Look: PFF Names Tee Higgins, DJ Reader, And Chidobe Awuzie Among Top-50 2024 Free Agents

CINCINNATI — PFF's Brad Spielberger thinks the Bengals have three of the NFL's top-50 free agents entering the 2024 offseason. Tee Higgins (No. 4), DJ Reader (No. 19), and Chidobe Awuzie (No. 26) all made the cut.

Higgins is a prime candidate for the Bengals franchise tag as the two sides couldn't work out a long-term deal this past offseason.

"Injuries have hampered almost the entire 2023 season for Higgins after his second consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2022 with a receiving grade above 75.0," Spielberger wrote. "A franchise tag already seemed likely heading into the season, and with little new data to impact the negotiation either way, that seems inevitable. The field-stretching, jump-ball receiver should have the chance to bounce back in 2024 along with the entire Bengals team following a disappointing season."

Reader has been one of Cincinnati's best defenders in 2023 and possesses a skill set that's hard to replace.

"Only injuries have slowed Reader down in Cincinnati," Spielberger wrote. "Otherwise, he has been a dominant force on the interior of a talented defensive line that was able to control the line of scrimmage and win big games up front over the past few seasons, with Reader the anchor in the middle.

"Reader is as stout as they come and nearly impossible to displace by just one blocker. And while he’ll never fill up the stat sheet with sacks, he can push the pocket and free up teammates as well as any nose tackle."

It would be shocking to see Cincinnati re-sign Awuzie after beefing up the cornerback coffers in recent drafts.

"Awuzie was one of a series of slam-dunk free-agent acquisitions for the Cincinnati Bengals over the past few years, providing the team with a bona fide No. 1 outside cornerback for just $7.25 million annually," Spielberger noted. "Awuzie tore his ACL in 2022, and the Bengals have used four Day 2 picks on defensive backs over the past two draft classes, which signals he should be testing out free agency once again. He has returned to form nicely in 2023, though."

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