Frugality is a fitting one-word summary for the Cincinnati Bengals. They don't often shell out huge money to free agents, and when they do, it's some weird contract structure that's either front-loaded, way too low on guaranteed money, or a blend of both.
Sure, Cincinnati's leadership could ingratiate themselves a lot better with current and former players, never mind with prospective talent acquisitions from outside the building. They just don't seem interested in "bending the knee" in that regard so to speak.
Well guess what? Joe Burrow is happy as a Bengal for now. He won't be if the playoffs come and go four times in a row without his team in them.
PFF projects highest-paid free agents at every position & there's bigger Bengals news than Trey Hendrickson landing on the list
Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron listed the contract values for who he predicts will be the highest-paid players at each position. Cincinnati star Trey Hendrickson, an organizationally alienated tag-and-trade candidate, is the top edge defender with a two-year, $50.89 million deal.
Weirdly precise number, but go off, Mason. Thank you for the content. As golf gallery members allegedly say to Bryson DeChambeau aloud in real life, "Appreciate what you do online!"
May I direct y'all to an article I wrote on January 12 about Hendrickson's departure, and how the Bengals could have a $45 million spending spree rebuttal to his exit? Too late. You're trapped. Here are the breakdowns of my top Cincinnati free-agent targets and their contract values:
- Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd — 3 years, $60 million
- Patriots S Jaylinn Hawkins — 3 years, $45 million
- Broncos DL John Franklin-Myers — 3 years, $30 million
Here's what Mason Cameron came up with on his list: Lloyd at three years, $60.43 million; Franklin-Myers at two years, $19.4 million.
Allow me to be the first and second person to congratulate myself on Lloyd and JFM. Quick aside incoming to set up the final, admittedly self-aggrandizing revelation.
I did have Jaylinn Hawkins as my target at safety in that aforementioned Hendrickson piece, but as a follow-up article revealed, I'd be just as happy with ex-Cincinnati Bearcat, Seattle Seahawks safety, and Hawkins' fellow Super Bowl 60 participant, Coby Bryant.
Prior to Championship Sunday, I favorably compared Bryant to his college teammate, Chiefs pending free agent safety Bryan Cook. The implication was that Bryant would rival Cook as one of the highest-paid safeties on the open market, with an average annual value on a prospective contract around $14 million.
Let's circle back to that PFF piece. What did Mason Cameron come up with as a price tag for Not-Mamba Coby? A three-year contract worth $43 million.
So I missed the projected cost of what these core pieces would cost the Bengals by, what, a grand total of $2 million? If that?
If the Bengals get salary cap-savvy, the cost of signing Devin Lloyd, John Franklin-Myers and Coby Bryant will essentially pay for itself
One more shameless plug for my own work because I'm just that good at this. I wrote several days ago about how the Bengals can free up $45 million in additional 2026 salary cap space via contract restructures for Joe Shiesty, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Allow myself to introduce...myself. And y'all the words I wrote then:
"Even with those restructured contracts, check out the respective 2027 cap hits for Burrow, Chase and Higgins: $57.2 million, $37.5 million, and $37.3 million. Guess how much projected cap space Cincinnati would still have next year? Try on $118.9 million for size. Mind you, that's with a super low-ball 2027 NFL salary cap prediction of $311 million. The cap will for sure be higher than that. It almost reached that high this year alone!"
That $45 million in extra cap space in 2026, per my projections and PFF's, would cover the costs for Devin Lloyd, Coby Bryant, aaaaaaaand John Franklin-Myers! Almost down to the penny.
See how this all came full circle? Good lord I'm feeling myself today. This braggadocious caricature I'm projecting isn't real, I assure you. It is a safe way to air out my frustration with Duke Tobin, the Blackburns, Mike Brown, and anyone involved in constructing this Bengals roster.
Greatness is within your grasp, Bengals powers that be! SEIZE IT!!!