 games. One-year deals for Smith and Campbell would round out a Bengals' defensive line that needs more juice—both on the edge

Julian Blackmon, Safety, Indianapolis Colts

Blackmon is the best free safety on the market. He's comfortable playing deep, but has experience in the nickel and in the box. He's only 26-years-old and could be an ideal fit on the back end of Al Golden's defense.

J.K. Dobbins, Running Back, Los Angeles Chargers

Dobbins had a big bounce back year last season for the Chargers. He'd be a nice addition to a Bengals' backfield that includes Chase Brown and Samaje Perine. Brown would be the lead back, with Dobbins in a comlimentary role. Perine is the perfect third back. Instead of using a draft pick on a running back, the Bengals could fill a key need ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Honorable Mentions:

Azeez Ojulari — If Smith's age scares the Bengals, then maybe they'd consider adding Ojulari. He's only 24-years-old and they had some interest in him at the trade deadline and early in free agency. Maybe they revisit the possibility with Ojulari still on the market.

Update: Ojulari agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Eagles.

Asante Samuel Jr. — Samuel Jr. is a really good player and is still just 25-years-old. If the Bengals have any questions about their cornerback room, bringing in a player that is surprisingly still available and is looking for a second contract would make a ton of sense.

Jedrick Wills — If the Bengals want to bet on a former first rounder, they could sign Wills and give him a shot at guard. Peters was in Cleveland when the Browns drafted Wills, who could also be an ideal swing tackle. The Eagles bet on Mekhi Becton and it worked out last season. Maybe the Bengals should do the same with Wills. Signing Scherff and Wills would be intriguing.

Juan Thornhill — If the Bengals don't want to add Blackmon, Thornhill is another proven veteran safety that would be a good fit in the back end of their defense.

Quality Guards — The Bengals need to add two quality guards. Maybe it's Scherff and they roll the dice on Wills. Maybe they buy low on Will Hernandez, Shaq Mason or any of the other proven vets available. Finding two quality veteran guards is a must for the Bengals—even if there's some risk baked into most of their profiles (age, health, position change, etc).

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