NFL free agency started yesterday, and the Cincinnati Bengals made a couple of big signings. The Bengals ranked last in the league in touchdowns against (60) and second to last in yards against per game (380.9), so upgrading the defense seems to be a priority this offseason.
Boye Mafe
Boye Mafe signed a 3-year, $60 million deal with the Bengals yesterday, and this is going to be a good signing to upgrade the defensive line. Mafe is coming off a solid campaign with the 2026 Super Bowl Champs, Seattle Seahawks. He played in around 50% of snaps, which is an impressive feat considering how good the Seahawks D-line was this season. Boye had 9 sacks his sophomore season in 2023, but his stats have gone down since then, and he finished last season with just 2 sacks. Mafe and the Bengals are hoping for a resurgence in his career, and if successful, he has a lot of potential to be a threat in the league.
Bryan Cook
Bryan Cook signed a 3-year, $40.25 million deal with Cincinnati. Cook grew up in the Cincinnati area, went to Mount Healthy for high school, and then the University of Cincinnati for college, so it’s only fitting he returns home. Cook played for the Kansas City Chiefs last year, and PFF ranked him as the best Chiefs defender and the 4th best safety in the league. Bryan Cook has a missed tackle rate of 5.6%, which is one of the best in the whole league and a huge upgrade in the safety position.
