NFL Draft Expert Details Bold, Realistic Plan to Jumpstart Bengals in 2026

CINCINNATI — NFL Draft expert Chad Forbes thinks the Bengals should tap into the Green Bay Packers free-agency pivot from late last decade.

Cincinnati is flush with top 10 cap space and needs mostly all contained on the defensive side of the ball. The 2019 Packers were in a similar spot with an elite quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.

"Bengals should follow the Packers 2019 offseason as a rubric," Forbes posted on X. "Off a 6-9-1 2018 season, the Packers deviated from their traditional approach and got aggressive in free agency. Signed: Za’Darius Smith ~ 4 Yrs $66M, Preston Smith ~ 4 Yrs $52M, Adrian Amos ~ 4 Yrs $37M, Billy Turner ~ 4 Yrs $28M. Selected Rashan Gary 12th overall. Went from 22nd in Points Allowed to ninth in a 13-3 debut season for Matt LaFleur. Four major deals allocated $45.75 million in average annual value or 24.3% of the 2019 $188.2 million salary cap.

"With a salary cap now north of $300M, that would equate to the Bengals spending $75 million in AAV to address the abysmal defense. How to spend the money? Chargers edge Odafe Oweh ~ $23 million AAV, Seahawks edge Boye Mafe ~ $15 million AAV, Broncos DL John Franklin-Myers ~ $15 million AAV, Chiefs safety Bryan Cook ~ $15 million AAV. Resign Dalton Risner, too."

Bing, Bam, Boom.

An offseason like this could instantly vault the Bengals from a middling fringe contender with consensus 30-1 Super Bowl betting odds, up to the AFC's top class. As mentioned, they don't have to do any major spending on offense after the 2025 offseason, mostly focused on the historic wide receiver contracts for Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.

Cincinnati has 53.4 million in cap space as of this writing, so they'd be right in range to make the four deals happen if they want to pursue these options.

A free-agent peppering like this is another reason why franchise tagging Trey Hendrickson and keeping him at over $30 million fully set against the cap makes little sense with how many defensive holes Cincinnati has to fill.

The parallels between the 2019 Aaron Rodgers-led Packers and the 2026 Joe Burrow-led Bengals are right there, if Cincinnati chooses to get aggressive.

Bengals should follow Packers 2019 Offseason as a rubric. Off a 6-9-1 2018, Packers deviated from their traditional approach and got aggressive in Free Agency.

Signed:
Za’Darius Smith ~ 4 Yrs $66M
Preston Smith ~ 4 Yrs $52M
Adrian Amos ~ 4 Yrs $37M
Billy Turner ~ 4 Yrs $28M…
— Chad Forbes (@NFLDraftBites) February 19, 2026

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