As 2023 NFL free agency gets underway, the Cincinnati Bengals should be major players. The team has a good amount of cap room and likely one more season with a quarterback on a reasonable cap figure, even if the Joe Burrow extension comes this offseason. That means the Bengals' free agency plans can include some big swings on players like tight end Mike Gesicki and cornerback James Bradberry.

TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

The Bengals have slowly but surely upgraded their pass-catching tight end in the last few seasons. They went from the plodding C.J. Uzomah to Hayden Hurst, a more athletic, wide receiver-style TE. In 2023, they should upgrade once again and pluck Mike Gesicki from the Dolphins.

Hurst is a free agent this offseason, and the team could always re-sign him, but why not upgrade that position with the cap room the team has?

Gesicki had a down year in 2022 as he didn’t fit well into new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s system. Still, he managed 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns. In Cincinnati, Hurst had a near-career year with 52 catches for 414 yards and two TDs.

Mike Gesicki is a bigger, more dynamic target than Hurst, and he could help take the Bengals’ passing game to yet another level, which would scare the heck out of the rest of the league. And he’s just the type of player the Bengals should add in 2023 NFL free agency before the big Burrow kicks in a few seasons from now.

The last point on Gesicki to note is that while he may seem like a luxury now, the Bengals are facing several issues at the skill positions in the offseason. There was recently a shooting at Joe Mixon’s home, and there was a chance he would be a cap cut this offseason anyway.

Also, Ja’Marr Chase could find himself in hot water with the league soon as his ex-girlfriend has publically threatened to “end” his career with domestic violence allegations. If the Chase and Mixon drama cost them games, having an elite TE pass-catcher like Gesicki could soften some of those blows.

CB James Bradberry, Philadelphia Eagles

The Bengals' biggest need in NFL free agency is in the secondary. Both of the team’s starting safeties — Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III — are free agents, and the cornerback position has been a weakness for the past two seasons.

Eagles CB James Bradberry is just the type of solid veteran corner the team needs to play alongside Chidobe Awuzie, Cam Taylor-Britt, and Mike Hilton so that the team can finally get free of Eli Apple.

Bradberry is a reliable CB2 who has missed just two games since his rookie season. He’s also had three interceptions or more in each of his last four seasons, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and second-team All-Pro last season.

Plus, after making the Super Bowl this season with the Eagles, James Bradberry is just the type of player the Bengals need to help them get over the hump and win a Lombardi Trophy.

Cincinnati learned the hard way the last few seasons that you can never have enough corners in the modern NFL, so even if Bradberry isn’t the cover man they choose to target, they should bring in more talent at the position.

S Vonn Bell, Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals' free agency this offseason isn’t all about going out and getting the best available players on the NFL free agency market. It is also about re-signing their own.

Safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III are both free agents, and after contentious negotiations with Bates last offseason, he is almost certain to leave. However, there is still a chance that the team can keep Bell, and that should be a priority.

Bell has been a rock at the back of the Bengals defense, and in 2022, he had a career-high four interceptions. He is also a team captain and a leader in the locker room. That means a lot for a team that fancies itself true Super Bowl contenders in 2023.

Bengals' free agency has to be a mix of shaking things up by bringing in new blood while also keeping continuity on a defense that went to a Super Bowl in 2021 and an AFC Championship Game in 2022. Bell is a key to that.

Bell will get offers from other teams, but hopefully, the Bengals can put together a deal good enough to keep him. If not, the team could face a leadership void on that side of the ball that will hurt them next season.