Best, Worst 2025 Bengals Signings Revealed Ahead Of 2026 Free Agency

CINCINNATI — Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano broke down the best signings for each NFL team from last free agency cycle as the anticipation builds for next week's signing action.

Both of his Cincinnati Bengals selections came from the defensive front. It was such a bad exterior signing cycle for the franchise that he had to pick B.J. Hill's contract extension as the bright spot.

"Hill, who received a three-year, $33 million contract extension, has been one of the few dependable players on the Bengals’ poor defense the past few seasons. He’s a quality run defender, but there’s a possibility the team will cut him this offseason to save cap space," Manzano wrote.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill (92) paces after Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. The Bills overcame a halftime deficit to win 39-34. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

His interior running mate, T.J. Slaton, got the short end of the stick. Slaton had arguably the worst season of his career in 2025, posting a 44 Pro Football Focus grade on 582 snaps.

"Slaton was supposed to help Hill in the trenches, but he struggled at times after signing a two-year, $14.1 million deal. The former Packers standout had three sacks in his first season in Cincinnati," Manzano wrote.

The defensive front is arguably Cincinnati's biggest weakness, and it got weaker with the inevitable exit of Trey Hendrickson. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is confident the organization can find the right pieces this time around.

"We go in. We get with our scouts and develop our thoughts on needs we might have on both sides of the ball, how they can help us," Taylor said about the free agency process. "Special teams as well. And then we jump into free agency. Our scouts do a great job getting with these guys during that negotiating process and figuring out what fits for us.

"Then, you're ready to shift if something doesn't work out to another position. It's a fun process to be a part of. There's a lot of work that goes into it. You've got to do a lot of work on a lot of players because, again, it's a very quick process that happens very fast and can shift on a moment's notice. You've got to be ready to go get another great player, so our guys have done a great job with the evaluation process, and I feel like we're in a great spot."

Check out the full 2025 FA gauge here.

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