Five under-the-radar 2021 free agents the Bengals should target

Under-the-radar Bengals FA targets: CB Gareon Conley

The cornerback room is among the units with the most uncertainty heading into the offseason. Nobody knows for sure if the Bengals will be able to hang on to William Jackson III, especially considering he’s viewed by nearly every outlet as the best player at his position slated to hit the open market.

Even if the team is able to retain Jackson, their other outside starting corner, Trae Waynes, is coming off an injury that caused him to miss all of last season. Not to mention, slot corner Darius Phillips has a troubling injury-history himself.

These circumstances should be enough to warrant the front office targeting depth and high-upside corners later on, no matter how the early portion of free agency plays out. LeShaun Sims and Tony Brown didn’t cut it last year when the starters went down. Gareon Conley looks to be a much better option.

Conley, a former first-round pick of the Raiders, has never played up to his potential. Shortly after his arrival to the league, Las Vegas underwent a massive shift, changing coaching regimes entirely. The new coaching staff wanted to get a look at other corners and opted to trade the former Ohio State Buckeye to the Texans in exchange for a third-round pick.

Conley again showed promise in Houston but fell victim to injury at the end of the season, clouding his market. He enters free agency without having proved much, but also possessing some tantalizing potential.

Still just 25-years-old, the Bengals could attempt to bring him in on a reasonable contract. If Jackson walks, they have a corner that is capable of starting (he has 26 starts under his belt) with the potential to develop into a quality player. If Jackson is retained, the cornerback room gets additional depth and injury insurance.