Bengals News (2/22): Which top Bengal free agents could stay

The Bengals have a few very talented defenders set to hit the open market, but can they keep any of them?

Bengals Re-Sign Adomitis
Adomitis, who will be a second-year player in 2023, originally was a Bengals college free agent signee out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2022. He played in 15 regular-season games and three postseason games as a rookie, and had 146 long snaps without an unplayable delivery.

Bulking up in the trenches in Bengals NFL Mock Draft 2023: Michael Niziolek – cleveland.com
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Bengals’ talent-laden roster will allow them to abandon their plans on draft night if someone high on their board slips to them at the No. 28 pick.

ESPN makes case for Bengals keeping Vonn Bell, Germaine Pratt
“The Bengals should retain Pratt, a three-down linebacker who can play downhill against the run and create coverage disruption. In 2022, Pratt logged 14 pass breakups, two interceptions and 99 tackles. The production is there — and so is the tape. I see him back playing the Mike ‘backer position for Anarumo in ’23.”

Top Five Bengals Free Agents: Who Will Leave and Who Will Stay?
The Cincinnati Bengals have many tough decisions to make this offseason regarding pending free agents. They will not be able to retain everyone as they prepare to pay top dollar to Joe Burrow in his upcoming extension. Will these five high-profile free agents be back with the franchise for the 2023 season?

Bengals might need to skip OL in 1st round due to weak class
That just might not be possible in what is widely considered a very weak class for offensive linemen and with the Bengals picking near the end of the opening round, though.

ESPN Picks Cincinnati Bengals As Best Fit For Free Agent Pass Rusher Yannick Ngakoue
“Ngakoue led the Colts with 9.5 sacks last season, and he has totaled 65 over eight NFL seasons,” Bowen wrote. “There will be a market for Ngakoue, but finding the right team fit and situation is tough, given that he will be targeted as a sub-package player. The Bengals feature a defense that produced only 30 sacks in 2022 (29th in the NFL), and a short-term deal makes sense, allowing them to slot Ngakoue as their nickel pass-rusher. He shows good burst and an ability to bend around offensive tackles.”

7 potential left guard options for the Bengals in 2023
The Cincinnati Bengals have questions to answer regarding their offensive line. While Cordell Volson, their starting left guard in 2022, was decent, the team shouldn’t be content with throwing him out there as the starter again this year. If there’s an upgrade available in the draft, the Bengals shouldn’t hesitate to add him to the lineup.

Around the league

Daniel Jeremiah 2023 NFL mock draft 2.0: Tyree Wilson goes before Will Anderson Jr.; Lions take QB
With the start of the NFL Scouting Combine just around the corner (March 2-5 on NFL Network and NFL+), here’s my second projection of the year for Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. The quarterback carousel is going to shake up the outlook for the draft, with some big-name veterans potentially on the move this offseason. When the dust settles, I think we’re going to see a heavy run on defensive linemen and cornerbacks in the first round.

Ravens expected to hire Willie Taggart as running backs coach
A week after hiring Georgia’s Todd Monken as their offensive coordinator, the Ravens are expected to add Willie Taggart — a five-time college football head coach — as their running backs coach, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday, per a source.

Eagles WR A.J. Brown on QB Jalen Hurts contract extension: ‘You do not pay this man, just ship me off wherever he’s going to go’
“You gotta pay, bro,” Brown said on an episode of the Raw Room podcast posted on Tuesday. “I love Philly. What I’m about to say … You do not pay this man, just ship me off wherever he’s going to go. So, you talk about pressure, Howie, get it done.”

Raiders GM Dave Ziegler: Las Vegas might not have ‘an immediate answer’ at quarterback this year
The Raiders could bring back Jarrett Stidham after his two-game tryout last season and see what he does with an entire season at the helm. They could trade up in the draft or use the No. 7 overall pick to draft their next franchise QB. They could sign a free agent like Jimmy Garoppolo, who played under Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels in New England. Even a massive splash play for a big-name quarterback like Aaron Rodgers can’t yet be ruled out.