The offseason is a time for self-reflection and improvement. After missing the playoffs, the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to retool their roster. While their playoff absence can be attributed to Joe Burrow's injury, there's still plenty of areas that warrant a look in the offseason. There are plenty of tantalizing free agents that the team could pursue in free agency.
That being said, just because there are a lot of options doesn't mean that they have to go for ANY of these options. There are some names that sound enticing on paper, but in practice might not be a good fit as one might think. Let's look at which free agents the Bengals need to avoid in the 2024 free agency period.
Micah Hyde, S
Last offseason, the Bengals suffered a massive blow to their secondary. While Eli Apple's departure could be seen as addition by subtraction, Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell's move hurt the team much more. The two formed one of the better safety duos in the league, and fans were worried that the team's defense would hurt as a result.
It seemed like the Bengals were prepared for this outcome by drafting Daxton Hill in the first round a few years back and Jordan Battle in the second-round of the 2023 NFL draft. In addition, they signed Nick Scott as a veteran name. However, the safety group in 2023 suffered from bouts of inconsistency. Hill had his moments, but he struggled adapting to his new role. Battle was still raw, while Scott was uninspiring at best.
Because of that, the team is looking at safety as a key position in the free agency. This year's safety FA class is pretty deep, with many big names available. One of the newer names added to that list is former All-Pro Safety Micah Hyde. Hyde's name might be enticing, but he's not exactly a good target for the Bengals.
Between Hyde's age (33 years old) and his injury history, the Bengals are much better off pursuing other safeties in free agency. Hyde was still decent for Buffalo last season, but his age poses a risk of a decline. He was also heavily exploited during the Bengals' massive win over the Bills in the season. There's also reports that Hyde could be contemplating retirement, as well.
There are other more productive safeties that can serve as an older one-year rental (Hyde's former partner-in-crime Jordan Poyer, for example). If they're looking for younger options, someone like Justin Simmons or Geno Stone is a more enticing target. Stone, in particular, should be the Bengals' number one safety on their free agent board.
CJ Uzomah, TE
Tight end is another massive point of contention for the Bengals last season. Throughout Joe Burrow's career in Cincinnati, he made a living out of making his tight ends look good. CJ Uzomah served as his main TE in his first two years, and he saw significant success with him in Burrow's first healthy season in 2021. He recorded a career-high in yards with 493 while catching five TDs (third-most in Cincy that year).
In 2022, Uzomah departed to join the New York Jets. In response, the Bengals signed former Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst. After a down year with the Falcons, Hurst bounced back nicely with Burrow. He tallied 414 yards and caught two touchdowns in 2022.
Those aren't spectacular numbers, but in comparison to the Bengals' TE room in 2023, Uzomah and Hurst look like TE1s in fantasy leagues. The lone bright spot was Tanner Hudson, but he just had 351 yards in 12 games played. Irv Smith Jr, the TE signed by the Bengals in the offseason, had only 115 yards and suffered from serious drops issues.
Because of that, fans might be interested in a reunion with either Uzomah or Hurst. Both are currently free agents, after all, and they have experience under the Cincinnati scheme. Uzomah, in particular, might be more enticing due to his history as a locker room leader for Cincinnati. Much like Hyde, though, the age of both Uzomah and Hurst make them unideal targets. Uzomah admittedly suffered from uninspiring QB play, but that really doesn't justify an 8-catch, 59-yard season last year.
The Bengals are much better off drafting a tight end in the NFL draft. Whoever they pick up in the draft is a better cost-controlled option than Uzomah. With Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase's massive extensions looming, they'll need to cut costs wherever possible. There's really not a lot of good options for tight end in this year's free agency class, so the later rounds of the draft will be their savior.
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