5 free agents we can be glad the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t sign

4. Evan Engram

 Evan Engram signed a 1 year, $9,000,000 deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In what universe did Evan Engram deserve a $9,000,000 contract? Jacksonville, please explain this to me.

The Christian Kirk deal was large, but some argue it was an intelligent move resetting the wide receiver market. There is no defense to giving Engram that much money.

This offseason, bringing in a tight end was about replacing C.J. Uzomah. Hayden Hurst will quickly fill the void, maybe even improve the position.

Engram would have caused Cincinnati to scheme for him rather than plugging him into the team’s already successful schemes. Since joining the league in 2017, Engram found most of his success when lining up out wide or in the slot, facing off against slower defenders.

At the end of the day, Bengals fans can be happy Jacksonville drastically overpaid Evan Engram.

3. Austin Hooper

Austin Hooper signed a 1 year, $6,000,000 contract with the Tennessee Titans.

Immediately following Austin Hooper’s release, many experts began linking Hooper to Cincinnati. It made sense, as he was a two-time pro-bowler with experience in the division. However, Bengals fans and many others were never too impressed with Hooper during his time in Cleveland.

When Hooper signed with Cleveland in 2018, the Browns made him the highest-paid tight end in the league — Swing and a miss there. In his two seasons with the Browns, Hooper failed to surpass 500 yards or five touchdowns in a season.

Between Hooper and Hurst, I’d say the Bengals picked the better former Falcons tight end (for nearly half the cost).