3 tweaks to dream Bengals mock offseason near dawn of NFL free agency

Our Cincinnati Bengals mock offseason from not many moons ago is, dare I say, the best of its kind on the entire Internet. If you missed that 3,000-word digital tome, it's here for your reading pleasure.

And you know what? For better vision, the main moves are below in X post/tweet form.

Already some things I'd change from little more than a month ago. After Sonny Styles absolutely torched the Combine, though, I'm feeling myself a bit. Except for the high probability that Styles doesn't reach the Bengals with the 10th overall pick.

So what are the main tenets I would change to this otherwise-peerless mock offseason? Decided on a few tweaks, grounded in a more realistic view of what Cincinnati is liable to do.

Figure out Orlando Brown Jr. left tackle successor (if any) in 2027

The Bengals are big on trusting the guys in their locker room. I'm sure they believe Cody Ford is up to the task, or that they can skimp by on practice squad reserves like Andrew Coker or Javon Foster.

Not a great plan. Not a terrible one either. All Cincinnati needs is for Orlando Brown Jr. to stay healthy. He'll be highly motivated in the midst of a contract year. Brown will either price himself out of a Bengals uniform, or create a little more clarity on how much of a need it is to protect Joe Burrow's blindside beyond 2026.

Burrow has proven he doesn't need elite pass protection to be a superstar. Would just love it if he got it. Imagine the results. There is no ceiling.

Anyway, rather than slightly over-drafting Northwestern left tackle Caleb Tiernan in Round 2, let's amend that to pick a safety/nickel type, or an offensive playmaker instead. Turns out, I've made my best updated selection in a separate mock draft: Arizona's Treydan Stukes.

Go cheaper on interior pass rush solution

I'm sort of coming to terms with the fact that John Franklin-Myers will be, by far, the most coveted interior pass rusher on the open market. There's no chance the Bengals outbid everyone for his services. They're not that all-in for a Super Bowl, come on!

Between B.J. Hill's presence, the possibility of a draft pick, and the likely internal belief that 2024 second-rounder Kris Jenkins Jr. has untapped potential, I could see Cincinnati's solution here being quite underwhelming.

Thus, rather than my guy JFM rocking Bengals stripes, we cut costs with an effective but admittedly not as good player in Tampa Bay Buccaneers free agent Logan Hall. He had 5.5 sacks in 2024, only turns 26 in April, and can flex out to the edge at times if need be (117 snaps outside the tackle in 2025, per PFF).

Just swap out Franklin-Myers for Hall in this imagined personnel package, and keep Leo Chenal as a versatile chess piece even if Sonny Styles isn't available with the 10th pick. Still sounds quite appealing.

Trade 4th-round pick (and possibly more) for proven veteran anchor on defense

First of all, at this point, I doubt Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun is available in Round 4. He was according to most big boards at the time (not mine!), but ranks 71st overall on the consensus big board as of this writing.

So rather than hoping to get some valuable contributor with that pick, I say the Bengals trade it, along with some kind of 2027 draft asset in exchange for a defensive cornerstone on an expiring contract.

A bold move, to be sure, but one Cincinnati could stomach in the pursuit of glory this coming season. And who knows? Maybe the front office would be proactive enough to strike an extension with said player upon his arrival, if said player was open to such a thing.

My two ideal targets for a move like this are Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. The G-Men are stacked on the defensive line and won't be able to pay everyone forever. Thibodeaux is playing out his fifth-year option, and is a great buy-low extension candidate if it can be worked out.

As for Fitzpatrick, well, he's that dude you want as a locker room leader, and someone who, at this point in his career, is best served as a box safety and occasional nickel. That fits exactly what Cincinnati's secondary is looking for.

So not to cop out, but these either/or options are a win-win for the Bengals.