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 monster 2021 free agent signing Trey Hendrickson was the third-best pass rusher in the AFC last season, as he unleashed 14 sacks. Nonetheless, I believe there are a few FA faces that could still help the Bengals pass rush. I’m going to untwine three pass rushers available that could help the 11th best defense in sacks last season transform into a Top-5 defense in sacks next season.

Carlos Dunlap

“Hello Darkness, my old friend”

Carlos Dunlap is still a very good football player and he proved his ability last season via his 8.5 sacks. Dunlap has familiarity with Cincinnati and they are certainly a team that can help win a Super Bowl ring. He is also arguably the best pass rusher on the FA market after Clowney re-signed with the Browns. If he doesn’t ink a contract with the Seahawks, I would love to witness his return to Cincy.

Geno Atkins

It may seem like Geno Atkins fell off the face of the earth, but his former teammates have expressed their wishes for him to return. Jessie Bates reportedly texted Atkins, “You want to go play for us now” back in January. The second Bengal on this list could also wreak havoc inside while allowing Sam Hubbard to develop as the best DE2 on this team.

Justin Houston

Justin Houston might be 33 years old, but he has been a quality football player over the past three seasons (11 sacks in 2019, 8 sacks in 2020, and 4.5 sacks in 2021). It’s clear that Houston wants to ride off into the sunset on a championship-caliber team. If he doesn’t start over Hubbard, he would be an excellent rotational DE and veteran presence for the Bengals defense.

The post 3 free agent pass rusher targets for the Cincinnati Bengals appeared first on Pro Football Mania.