The Cincinnati Bengals are still reeling from their disappointing conclusion to the 2022 season that saw them come up just short in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. With a 23-20 loss, the Bengals quest to make it back to the Super Bowl for the second straight season is over, and they will now have to focus on making some upgrades to their roster this offseason.
For the most part, the Bengals have one of the deepest rosters in the league. Their offense is laden with star talent, while their defense, despite being quite underrated, always seems to find a way to show up when they are needed in big games. They may not have won on Sunday against the Chiefs, but that doesn't mean that these things aren't true.
The Bengals need to make some additions to this group in order to take that next step forward and become a championship team. But in order to do that, they may need to focus on retaining some of their current core in an effort to keep things in place. So with that in mind, let's take a look at three Bengals free agents that need to be re-signed this offseason if Cincinnati wants to remain a Super Bowl contender next season.
3. Eli Apple
Yes, you read that right. Eli Apple catches a lot of grief, and rightfully so, for his desire to trash-talk his opponents on social media right after games end. Apple isn't the greatest cornerback ever, and his big mouth is certainly a detriment at times, but the Bengals may need to keep Apple around in order to protect their secondary.
Apple wasn't necessarily good in 2022, but he did step up and fill in as the top cornerback after Chidobe Awuzie tore his ACL in Week 8 and was forced to miss the rest of the season. Apple's counting stats are alright (49 tackles, 8 PD, 1 TFL) but he did struggle a bit more while going up against top wideouts, allowing a 96.9 passer rating on passes in his direction.
No one is saying Apple should be the top cornerback next season, but he can be a solid second or third option behind other top guys. There are certainly going to need to be some new faces in the cornerback room next season, but bringing back Apple to hold down the fort behind whoever those new faces are is important. Chances are, he will be able to be brought back on a cheaper deal given how many opposing teams and players he has made angry with him over the past two seasons.
2. Vonn Bell
Fixing the cornerback room is a huge item on the Bengals to-do list this offseason, but keeping their starting safety duo intact is probably the most important issue this team is going to have to tackle. Vonn Bell is coming off the best season of his career, and he is going to receive a nice payday as a result of his strong play.
Bell's counting stats are very solid (77 tackles, 1 sack, 4 INT, 8 PD, 2 FF, 1 FR, 4 TFL, 4 QB hits) but it was his improvements in coverage that made him stand out. Bell allowed just a 64 passer rating on passes thrown his direction, which is easily the best of his career. Bell didn't allow a touchdown while in coverage either, and he played a big role in holding the Bengals secondary together throughout the season.
Bell could be too expensive for the Bengals, but that can't really be an option this offseason. This team already needed secondary help even with Bell on board, and things would be even worse for them if they couldn't manage to re-sign him. Cincy has to be aggressive in fixing their secondary this offseason, and that obviously involves keeping Bell around for the future.
1. Jessie Bates III
Here we go again. After Jessie Bates III and the Bengals couldn't reach a long-term extension last offseason, Bates eventually decided to play out the season on the franchise tag, but now that the season is over, Bates' future with the team is once again up in the air. And now, it's time for Cincinnati to do what they should have done last year and re-sign Bates this offseason.
Bates once again was the anchor of the Bengals defense (71 tackles, 4 INT, 8 PD, 1 FF, 1 TFL) and took a step back to being one of the best coverage safeties in the game after a tough 2022 campaign. Bates allowed a 76.1 passer rating on passes thrown his way, which is in line with what he should be producing as one of the top safeties in the game.
Bates is going to want a big deal, but the Bengals have to deliver this time. It's no surprise that their three most important pending free agents are all part of their secondary, and there's a clear reason for that. But Bates is the glue that holds them together, and if they don't sign him to a big deal, someone else will. Franchising Bates for a second season isn't an option; he needs to be signed to a long-term deal this offseason, or Cincinnati will regret this for many future seasons.
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