3 Bengals 2023 opponents that improved immensely in free agency

The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the best teams in the NFL but unfortunately, other teams are now aware of their talent and have beefed up their own rosters to try and compete with them. Not long ago, we looked at teams on the Bengals' 2023 schedule that have gotten worse this offseason so why not do the opposite and look at teams on the schedule who have improved?

As a quick refresher, the Bengals will obviously face their own division but they'll also play the entire AFC South, NFC West, and the winner of the NFC North, which was the Vikings. Cincinnati also plays the winners of the divisions not on their schedule, meaning they'll have to play the Bills and the Chiefs again.

Let's check out three teams on Cincinnati's 2023 schedule who have gotten better this offseason.

Free-agent acquisitions courtesy of Spotrac

3. Houston Texans

Okay so let's just get one thing straight here -- No, the Texans aren't a scary team by any means but they have improved this offseason. Houston nearly secured the No. 1 pick in the draft but won a late-season game to ensure that the Bears would earn the top pick and the Texans would be drafting second.

Houston will still have their pick of whichever quarterback isn't taken No. 1 by the Panthers who traded for the top pick. Signs seem to be pointing to them landing Ohio State's own, C.J. Stroud, who would make the Texans a better team than they were a season ago.

The Texans have also added players such as Noah Brown, Denzel Perryman, Sheldon Rankins, Devin Singletary, Dalton Schultz, Jimmie Ward, Chase Winovich, and Robert Woods. That's a pretty good group of free-agent signings for a team that could barely stay afloat during the 2022 season.

The Texans are no longer going to be an easy win when the Bengals face them during the 2023 season. Cincinnati should be able to take care of business against them but it's not going to be as easy as it would have been a season ago.