Bengals Free Agency Takeaways: Key Moves, Costly Misses and What’s Next

CINCINNATI — The Bengals made some big moves in free agency with hopes of rejuvenating a defense that's been one of the NFL's worst over the past two seasons.

Did they do enough? Where did they go right? What did they do wrong? Is anything else coming?

Here are three thoughts on Bengals free agency and what's next:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Quality Additions

The Bengals signed Bryan Cook to a 3-year, $40.25 million contract. It's one of the best additions in free agency. They haven't had stability at the safety position since Jessie Bates left in free agency three years ago. That had to change.

The Bengals went out and added the top free agent safety. Cook is a physical player, quality tackler, and should help bring physicality to the defense that has been lacking in recent years.

Boye Mafe is another quality addition. Mafe's best football should be ahead of him. Despite the lack of sack production last season, there's reason to believe he'll take a step forward and be a quality pass rusher in 2026 and beyond.

Mafe, 27, ranked eighth in ESPN’s pass rush win metric last year. He has recorded a pressure rate of at least 12.4 percent in each of the previous three seasons.

Jonathan Allen isn't considered an ascending player at this stage of his career, but he addresses a major need on the Bengals' defense. They need another interior pass rusher. He can still make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable, which is something the Bengals defensive tackle room has struggled with in recent seasons.

Big Misses

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) celebrates a fumble recovery with cornerback Montaric Brown (30) during the second quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One thing was certain going into free agency: The Bengals wanted to add a proven linebacker.

They failed.

Devin Lloyd was there for the taking, and the Bengals were interested, but ultimately he accepted a 3-year, $45 million contract from the Panthers. Let's say Cincinnati had to go up a bit to 3-years, $48 million to get him—it would've been worth it.

Quay Walker was another player that piqued the Bengals' interest. Ultimately, he signed a 3-year, $40.5 million deal with the Raiders.

Spending major money on a linebacker wasn't necessarily required. Leo Chenal inked a 3-year, $24.75 million deal with the Commanders. It doesn't sound like the Bengals were as intrigued by Chenal as some of the other top options like Lloyd and Walker.

Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden made it clear the Bengals wanted to improve significantly at linebacker.

"We’ve gotta get better. We’ve gotta get deeper," Golden said at the NFL Combine. "Obviously having somebody with a combo presence. I would prefer not to ask Demetrius to play on the line of scrimmage as much as we did. There will be times when he does do that. But I would prefer to add another piece and have that veteran wisdom and all those things. Again, we’re looking for formidable position groups, which combined will make us better as a unit. So yeah, we’re trying to improve a lot of different positions right now. And that’s one of them."

A veteran like Demario Davis was considered a pre-free agency fit, but he went for more than expected, signing a 2-year, $22 million deal with the Jets.

Now we're well into the NFL's third wave of free agency. Most, if not all, of the difference-making linebackers are signed and the Bengals still haven't addressed the position.

Linebacker wasn't the only miss by the Bengals. They need another proven defensive end. Right now, they're banking on too many unknowns.

Mafe is a nice signing, but he has a lot to prove. Myles Murphy ended the 2025 season on a high note, but he still needs to take a step to be considered a quality starting defensive end. Shemar Stewart is extremely talented, but dealt with injuries last season and is a major question mark going into his second NFL season. As shaky as the Bengals are at linebacker, defensive end isn't far behind.

There are still some quality pass rushers available in free agency. Jadeveon Clowney would be a perfect fit stylistically. Joey Bosa would bring some juice off the edge.

There were rumblings about the Bengals being in on Arnold Ebiketie before he signed a one-year, $4.3 million deal with the Eagles. Even a player like that would've given the Bengals more stability at a position of need. He was cheap, appears to be ascending and would've fit well with Mafe and Cook.

Instead, the Bengals have two major holes on defense, with the NFL Draft just five weeks away.

So Close, Yet So Far Away

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) and linebacker Quay Walker (7) pressure Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (1) on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers defeated the Bears 28-21. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Had the Bengals landed Walker, Lloyd, Chenal or any of the other top linebackers and a mid-level pass rusher like Ebiketie or one of the current free agents (Clowney, for example), it would've been a nearly perfect free agent haul for a defense that desperately needs young, ascending veterans.

Cook, Mafe and Allen all make sense. In a vacuum, all three signings make the Bengals better. That doesn't mean they should've stopped there. One premier signing at linebacker would've gone a long way. Golden wants strong position groups. What's the path to the Bengals' linebackers becoming a strength of the team?

What's Next?

It's probably not realistic to expect that, regardless of what happens in the 2026 NFL Draft. Defensive end is a bit different. Stewart and Murphy were first round picks for a reason. They should be able to take a step. The Bengals should also be smart enough to add talent around them, just in case there's an injury or if one (or both) of them doesn't take a major step forward.

Had the Bengals addressed linebacker and edge rusher, it would be really easy to see how former Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs would fit on defense. He'd give Golden a weapon to use in the nickel and a chess piece he could move all over the field.

Downs would make an impact and is one of the better first round scenarios for the Bengals, but they certainly have bigger needs than safety/nickel cornerback.

It almost feels like they're stuck hoping Rueben Bain Jr., David Bailey, Arvell Reese or Sonny Styles fall to them at pick 10.

Bain has a chance to make it to them. Bailey, Reese and Styles could all end up going in the top five.

If all four players are gone, then Downs could certainly be the pick. There are plenty of talented linebackers projected to go in the midrounds of this year's draft. Jacob Rodriguez, Jake Golday, Kyle Lewis, CJ Allen and Harold Perkins are all possible targets in rounds 2-4.

Edge rusher is a bit trickier. There's a clear fall-off after Bain. That doesn't mean T.J. Parker, R Mason Thomas, or Malachi Lawrence can't help round out the room.

Here's the problem: the Bengals have added quality talent and still have three clear holes on defense. That doesn't take into account the need for offensive line depth, a possible deep threat at wide receiver or a tight end.

There are clear holes on defense, but the Bengals have some sneaky needs on offense.

Bottom Line

The Bengals should still look to add a proven pass rusher in the coming weeks before the 2026 NFL Draft. Filling an obvious need would go a long way toward opening up their board. It would make them better so they can focus on taking the best player available and not worry about filling a clear need.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Amazon.