4 Bengals rank in top 101 NFL free agents

There are some really quality players and leaders for the Bengals set to hit the open market.

The free agency frenzy of the NFL is one of the best among any in professional sports. It is so exciting that they have to have a “legal” tampering window because they know teams and players’ agents are chomping at the bit to make big moves. That tampering period starts on March 11th.

Prior to that kicking off, NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal made a list of who he sees as the top 101 free agents. It should be noted that Tee Higgins was franchise-tagged prior to this being published, so he was obviously not included.

56.) D.J. Reader, defensive tackle

Reader would be ranked 30 spots higher if not for the torn right quad injury he suffered in December, one of the most difficult to recover from as an older player. He also tore his left quad back in 2020.

Reader was one of the first big signings in the Zac Taylor era. They brought him in to fix a rushing defense that was one of the worst in the NFL. During his time with the team, he absolutely did that. He was pivotal in the 2021 Divisional round against running back Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans. The defense held him to 62 yards on 20 carries.

Reader has been a big presence for this team. It absolutely is terrible the timing and severity of his injury. Odds are he will take a short deal in order to show people who he is post injury with another shot at getting a big contract.

58.) Jonah Williams, offensive tackle

Williams might not stand out, but he handled his switch to right tackle in 2023 without much drop-off. He can also go back to the left side if needed. League-average tackles are hard to find in free agency.

Williams is probably going to get paid more than some fans who don’t realize how good having an average offensive tackle is in today’s NFL. Despite his initial reluctance, his switch to right tackle last season could pay off since that versatility to be solid on either side is invaluable as well as far as depth goes.

The demand for offensive linemen far outweighs the supply. Odds are that will make it pretty much a foregone conclusion that Williams will likely be too rich for Cincinnati’s blood.

60.) Chidobe Awuzie, cornerback

Awuzie’s ranking is mostly about the breadth of his career, not his concerning post-ACL-surgery play from 2023. The Bengals benched him for part of the season, but he’s been too good to give up on.

Another poor timing for one of the Bengals’ home run free agent signings on defense. Awuzie was a very reliable corner prior to his ACL injury on Halloween in 2022. The Bengals could offer a one-year deal, but odds are that the team will move on after giving his starting job to rookie cornerback DJ Turner near the end of last season. He will probably take that same kind of deal elsewhere.

The last member of the secondary that helped lead the Bengals to their Super Bowl appearance is likely going to be Mike Hilton as each have been replaced with draft picks over the past two drafts.

93.) Tyler Boyd, wide receiver

A nightmarish 2023 season likely ended Boyd’s great run with the Bengals. With a big slot skill set and a history of consistency before last year, he could be a fine buy-low candidate.

Boyd is one that many fans will be sad about. The NFL is a business, and it really gets in the way of making a guy like Boyd a lifetime Bengal like he should be. He was one of the few bright spots during the seasons between playoff appearances that made it worth watching Sunday for. No one should ever question Boyd’s commitment to this team. With the team franchise tagging Tee Higgins and set to extend Ja’Marr Chase, there simply isn’t enough cap space to also fit Boyd in. The team drafted Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones last year to help fill his huge shoes.

We may see Boyd take a surprisingly low deal, which just shows off how abundant No. 2 or 3 receivers are becoming around the league.