The Cincinnati Bengals are in need of some serious help defensively, as they ranked 31st in the NFL in yards allowed and 21st in scoring defense this past season.
Fortunately for the Bengals, they have a ton of cap room entering the offseason, so they should be able to make some noise in free agency.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen thinks one potential solution for Cincinnati is Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, with Bowen going as far to label Cincy the best fit for the budding superstar.
Madubuike is coming off of a breakout campaign in which he racked up 56 tackles, 13 sacks and a forced fumble en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance and a Second-Team All-Pro selection.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Texas A&M, was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Madubuike’s career arc has largely been a story of progression.
He played in just 10 games during his rookie campaign, making minimal impact with 19 tackles and a sack. The youngster then showed some improvement in his sophomore year, finishing with 36 tackles and a couple of sacks in 15 contests.
Then, in 2022, Madubuike finally showed signs of breaking through, playing in every game and registering 42 tackles and 5.5 sacks before busting out entirely in 2023.
Because Baltimore has a rather tough salary cap situation heading into free agency, it may not be able to retain Madubuike, who will surely land one of the top contracts for a defensive player this spring.
That leaves the door wide open for Cincinnati to step in and steal the Dallas native away from its AFC North division rival.
The Bengals desperately need to shore up their front seven, and adding Madubuike would go a long way in improving the club in the trenches.
Cincinnati went 8-9 and missed the playoffs this past season, due much in part to extensive injury issues up and down the roster.
But injuries aside, there is no doubt that the Bengals need to make some moves to better their defense in the coming weeks and months. Spending big on Madubuike would be a great start.
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