10 best free agents in 2023 and are they a fit for the Bengals?
3. Javon Hargrave, DL
The Bengals spent a lot of money on their defensive line over the past few years and that's ultimately why I don't see them making a serious run at Javon Hargrave. The Eagles got Hargrave's best season, as he had 11.0 sacks and 16 QB hits making their pass rush one of the best in the league.
Cincinnati needs their pass-rushing unit to be better moving forward, especially with how much they're paying that unit. Hargrave is projected to earn a three-year deal worth $55 million with an annual salary of $18.33 million per year. I don't see them seriously pursuing Hargrave.
Would Javon Hargrave be a fit? Yes but he'll be too expensive.
2. Geno Smith
I don't need to go into much detail here because we know that the Bengals aren't going to sign Geno Smith. The former West Virginia quarterback had a fun storyline in 2022 after serving as mostly a backup for the first eight years of his career and now he's in line to earn a nice contract (four years $150 million with $37.5 million annually).
Some team is going to jump at the chance to pay Smith after the season he put together in 2022 but it won't be the Bengals. They already have their franchise quarterback and they'll be focusing on extending Burrow this offseason.