The Cincinnati Bengals’ secondary is going to look vastly different in 2023 than it did in 2022. Three-quarters of their starting secondary was hitting free agency this year and thus far none of them have been brought back.
Starting cornerback Eli Apple remains a free agent and there is a chance that he still comes back. The Bengals haven’t signed any other cornerbacks in free agency and there are still some intriguing players remaining should they dip into the market. If not, they could look to fill that void during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Safety Jessie Bates III didn’t have the franchise tag placed on him for a second consecutive season and ended up signing a massive four-year, $64,020,000 deal with the Atlanta Falcons. His starting mate, Von Bell, is also heading to the NFC South, agreeing to a three-year, $22.5 million deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Cincinnati started the process of filling the void in their last line of defense when they signed Nick Scott, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, to a three-year, $12 million deal. Scott was a seventh-round pick of the Rams in 2019 but became nearly an every-down player for the team.
Scott will likely take over one of the starting safety spots, but a need certainly exists for another veteran. Daxton Hill, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, will likely see an expanded role. But, having some insurance on the roster certainly wouldn’t hurt.
According to a former NFL executive that spoke to NFL Analysis Network, the Bengals have already set their sights on a target. Adrian Amos is someone that they would love to bring to Cincinnati.
“The Packers are still very much hoping to retain Amos, but he has gotten a lot of interest elsewhere. A team to watch very closely is the Bengals, who have shown a lot of intrigue in adding him to their defense.”
Amos has spent the last four seasons with the Green Bay Packers after spending four with the Chicago Bears. He was productive last season, starting all 17 games and playing 95 percent of the defensive snaps; he fell only 23 short of his fifth consecutive season playing 1,000+ snaps.
That kind of experience is exactly what the Bengals could use at the safety position. There will be expectations for Hill to take that next step in Year 2. Having another veteran in place next to him will be important to help his development and provide Lou Anarumo with someone at the back end that can get his defense set and in position on the field.
