Our Bengals mock offseason via The Athletic leaves rivals in the dust

The day has arrived. Stripe Hype's official Cincinnati Bengals mock offseason, courtesy of the annual model by the fine folks at The Athletic, has arrived.

Would I love to see some athletic testing numbers from the Combine? Yes. Will that impact my draft strategy in the end? Probably not a whole lot. At least in terms of who I want to see the Bengals let rip on with the 10th overall pick in the first round.

No need to delay. We have a few thousand words to get through here to lay out a blueprint of raging success for an offseason Joe Burrow has said is "as big as it gets." Enjoy. Or roast me for how dumb I am.

For the record: By leaving rivals in the dust, I mean other mock offseason authors, AFC North rivals, and any and every adversary the Bengals encounter in 2026.

Bengals mock offseason follows a simple paradigm: The Reverse Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Check out my Bengals mock offseason in all its glory below.

Big side note: I altered the spreadsheet formula to create extra salary cap space that better aligns with the actual $19.2 million (not $12 million) saved in a Burrow contract restructure. This results in $66.5 million or so in salary cap space for 2026, per OverTheCap.com.

The Athletic only provides $35 million in spending money based on team history. To me, that's lame. We're in Fantasy Land anyway, so I gave myself $75 million to play with. If you go to OverTheCap.com, factor in the approx. $7 million set aside for the 2026 draft class, but cut Drew Sample, Oren Burks, Cody Ford, and T.J. Slaton, then restructure Burrow's deal, you land on about $82 million in effective cap space.

In more-than-doubling The Athletic's bizarrely low budget, I undershot what's possible. And finished $19 million ahead. Let's get into this mysterious subheading at the top. Weird way to kick things off, no?

What is The Reverse Marquez Valdes-Scantling? It's part homage to the AFC's current greatness standard bearer, the Kansas City Chiefs, part symbolic of the freaky upside/potential Valdes-Scantling embodies (that he never fully reached, much like the Bengals' front office hamstrings their team every single year). Sorry for the side-swipe there, MVS.

Above all else, Valdes-Scantling's initials backwards serve as a convenient acronym that embodies what I want the Bengals to hunt for this offseason to upgrade their roster.

So reverse Valdes-Scantling's initials, and you get SVM. It's a code for Cincinnati to live by in preparation for the 2026 season, which may be the most important year in franchise history.

SVM. Smart. Versatile. Menacing.

Because you know what? I'm tired of players not having a clue how to function in Al Golden's defensive scheme. I'm tired of wide receivers not named Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins who don't know what they're doing. I'm tired of starters and/or highly drafted players putting in poor effort or outright ducking physical confrontations on a real-life football field.

The Bengals need some capital-D Dudes, as opposed to a gaggle of JAGs (Just A Guy) to help some of their younger players see the light.

Us fans don't have time for traitsy, pet project draft picks anymore. Nor can the Bengals afford to cheap out on free agency, when salary cap space is so plentiful and the urgency to appease Joe Burrow couldn't be more critical.

I've broken down my mock Bengals offseason into six overarching initiatives. These would add credibility to the organization, prove the front office is all-in for a Super Bowl push, and also would not nuke the future whatsoever.

Controlled aggression. A smart, versatile, menacing roster of absolute Dudes.

1. Sonny Styles, Demario Davis & Leo Chenal transform Bengals linebacker corps from glaring weakness to massive strength

Is it theoretically possible for Demetrius Knight Jr. or Barrett Carter to make a massive Year 2 leap? I'd feel better if they weren't literally graded by PFF as the worst linebacker tandem in the entire NFL last season.

Oren Burks was a veteran signing who didn't work out. He's cut. I'm ready to flush the Knight-Carter experiment — or at least put it on hold by way of special teams relegation — in favor of Saints All-Pro Demario Davis, perpetually ascending Chiefs standout Leo Chenal, and Ohio State stud 'backer Sonny Styles.

Davis has seen so much and performed at a high level for so long. Across 14 NFL seasons, he's missed a grand total of two games. As a 36-year-old during the 2025 campaign, he made 143 combined tackles.

Given that ex-Saints linebackers coach Mike Hodges holds the same role in Cincinnati, Davis would be a perfect fit for the Bengals. He'd be a mere one-year flier to show Knight and Carter how to be an actual pro.

Some people may think it's out of pocket to have Chenal land in a place where he'd play third fiddle. Those people may not know that Chenal has thrived that way his whole career in Kansas City. Chenal has comfortably averaged only about 440 regular-season snaps over the last three years. Even still, Chenal might very well start over Davis, or at least out-snap him.

The combined cost of signing Davis and Chenal would be roughly what the Bengals could shell out for the top free-agent linebacker, Devin Lloyd. Another fun fact: About one-third of Chenal's NFL snaps have come as an edge defender.

After converting from safety to linebacker ahead of Ohio State's national championship-winning 2024 season, guess how often Sonny Styles aligned on the edge? On 264 of his 1,560 snaps (17%).

You know what the Bengals' defense has been awful at for years on end? TACKLING.

Well guess what? Styles did not miss a single tackle last season until his final game. Chenal has a career missed tackle rate of just 8.2%. From Week 9 on, Davis converted on 63 of 69 tackle attempts (8.7% miss rate) and is at only 10.2% overall on a massive sample size of 13,420 snaps played.

Styles played in an exotic scheme under Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator and ex-NFL head coach Matt Patricia and was asked to wear multiple hats. Chenal hails from one of the most complex systems, masterminded by the legendary Steve Spagnuolo. Davis is one of the smartest linebackers to ever play the sport. How else would he have lasted all these years?

You see what I'm getting at here, y'all? I'm so over messing around with Knight and Carter and any other cheapskate pick-up the Bengals want to trot out there.

Humor me and read the NFL dot com draft profile pro player comparisons for Styles, Knight, and Carter from Lance Zierlein, one of the best in the business. Styles' comp isn't a one-off, either.

• Demetrius Knight Jr. — Germaine Pratt
• Barrett Carter — Christian Harris
• SONNY STYLES — FRED WARNER (LOL)

How 'bout that. Seventy percent of Germaine Pratt's peak would be a generous forecast for Knight.

So hmm...do I want a Christian Harris comp, or the possible Second Coming of Fred Warner as my team's future linebacker linchpin? What a toss-up!

Chenal and Styles can obviously play on the edge. Golden can get as creative as he wants with their versatility alone. Leo and Sonny can, you know, tackle! So can Demario, whose leadership in the locker room and absence of a Super Bowl from his resume can only aid the Bengals' quest for football immortality.

Still with me? We're just getting started.

2. Three new starters *NOT from the 2026 NFL Draft* join Myles Murphy on Bengals' revamped defensive line — including one familiar face

Props to Myles Murphy for hanging in there. I figuratively left him for dead. I don't think he gave fans much reason to believe in him. Then, something clicked in the back half of his third NFL season.

Took till Year 3. Better late than never for the 2023 first-rounder. Murphy still needs help across the defensive line, however. So let's give it to him.

I've teased a reunion with D.J. Reader on this site before. It's time to come home, big man.

The Bengals haven't found a solution at nose tackle since Reader left. Their version of an answer last offseason was T.J. Slaton. I'd much rather cut Slaton, save $6.4 million, turn around and use just about that amount to give Reader a two-year deal to return to the Queen City.

Perhaps no free agent has taken up so much digital space on Stripe Hype as Denver Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. As my Bengals mock offseason shows in the "caveats" section, there's no chance Franklin-Myers will cost $17 million per year. Closer to $10 million, or so I and PFF predict.

Franklin-Myers can be equally effective playing on the edge, or as an interior defensive lineman. He had 7.5 sacks for the AFC No. 1 seed Broncos in 2025, and seven in 2024. You need to have advanced technique and a high football IQ to produce at multiple spots like JFM has. Might be the most underrated player in the entire NFL.

Then I've got Boye Mafe as another new starter. This doesn't mean the end for Shemar Stewart. It just means he's staying in a situational role until he proves he can handle more. Stewart's physical tools are tantalizing, as is his hopeful inside-outside versatility in the trenches. He just doesn't have any production whatsoever to back up that potential like Mafe does.

Again, The Athletic is reaching here to suggest a situational player on the NFC champion Seahawks is worth $12 million per year. Not that I wouldn't overpay Mafe to that degree. Cincinnati has the funds to do so.

I loved Mafe coming into the 2022 NFL Draft. Had him 25th on my now-archived Barstool Sports big board, just ahead of Arnold Ebiketie (31st), another prime free-agent target.

I could honestly go either way with Mafe or Ebiketie. The latter is a little twitchier but a little smaller. I give the edge to Mafe because he's been around a Super Bowl-caliber culture with the Seahawks, digesting the most cutting-edge defense in the sport under Mike Macdonald.

Anyone seen Seattle play? If you aren't smart or versatile, and don't play with a violent/menacing streak of physically cruel intentions, Macdonald will not put you on the field.

At 6'4", 261 pounds, Mafe has a nine-sacks season on his resume from 2023 in 16 games, and he had six the following year in 15 games. His athletic testing numbers from back in the day speak to his raw power and explosiveness. Mafe ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash, including a 1.56-second 10-yard split. His vertical jump was 41.5 inches, too.

That 10-yard split by Mafe? Faster than Ja'Marr Chase's 1.59 seconds from LSU's pro day back in 2020.

Side note: Leo Chenal's 40/10-yard split times were 4.53 flat and 1.50 seconds. HOOOOOOOH.

So to recap the front seven, it'd now consist of two electrifying, sure-tackling linebackers who can play the edge at any given time. Reader is back to drop the anchor and shore up the run defense. Franklin-Myers is the interior pass rushing threat Cincinnati fans have longed for. And Mafe is a stellar starter whose body will be fresh from his lesser role on a stacked Seahawks defense.

Does that sound like a smart, versatile, and menacing d-line and linebacker group that could wreak havoc on the rest of the league? Sure does to me!

This isn't some wishy-washy, "Oh gosh, where do we play these guys? They're sorta jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none!" This is a collection of high-octane, hyper-athletic, movable chess pieces who'd make opponents' pass protection calls a waking nightmare and their narrow running alleys intimidating to venture into.

Golden would be transcending the mundane whilst dialing up ridiculous simulated pressures, line stunts, and absurd post-snap coverage shifts. These *Dudes* could would execute anything and everything Golden could draw up on his call sheet far more often than not.

3. *Actual* highest-paid free agent is another ex-Chief — and a Cincinnati native

So I alluded to Franklin-Myers' inflated contract estimate in the prior section. The Athletic seems spot-on with their prediction for Kansas City safety Bryan Cook.

What's awesome about Cook beyond his status as PFF's No. 4-rated safety in pass coverage with a 5.6% missed tackle rate is that he played at the University of Cincinnati. He was born in Cincinnati. Cook's literal header photo on X/Twitter is a picture of downtown Cincy and Paycor Stadium.

Unlike many other free agents who could be wary of the Bengals' weird approach to contracts, belated paying of in-house talent, and low-balling their best players, Cook knows what he's getting into. Less than perhaps any other big-name player who's available to sign anywhere, he doesn't need to be sold on Cincinnati at all.

Thankfully, Cook would likely want to play for his hometown team and fill a position they desperately need to upgrade on his own volition. It's just a matter of the Bengals meeting his asking price.

Time to kick the Chiefs while they're down, Duke Tobin. Did you know they're $54.7 million in the salary cap red for 2026 at the minute?

Don't bank on a hometown discount. Get this Bryan Cook in the building for a visit. Do not let him leave without a deal. He's won two Super Bowls. Been a pivotal part of Spags' dynastic Chiefs defense. It's the slam dunk of all slam-dunk signings to make.

4. Jalen Davis & Dalton Risner remain in Cincinnati to solidify otherwise-vacant positions

Speaking of slam dunks, retaining practice squadder-turned-excellent-nickelback Jalen Davis and right guard Dalton Risner feel like layups. Not cost-prohibitive. Safe. Easy to do.

Would that it were so simple for the Cincinnati Bengals, eh?

Risner cemented himself as a starter after joining the Bengals just before Week 1. Letting him hit free agency, instead of signing him to a deal in the neighborhood of $4 million to even $7 million per year, is about the dumbest thing Cincinnati's geniuses in the personnel department could do.

Remember when I speculated on Cook's desire to play for the Bengals? It's on public record, in no uncertain terms, that Risner wants to remain a Bengal.

As for Davis, if the Bengals want to toy with a different boundary cornerback and move Dax Hill back to the slot, I guess I get it. Just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Hill is most comfortable on the perimeter. Davis is a pure slot corner. That combo worked very well in the second half of this season. Why switch it up?

Again, these moves circle back to the Smart/Versatile/Menacing mantra.

Risner played both guard spots in 2025. He waited out a long offseason where no other team picked him up. Weathered the early storm of a pass protection breakdown that led to Burrow's turf toe injury. It all culminated in Risner playing perhaps the best football of his career.

Davis had to rise from practice squad to special teams to proving himself in a starting role. That takes a certain competitive tenacity with a high football IQ to match. He deserves to be rewarded, and it won't cost an arm and a leg to pay Davis plenty well.

5. Extensions galore for DJ Turner, Dax Hill & Chase Brown

Haven't the Bengals self-owned themselves enough? Even though not paying Trey Hendrickson a multi-year deal looks like it's going to work out in the long run, I keep hoping against hope that Cincinnati's leadership doesn't take the wrong lesson from that saga.

DJ Turner and Dax Hill have the potential to be the best boundary cornerback tandem in the NFL. You put their skill sets in coverage with Bryan Cook to lead the safety room, and all the Dudes I just plugged into the front seven, and this Bengals defense will freaking go.

So why wait to extend them? It'll only cost more to wait and pay them later. We saw it happen with Ja'Marr and Tee. Meanwhile, their relationships with the organization took unnecessary hits.

If Turner backs up his All-Pro caliber 2025, he'll command top-of-market money. From what he said to the media about negotiations, it looks like the Bengals are wisely getting ahead of the game on this one.

Dax could work his way into the upper echelon of cornerbacks, too — especially with a full season as an outside corner and Turner balling out opposite him.

One of the cheaper positions to dish out a second contract to for a core player is running back. Chase Brown is a class act. A bell-cow back. A rare gem the Bengals found in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. He just had 69 catches, over 1,000 rushing yards, and 11 total TDs as a third-year pro.

A three-year extension for $12 million per season seems more than fair for Brown. It'd be on par with stars like James Cook ($11.5 million) and match Josh Jacobs' average annual value, but it'd look like a bargain by 2028.

6. Bengals' future-forward foundation for Joe Burrow defines Day 2 of the draft

I gamed out all the Bengals' free-agent deals through 2028. There is a world where Orlando Brown Jr. can still be the left tackle. That depends on what type of next payday he commands, and whether his performance justifies that cost.

It'd be nice to have some kind of contingency plan at left tackle. Northwestern's Caleb Tiernan is a savvy second-round pick in that vein.

Tiernan is an excellent pass protector. Leaves something to be desired as a run blocker, but in such a pass-heavy, Burrow-centric offensive system, he doesn't need to be elite in that area. Some of Tiernan's production comps are pretty promising.

Offensive line coach Scott Peters got a lot out of the Bengals' group this past year in the running game in particular. Sounds like an ideal situation for Tiernan to step into given that's where he needs the most work.

I'll also keep banging the drum that the Bengals should strive to upgrade from Andrei Iosivas at WR3. UConn's Skyler Bell is a savvy route-runner and prolific producer who just ranked top-four nationally in receptions (101, fourth) receiving yards (1,278, second) and TD catches (13, tied for third).

7. Lucky seven...odds and ends to polish off this Bengals mock offseason digital tome

Look, I guess it's cool to bring back Jake Browning as the QB2, but I'd rather not. Jimmy Garoppolo would be a fun acquisition. He could at least step in there and distribute the ball to Ja'Marr and Tee.

Jimmy G plenty of experience in massive games. Got to sit and learn even more from Matthew Stafford with the Rams most recently. I just don't want Joey B. to get dinged up and not have a capable backup.

The Athletic believes the Bengals will get a third-round pick in a Trey Hendrickson trade. That pick got used on Florida State nose tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. Rare Dude with plus pass rushing at 340-ish pounds. Bit of a down 2025 for Jackson, but look at this data point!

I wouldn't hesitate to draft Jackson and jettison McKinnley Jackson to the taxi squad if the opportunity arose.

The last draft pick is another Ohio State product in cornerback Davison Igbinosun. He's a bit grabby, but reduced his penalties from a whopping 13 in 2024 to only five in 2025, yielding just a 41% completion rate and 43.4 passer rating. Igbinosun would raise the floor of the Cincinnati CB room behind Turner and Hill.

And that's a wrap, at long last.

Thank you for reading this odyssey of a 2026 Cincinnati Bengals mock offseason. Huge salute if you made it to the end. The Reverse Marquez Valdes-Scantling. SVM. Smart. Versatile. Menacing.

One final question (not necessarily rhetorical): Was I correct?

WHO DEY!!