The Cincinnati Bengals are trotting into a crucial offseason for the franchise in 2020 with plenty of options on the table. Before the Bengals make a choice with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they'll need to make a few decisions in free agency.
Prior to the offseason, Cincinnati is projected to have $49 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. Even with nearly $50 million to spend, the Bengals could free up more money by releasing players, trading players, or restructuring contracts.
It almost seems like a foregone conclusion that the Bengals are going to select Joe Burrow with the first-overall pick. Therefore, it remains to be seen what Cincinnati chooses to do with Andy Dalton at quarterback.
The nine-year veteran is entering the final year of his current contract. But as he enters his 10th season, he is the biggest cap hit for the team in 2020. Provided that, the Bengals could plausibly release Dalton and get $17 million in return. Also, the release of Dalton wouldn't come with a dead-cap penalty.
Before releasing Dalton, the Bengals should attempt to trade him to another team. But with Cincinnati seemingly interested in selecting a quarterback in the draft, Dalton likely already played his last down with the organization. Besides Dalton, who could be a surprising roster cut for the Bengals this offseason?
Dre Kirkpatrick
Back in 2012, the Bengals selected Dre Kirkpatrick with the 17th overall pick in the draft. Coming out of Alabama, Kirkpatrick was expected to become a shutdown corner in the NFL.
Despite only starting in five games in his first three seasons, Kirkpatrick combined for 57 tackles, 12 deflections, six interceptions, and two touchdowns. Then, in his fourth season, the former first-round pick finally became a full-time starter in Cincinnati.
From 2015-2018, Kirkpatrick became a mainstay on the Bengals' defense. In that four-year span, Kirkpatrick totaled 212 tackles, 49 deflections, and four interceptions.
But in 2019, the veteran cornerback missed 10 games due to a knee injury he suffered in the regular season. Furthermore, over the past three years, Kirkpatrick has been sidelined for 15 games due to injury.
As the Bengals prepare for next season, Kirkpatrick is set to be an $11.1 million cap hit in 2020. The Alabama product is slated to be the third-largest cap hit for Cincinnati next season.
However, the Bengals could decide to release the eighth-year cornerback to create an extra $8.2 million in cap space. Considering that Kirkpatrick will be turning 31-years-old in 2020, Cincinnati could want to get younger at cornerback.
Since 2017, the Bengals have added William Jackson and Darius Phillips through the draft. Both Jackson and Phillips have flashed some promise at the cornerback position. Therefore, Cincinnati could elect to release Kirkpatrick to the surprise of some.
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