The Cincinnati Bengals have typically been rather quiet in free agency, but they've still had some misses throughout their history. Here are the five worse free agent signings Cincy has made.
5. Corey Dillon, 2001
This move was technically re-signing the Bengals' own player, but Dillon was still an unrestricted free agent at the time, so it still counts. Over four years in Cincinnati, Dillon ran for over 1,000 yards each year, totaling 1,073 carries for 4,894 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground, along with 104 catches for 885 yards and two scores through the air. Very good numbers, which meant Dillon was going to get paid one way or another. The Bengals made the unfortunate mistake of paying big money to a running back, giving him a five-year deal worth $26 million, the richest contract in team history at the time. That would be akin to paying an RB over $15 million yearly today, something the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys have both done with Christian McCaffery and Ezekiel Elliot. Players like Todd Gurley, Le'Veon Bell, and David Johnson have come close.
Dillon had two more good years for the Bengals before rushing for only 541 yards over 13 games in 2003. Not all was lost, however, as Cincy managed to get the New England Patriots to send them a second-round pick for Dillon.
4. Bobby Hart, 2019
Signed from the New York Giants in 2018, Hart started all 16 games at right tackle for the Bengals and wasn't very good at all. He ranked 55th out 62 tackles in overall grade per Pro Football Focus. Still, the team rewarded him with a three-year deal worth $16.5 million, and he again started all 16 games in 2019. With Cincy essentially ignoring the OT position in free agency and the NFL Draft, Hart seems like he'll be the starter in 2020. It just goes to show what a dearth of OL talent there is in the NFL, and how far teams will go to secure even replacement-level players. Hart may be a poor player compared to others, but he's done quite well for himself, and that's to be admired.
3. Robert Geathers, 2007
Another situation like Dillon, but we'll let it slide for conversational purposes. Geathers played his entire 11-year career with the Bengals and collected 34 sacks over that period. 10.5 of those came in 2006, which gave the impression that he was on the incline. Cincinnati gave him a six-year contract that was worth nearly $34 million. That deal equates to over $10.2 million yearly today. That would have been a great deal if Geathers were able to keep up his production, but that was not the case.
He totaled 17 sacks over the next eight years and reached 3.5 in a season only twice. Injuries certainly didn't help matters, but even when Geathers was healthy, he never came close to being as productive as he was in 2006.
2. Laveranues Coles, 2009
Coles (first name pronounced laver-nee-us) was a solid if unspectacular receiver for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins over the span of eight years. Heading into his age-32 season, Coles was given a four-year $27.5 million deal by the Bengals. That comes out to over $11 million yearly nowadays, which is more than players like Tyler Boyd, Tyler Lockett, and Sterling Shepard make.
Coles caught 43 passes for 514 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season but is perhaps best remembered in Cincinnati for a crucial fumble against the New York Jets in the playoffs. He was released by the Bengals the following offseason, one year to the day of signing. Many believe that he is the worst signing in team history, but at the very least, he actually gave Cincy something on the field, unlike the player who occupies the top spot on this list.
1. Antonio Bryant, 2010
A year after signing Coles, the Bengals gave another WR a sizable contract, this time offering Bryant $27 million over four seasons. He was 28 at the time and had put up 1,000 yards receiving in two of his seven NFL seasons. In 2009, Bryant was limited to 13 games by a knee injury that required surgery the following offseason. Still, Cincy took the risk, and it didn't pay off. Bryant had a rough time in practice and wasn't able to suit up for any of the preseason games. He was released prior to Week 1, having not played a down, but still collecting his $8 million in guaranteed money.
Bryant had a short stint with the Seattle Seahawks during the 2012 offseason, but his 2009 campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was his last. The Bengals were able to replace Bryant's role with the 37-year-old Terrell Owens, who enjoyed a surprisingly effective farewell season in 2010. The following Draft, Cincinnati took A.J. Green fourth overall, and their WR1 position has been locked down ever since.
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