The Cincinnati Bengals have done wonders to their defense in recent years and it's helped them become the powerhouse that they are right now.
The stripes shouldn't be content with where their defense is at, though. This unit needs to continue adding the right pieces to ensure that opposing offenses won't be able to score on them with ease.
Let's check out three free agents that could continue to make the Bengals defense a fearful unit.
Germaine Pratt
I really hope the Bengals find a way to keep Germaine Pratt in Cincinnati after this season. The former third-round pick has come into his own in 2022, making impact play after impact play.
Bengals fans remember what the linebacker unit looked like before and it wasn't fun having one of the worst groups in the league. Pratt and Logan Wilson have really made the linebacker position look insanely good but it won't be easy to re-sign Pratt. His stellar 2022 season is going to put him on teams' free-agent maps so if Cincy wants him back, they'll have to pony up and pay him like a franchise linebacker.
We already know that Pratt can bolster the defense though because he's been doing it all season long. He'd be worth the money for sure.
James Bradberry
With Chidobe Awuzie injured and Eli Apple hitting free-agency in 2023, the need for a cornerback is there and James Bradberry is one of the better options out there this upcoming spring. He joined the Eagles this season after the Giants parted ways with him and he's been dominating in Philadelphia.
PFF has given Bradberry an overall grade of 74.7 and a coverage grade of 80.4, which is obviously very impressive. He'd be an immediate asset to this young secondary and could help mentor guys like Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt.
While Bradberry wouldn't come cheap, he'd be worth the money if the Bengals want to ensure that their secondary stays strong in a pass-happy NFL.
Justin Houston
Wouldn't this tick Ravens fans off? Justin Houston, who started his career in Kansas City before playing for the Colts and the Ravens, still has the ability to get after the quarterback even after 10+ years in the league.
This season alone, Houston has 9.0 sacks as of this writing, and while he used to struggle with injuries, that hasn't been the case for him recently.
The Bengals have pass-rushers on their roster but that hasn't translated to sacks. Adding Houston in the offseason could give their team another terrifying pass-rusher and maybe the incentive for Houston to "betray" Baltimore and jump ship to Cincinnati could be that he has a better chance to win a ring in the Queen City.
Which defensive free agents would you like to see Cincinnati add in the offseason?