‘Steal’: The Shocking Details of 1 of the Cincinnati Bengals Largest Free Agency Acquisitions

Offensive tackle Trent Brown was one of the most important free agency signings made by the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason.

Now, the details of his contract make his signing one of the biggest steals of the entire free agency period. Brown’s one-year contract involves a $4.4 million cap hit for the Bengals, according to OverTheCap.com

The deal, which involves $2 million in guaranteed money, has the potential to pay Brown out $2.4 million if he stays healthy and appears in all 17 regular season games.

Trent Brown is an upgrade to the offensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals

The acquisition of Trent Brown was effectively made as a replacement for former Cincinnati Bengals tackle Jonah Williams. Williams, a former first-round pick by the Bengals, never lived up to expectations. Williams wanted to play left tackle and he wanted a lot more money than the Bengals were willing to pay him.

Williams ended up signing with the Arizona Cardinals on a two-year, $30 million contract. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams graded out at 58.5 in 2024 with eight sacks allowed on the season.

Trent Brown’s Pro Football Focus grade would’ve been second to none had he played on the Bengals in 2023. while he did play in just 11 games, Pro Football Focus had his grade at 80.2 at the end of the season. No Cincinnati offensive lineman had a grade that was more than 68.

Williams, the player who Brown is likely replacing barring the pickup of a day-one starter in the 2024 NFL Draft, is held responsible by many for the season-ending injury of star quarterback Joe Burrow. Williams failed to block Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney for long enough, and it was the hit from Clowney that caused the injury to Burrow’s wrist.

This is the play the #Bengals believe Joe Burrow suffered his season-ending injury.pic.twitter.com/hYVAi32QoK https://t.co/s4T8dZn4f5

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 17, 2023

With the acquisition of Trent Brown being so cheap, the Cincinnati Bengals still have plenty of money to use in free agency

By spending under $5 million on Trent Brown, the Cincinnati Bengals have over $20 million left to spend in free agency. As it stands, Cincinnati has had a successful free-agency period, but there are still some holes that need filling.

Following the departure of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, the Bengals will likely need to acquire an experienced and proven cornerback before the 2024 season. Even if Awuzie stayed, the Bengals’ pass defense was among the worst in the league and a cornerback signing could’ve still been in order.

The Bengals ranked 28th in the league in pass defense in 2023. The addition of former Ravens safety Geno Stone and Carolina Panthers safety Vonn Bell will help, but the addition of a veteran cornerback like Tre’Davious White or Xavien Howard could put the Bengals in a position to make a deep postseason run.

Another need for the Bengals is on the interior of the defensive line. The departure of defensive tackle D.J. Reader, who is one of the best run-stopping defensive tackles in the league, has left a 330-pound-sized hole on the roster.

Cincinnati did acquire defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, but Rankins doesn’t exactly play the same position as Reader. Rankins plays just a little more outside than Reader typically would have. Rankins is more proficient at getting to the quarterback, but he doesn’t have the size or ability to take on double teams to stop the run in the same way Reader could.

In an article from Fox 19 in Cincinnati, Rankins explained why he joined the Bengals.

“Most people assumed I wouldn’t leave Houston,” Rankin said. “Everybody assumed I would be back there, and you know for whatever reasons, it didn’t work out. So once I started looking elsewhere and having those conversations, nothing made more sense than here [Cincinnati], whether it’s money, whether it’s fit, whether it’s everything culminating into placing myself in a good situation, on a good football team with the right people leading it. It all made sense.”

One last position of need that depends on how things play out could be the wide receiver position. Star wide receiver Tee Higgins has requested a trade and fellow wide receiver Tyler Boyd is looking elsewhere in free agency. Higgins is franchise tagged and could play for Cincinnati in 2024, but even if he does the third wide receiver spot needs to be filled.

If Higgins decides to move on, a splash in free agency along with a solid draft pick could be used to round out the Bengals’ wide receiver room. Veteran wide receivers Odell Beckahm Jr. and Hunter Renfrow are still on the market, but the Bengals have shown they have faith in young wide receivers Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones.

It is unclear the direction in which the Bengals will go with the rest of their cap space, but the cheap Brown signing gives them a myriad of options.

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