Bengals Free Agency Deals Ranked Among NFL's Bottom Half As Focus Shifts To 2026 Draft

Cincinnati spent a decent amount this offseason.

Cincinnati Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin addresses the media during a press conference, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The dust has largely settled on the NFL's 2026 free agency frenzy as smaller deals continue to trickle out. ESPN's Ben Solak gave his take on all 32 free agency hauls from the past few weeks and ranked the Bengals' work 19th overall.

Cincinnati has struck multiple notable deals so far including: DT Jonathan Allen (two years, $26 million), OT Orlando Brown Jr. (two years, $32 million), S Bryan Cook (three years, $40.25 million), edge Boye Mafe (three years, $60 million), G Dalton Risner (one year, $3.25 million), QB Joe Flacco (one year, $6 million).

A Clear Method

Bengals defensive end Boye Mafe speaks to the media during a press conference at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday, March 12, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Solak detailed his methodology before diving into the ranking:

"These rankings are highly contextual. Any list of 'the most improved teams in free agency' would start with the likes of the Raiders and Titans ... who incidentally were the teams that had the most money to spend."

Instead, I tried to rank the teams for:

• The value they got for the money they spent
• The flexibility of their roster approach to the draft
• The contract details that provide them leverage
• How they manipulated the compensatory pick formula
• What they could have done but didn't do

He loved the signing of Boye Mafe, which made a big splash on Day 1 of legal tampering.

"Getting Mafe," Solak said about what he loved most about Cincinnati. "The top of the edge market got much bigger money than I expected across the board. The Bengals took the smallest risk with Mafe's three-year, $60 million deal. As always with Cincinnati's contracts, all of Mafe's guarantees are in Year 1 of his deal, which means the team can cut bait easily if he underperforms. But Mafe has the size and toughness to win against the run, and his pressure numbers as a rotational player in Seattle detail an eight-plus-sack player on full-time snaps."

The lack of movement at linebacker is worrying Solak, and plenty of Bengals fans alike.

"Leaving linebacker untouched," Solak said about what he didn't love. "I understand that the Bengals are bullish on their duo of 2025 draft picks at linebacker. But Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter were victimized by opposing offenses on a weekly basis last season, and banking on two second-year leaps (including one for a Day 3 pick) is an enormous gamble at the position. Adding another rookie, even a highly drafted one, doesn't solve the experience issue. The Bengals need a veteran in this room."

Time will tell if Cincinnati brings in that veteran or leans into more youth through the draft and places full hope in Carter and Knight.

Check out the full ranking from Solak here.

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