Bengals Rumors

Jets Continuing To Explore Trade Market For WRs; Latest On Tee Higgins

Even as they have set about overhauling their offensive line, the Jets have been linked to a number of wide receivers in the free agent and trade markets. For instance, New York was reportedly interested in trading for Keenan Allen before the Chargers shipped him to the Bears, and the club inquired on Jerry Jeudy as well. Likewise, Gang Green is believed to have interest in FA Tyler Boyd and will soon visit with the recently-released Mike Williams.

As of the time of this writing, GM Joe Douglas has been unable to add to Aaron Rodgers‘ contingent of pass catchers. Unsurprisingly, however, Douglas is still exploring the trade market, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes.

It is unclear if Douglas will have much success in that regard. While Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has requested a trade, Cincinnati has stated that it intends to keep the franchise-tagged talent, and per Albert Breer of SI.com, that is not just GM-speak. The club truly does want to run back the Ja’Marr Chase/Higgins tandem for at least one more season, and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports says no trade conversations between the Bengals and the Panthers, another team in search of WR help, have taken place. Per Jones, Carolina and Cincinnati are unlikely to line up on a Higgins trade, even though the Panthers now have pick nos. 33 and 39 to offer.

On the other hand, Breer thinks that the Bengals may get an offer that is too good to turn down as the draft approaches, just as the Titans did when they dealt A.J. Brown on draft night several years ago (although that ill-fated decision on Tennessee’s part may prove to be a cautionary tale for Cincinnati). Whether such an offer is made, and whether that offer comes from Douglas — who is under pressure to win now — remains to be seen.

Instead of a trade for a player like Higgins or the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk — who may or may not be in line for a second contract with San Francisco — Cimini believes it is more logical to add a mid-tier FA like Boyd while taking advantage of a deep pool of collegiate wideouts. Although the Jets are without a second-round choice in 2024 and will therefore not make their second selection until they are on the clock with the No. 72 overall pick, the depth of this year’s WR class means that they can still get an impact player with that pick.

In addition to Williams and Boyd, Cimini says Odell Beckham Jr. could be a Douglas target in free agency. The Ravens aggressively outbid other suitors, including the Jets, for Beckham’s services last year, but even though Beckham turned in a mostly healthy season and was a key complementary piece in Baltimore’s passing game in 2023, the club is unlikely to re-sign him. Beckham will likely not come close to the $15MM guarantee he secured from the Ravens, and Douglas could view him as a worthy ancillary weapon who could be had for a relatively low cost.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/24

Friday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

  • Released: OL Roy Mbaeteka

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Irwin gets a crack at a WR3 role in Cincinnati as Tyler Boyd heads to free agency. Irwin also holds experience as the team’s backup return man, filling in last year when Charlie Jones was injured.

Heck rejoins the Texans on a one-year deal worth up to $3.3MM. He’ll add some key depth at an important position.

Rozeboom was a restricted free agent who wasn’t tendered. Regardless, the two sides work out a fully guaranteed deal for 2024.

Feeney joins the Vikings on a one-year deal. Though far removed from a consistent starting role with the Chargers, Feeney has continued to find starts throughout his career as a valuable body off the bench.

The Giants bring in two tight ends without much receiving experience. Manhertz, a veteran whose played for the Panthers from 2016-20, has extensive starting experience as a blocking tight end with 53 starts in his career.

Bengals To Re-Sign TE Tanner Hudson

Coming into free agency in need of a new tight end depth chart, the Bengals may be close to finished restocking the position. The team’s 2024 tight end group will look similar to its 2023 contingent.

After re-signing Drew Sample, the Bengals have an agreement in place to bring back Tanner Hudson, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Hudson agreed to a one-year contract Friday. Hudson, who initially landed with the Bengals in 2023, is coming off his best receiving season.

Outside addition Mike Gesicki will join Hudson and Sample. While a rookie could be added to supplement this trio, the Bengals appear to have their top three tight ends under contract. Gesicki will offer the highest receiving ceiling among this trio, with Sample the top blocking presence. But Hudson accounted himself fairly well succeeding Hayden Hurst as the Bengals’ top pass catcher last season. Despite Hurst and C.J. Uzomah being available once again, the Bengals are largely sticking with their 2023 tight end plan.

A UDFA out of Southern Arkansas, Hudson emerged as an unlikely player to lead Bengals tight ends in receiving yards. The team signed Hudson to its practice squad in December 2022, but after a reserve/futures deal commitment, he did not make the 2023 Bengals’ roster. The team promoted the 29-year-old pass catcher from the practice squad last year, and he led the team’s TEs in yardage — despite Cincinnati rostering Irv Smith Jr. — by nearly 200. Hudson had never previously cleared 150 receiving yards in a season.

The Bengals have opted not to allocate notable funds at tight end for a bit, bringing in Hurst and Smith on low-cost one-year contracts. Sample signed a three-year, $10.5MM deal earlier this week. With Joe Burrow the NFL’s highest-paid player and Tee Higgins on a franchise tag, it makes sense the Bengals are keeping costs low in other areas. The team also move Joe Mixon‘s reworked contract off the books this week, trading him to the Texans after signing Zack Moss on a cheaper accord.

Bengals To Bring Back S Vonn Bell

As they did with Hayden Hurst‘s deal, the Panthers bailed on Vonn Bell‘s three-year contract a year after authorizing it. The latter will have a bounce-back opportunity in a familiar place.

The Bengals have reached an agreement to re-sign Bell, according to his agency. Cincinnati had hoped to retain Bell in free agency last year; the team will now circle back to a player who spent three seasons as a starter with the team.

Offset language will help the Bengals on this deal as well. The Bengals will only be on the hook for veteran-minimum money to re-sign Bell on a one-year contract, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting the Panthers are responsible for another $6MM due to the recent cut. Like the Russell Wilson development, Bell’s minimum Bengals salary will cut into the amount the Panthers owe.

Bell spent three seasons starting alongside Jessie Bates in Cincinnati. While the Bengals were prepared to let Bates walk after franchise-tagging him in 2022, they wanted to keep Bell. A three-year, $22.5MM Panthers deal that featured $13MM guaranteed at signing nixed that plan, but after Carolina changed coaching staffs for a second straight year, it moved on from Bell earlier this week.

Now 29, Bell spent a year toiling for a 2-15 team. Despite the Panthers retaining DC Ejiro Evero, the team did not view the former Saints second-rounder as a fit for a second year. Pro Football Focus did view Bell as having slipped from his Cincy level, ranking him outside the top 60 among safeties. The Bengals will bet a return to Lou Anarumo‘s defense will benefit the Ohio State alum.

Bell started 48 games as a Bengal from 2020-22. PFF slotted the ex-second-rounder as a top-25 option at the position from 2020-21 and placed him 35th in ’22. His 12 tackles for loss from 2020-22 ranked sixth among safeties. The Bengals are also retooling at the position, having released Nick Scott one year after signing the ex-Ram. Cincinnati is also determining where to slot former first-round pick Daxton Hill. PFF rated the Michigan alum as a bottom-five safety last year, and Bengals player personnel director Duke Tobin said (via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway) the team is still determining the 2022 draftee’s position.

Hill, who trained behind Bates and Bell in 2022, played in the slot at Michigan. Tobin also said outside cornerback is also an option. As the Bengals pin down Hill’s role, Bell will provide the Bengals a proven option at safety.

Bengals To Host OT Mekhi Becton

As the Bengals seek a replacement for Jonah Williams on the offensive line, they’ll be hosting one of the more intriguing tackle options on the market. Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that free agent OT Mekhi Becton is scheduled to meet with the Bengals tomorrow.

[RELATED: Jets Not Expected To Re-Sign T Mekhi Becton]

The former-first round pick disappointed during his stint with the Jets, although injuries obviously played a major factor. A knee injury limited him to only a single game in 2021, and a fractured kneecap wiped out his entire 2022 campaign.

To Becton’s credit, he managed to return for 16 starts this past season, providing the snakebitten Jets offense with a bit of consistency. While the health was an encouraging development, Pro Football Focus only ranked Becton 66th among 81 qualifying offensive tackles in 2023.

As a result, it was believed that the injury-prone lineman would have to settle for a one-year deal during his first trip to free agency. Considering his age (24) and draft pedigree, Becton was expected to still command some attention as a free agent, although his injury and weight-related issues would surely cause some organizations to be wary. Regardless, Becton wasn’t expected to re-sign with the Jets.

The Titans and Falcons were previously mentioned as potential suitors, and the Bengals are now among the teams considering the reclamation project. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, a “handul of other teams” have interest in Becton, and Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported that Becton had two more visits lined up after his summit with the Bengals.

Williams served as Cincinnati’s starting right tackle this past season, but it shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise to the organization that he’d look to play elsewhere. After all, the Bengals opted to pay Orlando Brown Jr. last offseason and shift Williams away from LT, leading to a trade request.

The Bengals can count on Brown at left tackle in 2024, but they’ll need to figure out their right tackle situation. The team’s currently options for the position include former fourth-round pick D’Ante Smith and former second-rounder Jackson Carman.

Steelers, WR Tyler Boyd Showing Mutual Interest

The Steelers refuse to shy away from talent in their own division this offseason. A day after signing rival Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, Pittsburgh is reportedly sharing mutual interest with long-time Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd, per Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.

Boyd hasn’t quite been a priority for Cincinnati as they deal with the potential future extensions of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. That tune is sure to change after Higgins requested a trade in response to being franchise-tagged two days ago. Despite falling to third in the pecking order in recent years, Boyd showed that he was more than capable of producing in a WR2 role when Higgins missed five games this season.

Boyd’s best production came at the tail end of his rookie contract, when he caught 166 passes for 2,074 yards and 12 touchdowns over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. That production was enough for the Bengals to sign Boyd to a four-year, $43MM extension, which just expired. While Boyd has failed to reach 1,000 yards receiving or seven touchdowns since, he’s still provided strong contributions despite competing with Chase and Higgins for targets.

Boyd’s 667 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2023 were his lowest season totals since his sophomore season, when he missed six games. Further muddying a potential continued future in his current home is the Bengals’ notorious avoidance of doling out third contracts to veterans.

Pittsburgh makes sense for Boyd, since he played in Acrisure Stadium (Heinz Field at that time) for all of his college years as a Pitt Panther. A Pittsburgh-area-native out of Clairton HS, signing with the division-rival Steelers would be a homecoming for Boyd. Throw in the recent departure of veteran wideout Diontae Johnson via trade last night, and Boyd fits right in. In Pittsburgh, Boyd would immediately become a starting veteran presence in a receiving corps that currently only boasts George Pickens as an experienced starter.

It’s seems to be a move that makes sense for both parties. Cincinnati may decide that Boyd is worth breaking their precious custom, as they did with Trey Hendrickson last year, in order to keep their receiving trio together. Pittsburgh may opt to go a younger route in free agency or even through the draft. The Steelers do often hit on their draft swings at wide receiver, but Boyd’s experience could be just what Russell Wilson needs in 2024.

Bengals Agree To Deal With DT Sheldon Rankins

The Bengals are set to add some reinforcement on their defensive line. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team is closing in on an agreement with free agent defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. The agreement is expected to be finalized tonight. Indeed, a two-year deal is now in place which will pay Rankins $26MM, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

[RELATED: DT D.J. Reader To Meet With Lions]

Following a two-year stint with the Jets, Rankins inked a one-year, $10.5MM deal with the Texans last offseason. He ended up starting all 15 of his appearances for Houston, finishing with 37 tackles, one forced fumble, and six sacks, with that latter stat marking his highest total since the 2018 campaign. Even with that newfound pass-rush ability, Rankins only ranked 51st on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.

The former first-round pick brings plenty of experience to Cincinnati. Rankins has appeared in 109 games with the Saints, Jets, and Texans, compiling 228 tackles and 29.5 sacks. After serving as a rotational piece during his final seasons in New Orleans and first year in New York, Rankins has emerged as a starter in recent years.

The Bengals have been in the market for some “firepower up front,” according to Fowler. The organization does still possess some depth at DT; B.J. Hill has started 33 games over the past two seasons, while Zach Carter has been a worthy injury fill-in with 14 starts in 33 games.

Still, the Bengals are assuring they have a full depth chart up front, and despite adding Rankins to the mix, the front office may not be done. Fowler adds that the Bengals are also still interested in retaining D.J. Reader, although the free agent defensive tackle is currently on his way to Detroit to meet with the Lions.

Bengals Release S Nick Scott

Having made a notable addition on the backend by agreeing to a deal with Geno Stone, the Bengals will remove a recent arrival from the equation. Cincinnati plans to release safety Nick Scott, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Scott spent the course of his rookie contract with the Rams, a tenure which concluded with the team’s Super Bowl win over the Bengals. That landed him a three-year, $12MM agreement with Cincinnati last offseason. After just one year in the Queen City, however, the 28-year-old will once again hit the open market.

Scott is due $3.3MM in 2024, with a cap hit $1MM higher. Cutting him immediately would result in $2.3MM in cap savings against a dead money charge of $2MM. Designating him a post-June 1 release would shift $1MM from dead money to cap space, but the Bengals would not see the savings until June 2. In any event, Stone’s arrival suggested Scott could be on the way out this offseason.

The latter started 10 games in 2023, but by November he had lost his first-team spot to Jordan Battle. Scott racked up 57 tackles and a fumble recovery, but he surrendered a passer rating of 99.6 in coverage. Breakdowns in the secondary were a common issue for Cincinnati last year, something which influenced the decision to bring in Stone at the outset of the negotiating window. The former Ravens draftee secured $15MM on a two-year deal.

Battle is still on his rookie contract for three more seasons, and he and Stone could serve as full-time starters in 2024. Former first-rounder Dax Hill is also in the fold, although questions have been raised about where he best fits in the secondary. Cincinnati will have decisions to make in the latter’s case moving forward, while Scott will become a late entrant to a crowded free agent safety class.

DT D.J. Reader To Meet With Lions

After missing the end of the 2023 season with a quad injury. D.J. Reader is starting to generate some interest in free agency. The veteran defensive tackle will be meeting with the Lions on Thursday, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.

Reader was completing a four-year, $53MM last season and appeared to be setting himself up nicely for his impending free agency. Through 14 games, the 29-year-old compiled 34 tackles and one sack while grading as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best interior defender (among 130 qualifiers). However, a torn quad ended his season prematurely and put his free agency prospects in doubt.

The veteran tore his other quad in 2020, and while he managed to get into 15 games the following season, he was limited to only 10 contests in 2022. Injuries are now built into the defensive tackle’s profile, so Reader may be hard pressed to earn a long-term commitment.

Still, Reader would be a fit for a Lions squad that was reportedly in the market for help on the defensive line. Former third-round pick Alim McNeill has solidified himself as a starting nose tackle, but 36-year-old Tyson Alualu is currently penciled in next to him at defensive tackle. Reader would provide a high-upside option next to McNeill; even with the injuries, Reader hasn’t ranked lower than 12th on PFF’s positional rankings since 2019.

Thanks to that production, the Bengals are also hoping to retain the defensive lineman. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Bengals want to re-sign Reader, but the DT is expected to explore his options in free agency with a “few” suitors looming.

Broncos To Add DT Malcolm Roach

The Saints-Broncos pipeline remains active, as Sean Payton prepares for his second season in Denver. The longtime New Orleans HC will bring in one of his former defensive linemen.

Malcolm Roach is heading to Denver on a two-year deal worth up to $8MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Broncos have two eight-figure-per-year contracts on their defensive line, but the team has some depth questions behind the Zach AllenD.J. Jones duo. Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette notes Roach drew interest from the Rams, Cardinals, Bills and Bengals. Instead, he will continue playing under Payton.

Roach’s Saints role did not change much during his four-season Louisiana run. Starting five games in that time, Roach worked primarily as a rotational defensive lineman. Payton was in place when the Saints signed Roach as a UDFA; the Texas alum has only played for the Saints. Roach will join ex-college teammates Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke and Brandon Jones on Denver’s defense, with Payton also obviously being a familiar face.

Pro Football Focus viewed Roach as a lower-end D-tackle from 2020-22 but viewed him as an improved product last year, slotting the four-year veteran just outside the top 25 among interior D-linemen. Roach, 25, totaled a career-high 38 tackles (three for loss) last season while batting down three passes. Roach stands to help the Broncos in run defense, having logged those numbers last season despite missing five games. While skewed by a brutal start, the Broncos’ defense ranked 30th against the run last year.

Roach will join a Broncos team that saw 2022 starter Jonathan Harris hit free agency. Denver has Matt Henningsen still under contract, though 2022 fourth-rounder Eyioma Uwazurike‘s NFL future is in doubt after the gambling suspension he received last summer.