Bengals’ best, worst and most provocative moves in NFL free agency

Worst NFL Free agency move from the Bengals: Letting Vonn Bell walk

Fans did not anticipate that Vonn Bell would be leaving in the offseason so when he signed a three-year deal with the Panthers, it hurt a lot more. Fans expected Jessie Bates to depart but Bell leaving was a shot in the heart.

Bell's departure paired with Bates leaving also meant that the team was left without their two starting safeties from the 2022 season. That's not a good situation to be in. They prepared themselves for Bates' departure by drafting Dax Hill in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft but didn't prep for the loss of Bell.

Fortunately, the team did sign Nick Scott to replace Bell but what Bell did for the locker room during his time in Cincinnati is going to be hard to replace. Maybe Scott ends up being a decent addition (that's the hope, at least) but Bell brought so much more than good play to Cincinnati and that's why letting him leave was a brutal blow for this team's secondary.