Grading the Cincinnati Bengals free agent signings from Day 4
What grade does the Eli Apple signing deserve?
Bengals fans can say what they want but Eli Apple actually played pretty well in the 2021 season. He wasn’t great in the first half of the season but turned things around in a big way down the stretch, finishing the season with a PFF grade of 60.9.
Apple, of course, has taken a lot of heat from the fans after giving up the game-winning touchdown to Cooper Kupp in Super Bowl LVI. He also wasn’t popular outside of Cincinnati due to the amount of trash-talking he did leading up to the moment in which he got burned in the biggest moment on the biggest state.
Even with that being the case, Apple was solid for Cincinnati. He shouldn’t be a starting option by any means and the Bengals should absolutely find another cornerback in the draft but retaining Apple was a great move for them.
CB Eli Apple is returning to Cincinnati on a one-year, $4 million deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2022
Not only does Apple’s return boost the cornerback group but the Bengals got him for a freaking bargain. This is a very impressive move by the team and deserves the best grade of the day.
Eli Apple grade: A-
What grades are you giving these signings?