By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals were the NFL’s darling in 2022, but they still needed to be more well-rounded this off-season. I expect the Bengals to be an AFC juggernaut in 2022, but I do believe there are a few players who will a large role that need to have a career turnaround. With that said, I’m going to outline three overrated profiles on the Bengals right now.

Samaje Perine

It may be fun to let off some steam on Samaje Perine after he didn’t make an attempt to catch the ball on the Bengals last play of Super Bowl LVI. Although, I do also believe that he hasn’t been an exciting RB2 on a team pushing for a Super Bowl win in the near future. Perine is a step below a prime Giovani Bernard and I’d prefer to see Cincy have a RB2 that can be a true x-factor in prime-time contests. Hopefully, he can have a 2022 season near his rookie season (785 all-purpose yards).

Hayden Hurst

It may seem like “Hayden Hurst is an athletic freak in a high-powered offense”, but he certainly didn’t lift off in a Matt Ryan-led offense. It should be well noted that Hurst is an inspiring person, but the former Falcons TE registered 571 yards in 2020 and 221 yards in 13 games last season. Hurst has been less exciting than Coby Fleener in a Saints uniform. I would be hesitant to expect him to shine in a Bengals offense that arguably displays the best WR trio in the NFL.

Sam Hubbard

I will say that Sam Hubbard has been a pillar of consistency, but I’d still like to see him get over the hump (10+ sacks, Pro Bowl honors). After Trey Hendrickson unleashed 14 sacks in 2021, It’s time for this pass-rushing partner to be a star in the AFC. Carlos Dunlap may not have had a positive tone in his last days in Cincy, but he has had better production than Hubbard as of late. Hubbard did also sign an impressive contract extension in the 2021 off-season, so it’s time for him to put it all together soon.

The post 3 overrated players on the Bengals right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals are an AFC juggernaut with the fifth-most cap space in the NFL. Zac Taylor could utilize his creative juices in May by inking one of the shiny free agents available. The Bengals could still benefit from the arrival of a cornerback or even another underrated offensive weapon. With that said, I’m going to untwine a few FA profiles that would be superb fits for Cincy.

• Joe Haden

The Bengals young head coach shouldn’t let the Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel sign every quality FA on the planet or allow Joe Haden to reunite with the Browns. The Bengals might have an overly impressive WR trio (Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins), but they ought to boost their pass defense. I firmly believe that Eli Apple is underrated (to say the least), but Haden would be an upgrade over Apple and a fine partner to Chidobe Awuzie, who was named to PFF’s All-Pro team.

• Akiem Hicks

The explosive big fella Akiem Hicks can terrorize opposing signal-callers next to Trey Hendrickson and B.J. Hill. Hicks is still a talented DL and he showed that in nine games last season (3.5 sacks and 9 QB hits). Hicks would really help the Bengals pass rush against Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and other top-notch AFC QBs.

• Ndamukong Suh

I believe the Bengals would make a lot of sense for the fearless defender Ndamukong Suh. The Super Bowl-winning DE/DT can have a strong chance to win his second SB ring with the Bengals. The former Lions DL that has only missed two games in his career would be more affordable than a FA like Jadeveon Clowney for the Bengals, too.

• Jimmy Graham

I will be honest – Jimmy Graham is a bit washed up. I still believe he can be a mismatch for opposing defenses and he could be a nice TE2 behind Hayden Hurst. The TE with 11 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined could be a sneaky weapon for Joe Burrow in big-time showdowns.

The post Remaining free agent targets for the Bengals appeared first on Pro Football Mania.