The Bengals have 15 free agents to re-sign. Which players should be the top priorities for new contracts in free agency?
Rummaging through the internet to bring you latest news about the Cincinnati Bengals so that you don’t have to do it – this is your Who Dey Dish for Thursday, February 25.
Ranking the priority of the Bengals’ free agents (CincyJungle)
"NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling released their list of the NFL’s top 99 free agents and the Browns, Bengals, Ravens and Steelers were all well-represented on the list, but the Bengals saw the most players on the list of any AFC North team, despite having the fewest players set to hit free agency. Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh each had three players on the list, but seven Bengals players managed to make their way into the top 99 ranking. This makes Cincinnati one of the most vulnerable teams in free agency, with the Rams and the Broncos in similar situations, each having five players on the list.With so many players hitting free agency, the Bengals will need to discern which players are most valuable to the team. This will be an incredibly difficult task for Duke Tobin, Katie Blackburn, Marvin Lewis and the rest of the Bengals staff, as there are plenty of questions to answer. Should the team keep its leaders on board to serve as mentors for younger players, should the team keep its young players in preparation for the future, or should Cincinnati do something in between?"
Bengals should only re-sign one of two free agent safeties (CincyJungle)
"George Iloka and Reggie Nelson have been integral pieces in the Bengalssecondary for years, and the duo has quietly emerged as one of the NFL’s best safety tandems. But with both players hitting free agency, the Bengals must ask themselves whether signing both starters is necessary.The Bengals will already be hard-pressed to sign their 15 players set to hit free agency, but being able to retain both starting safeties, who should gain plenty of attention on the market, will be one of the team’s most daunting tasks. Iloka boasts physical attributes that no other free agent safety can even come close to matching, while Nelson posted eight interceptions in 2015, tied for the league high."
George Iloka and Reggie Nelson: Who’s more valuable? (Stripe Hype)
"George Iloka or Reggie Nelson? This question has been a focal point of offseason discussion and debates for weeks now, but with free agency right around the corner, let’s look at the two players’ respective values side by side to determine which player is really the more valuable signing.Reggie Nelson may have seen the better 2015 numbers, but he was quietly fairly vulnerable in coverage, especially over the first few games of the season. Iloka, on the other hand, didn’t force nearly as many turnovers. However, the young safety was easily the better safety in terms of preventing deep passes. Iloka is a harder hitter, and he has much more range than his teammate."
Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu: Who’s more valuable? (Stripe Hype)
"Marvin Jones or Mohamed Sanu? The Bengals certainly want to re-sign one or both of these receivers, but opposing teams are likely to throw boatloads of money at one or both pass-catchers, forcing the Bengals to either overpay or move on from their receivers."