The Cincinnati Bengals' front office made a concerted effort during the offseason to improve the defense. Last year, the Bengals defense allowed the second-most yards in the NFL, and needed to improve significantly if the Bengals wanted to get anywhere near winning the AFC North.
Through two weeks, it seems like the defensive additions were more than worth it. The Bengals didn't give up a touchdown in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, and in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they forced four turnovers.
One of the bigger tasks in the offseason was replacing Trey Hendrickson. The former NFL sack-leader joined the Baltimore Ravens after he couldn't agree on a contract extension to keep him in Cincinnati. At face value, this was a huge loss, seeing as Hendrickson had been one of THE key players for the Bengals in both runs to the AFC Championship Game in 2021 and 2022.
The Bengals replaced Hendrickson with Boye Mafe
Cincinnati's front office very quickly made the defensive line a priority in free agency. They added tackle Jonathan Allen and then picked up Boye Mafe, who had just come off a Super Bowl-winning season with the Seahawks.
Upon adding Dexter Lawrence in their trade with the Giants, this Bengals D-line was all of a sudden completely revamped; But it was Mafe who was tasked with filling Hendrickson's shoes on the edge.
Mafe was an underrated pickup at the time; last season he posted modest numbers with two sacks and a forced fumble. But he was seen as an experienced and perhaps upside pickup by the Bengals, and so he has proven to be.
Mafe has proved to be a bargain upgrade on Hendrickson
So far this season, Mafe has recorded a sack and a forced fumble after just two games, and he's been one of the most dynamic pass rushers in the NFL so far. Mafe leads the NFL in QB hurries with 11 this season (PFF), ahead of former second overall pick for the Lions, Aidan Hutchinson, who has 10.
It's difficult not to be smug looking at these numbers, because when you scroll down the list, you'll find Hendrickson with only eight hurries. Furthermore, he also only has one sack so far, so based on the numbers, Mafe over Hendrickson sure sounds like an upgrade at the moment.
On top of just the numbers, the Bengals' front office also masterminded this upgrade from a financial standpoint too. They signed Mafe to a three-year deal, in which he'll earn $20 million a year. Meanwhile, the Ravens are paying Hendrickson $31 million a year, PLUS, Mafe is four years younger than Hendrickson, so has a lot left in the tank.
The more and more you delve into the Hendrickson-to-Mafe transition for the Bengals, the more you realise how well the front office played it. Well done, Duke Tobin.
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