Bengals mock offseason: Projecting free agency, the draft and more

The NFL’s free agency period officially begins on March 17 at 4 pm ET. When the time comes, the Bengals will finally have a chance to show whether their big spending in 2020 was fool’s gold or a glimpse at the new way of doing things in Cincinnati.

Whether it’s retaining their own free agents, filling holes by signing outside players, or adding talent through the draft, there is plenty of work to do this offseason.

The Bengals have one of the highest cap spaces in the NFL and should have plenty of ammo to make moves for some of the biggest players on the market. Add in the fact that many other franchises find themselves in a financial bind, and the club is even better positioned. Whether they actually take advantage of the situation is another question, but at least they have the capital if they want to use it.

In addition to the money at their disposal, the Bengals also hold the No. 5 pick in the draft. Top-five selections are a hot commodity and they should be able to bring in an elite talent to become a staple of the franchise for years to come.

Considering all the factors in the Bengals’ favor, they should be in for an active and productive offseason. After the Joe Burrow-era got off to a poor start in Cincinnati, they will be looking to build a better team around their franchise quarterback in order to compete while he’s still on a rookie contract.

In the following slides, we’ll run through a full mock offseason scenario before free agency kicks off next week.