Three Bengals Appear on Top 50 NFL Free Agents List

This is an interesting ranking...

Author:
All Bengals Staff
Publish date:
Jan 24, 2021 11:41 AM EST

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are entering one of the most important offseasons in team history.

They have glaring holes in the trenches and need to add more playmakers for star quarterback Joe Burrow.

The best way to address the trenches is in free agency. Unfortunately, two of their top defensive players are about to hit the market.

Defensive end Carl Lawson and cornerback William Jackson III are both set to become free agents. Both guys played well in 2020 and will have their fair share of suitors on the open market.

They both appeared on ESPN's top 50 NFL free agents list. Lawson was ranked 46th and Jackson was ranked 40th.

"Lawson has never matched the production of his rookie season, when he recorded 8.5 sacks after the Bengals made him a fourth-round draft pick in 2017," Kevin Seifert wrote. "He became a starter in 2020, in conjunction with the departure of veteran Carlos Dunlap, and turned in the kind of performance that will conjure significant interest if he gets into the market. ESPN tracked him with a pressure rate of 10.1%, good for 16th best in the league."

Lawson finished with 5.5 sacks, but was responsible for 10.5 of the Bengals league-worst 17 sacks according to NFL Next Gen.

Jackson had a bounce back year for the Bengals, but the team could move on from the former first round pick.

"Jackson has had some solid moments for the Bengals over the past four years after missing his rookie season due to injury, but 2020 was not his best," Seifert wrote. "The Bengals seemed to telegraph their long-term plans for him by signing a pair of veteran free agents at his position—Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander—last offseason."

Keeping Jackson could be tough, but it isn't impossible. They did pay Waynes like a No. 1 cornerback (3-years, $42 million). Alexander was on a one-year deal. He's set to become a free agent too.

Letting Jackson walk would create another need on the Bengals' roster.

While Lawson and Jackson are getting the most attention from fans and media, they aren't the highest ranked Bengals player on ESPN's list of free agents.

A.J. Green is ranked 22nd, which has a lot to do with what he's done throughout his career.

"The good news is that Green, a seven-time Pro Bowler, played in all 16 games this season after missing all of 2019 and seven games in 2018," Seifert wrote. "The bad news is that he had the least productive year of his career, with 47 receptions for 523 yards and two touchdowns. Part of that can be attributed to the Bengals' offensive scheme, which required him to share targets with rookie Tee Higgins, as well as their quarterback issues after Joe Burrow was lost due to injuries. But those numbers—and Green's age—will make for a complicated set of negotiations with whomever pursues him this spring."

There are plenty of teams that will take a look at him this offseason. The Packers, Patriots, Saints and Texans are just a few teams that may have interest in the the seven-time Pro Bowler.

Other key names on the list include left tackle Trent Williams, who was ranked second, and guard Joe Thuney, who was 20th in their ranking.

Check out ESPN's entire list here.

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