After their last-second loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last night, the Cincinnati Bengals are officially in offseason mode.
Now that the everyday craziness of the season has concluded, the Bengals can now focus on either retaining players, or moving on from them and looking for their replacements.
Bengals’ key unrestricted free agents this off-season: S Jessie Bates, S Vonn Bell, TE Hayden Hurst, CB Eli Apple, LB Germaine Pratt, RB Samaje Perine, TE Drew Sample, CB Tre Flowers.
Bengals projected to be $44 million under salary cap, but also budgeting for Joe Burrow deal.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 30, 2023
The Bengals have eight notable unrestricted free agents on their roster.
Although they are projected to be over $44 million under the salary cap, as Adam Schefter mentions, they have yet to pay Joe Burrow.
Burrow is on his rookie deal, but, because of the level of success and excellence that he has brought the city of Cincinnati, he will look to sign a massive contract.
Although Burrow is certainly a cornerstone piece to this team, the Bengals will need to do some deep soul-searching to figure out which players they would like to keep on the roster.
Of the players listed above, Eli Apple and Jessie Bates are some of the most notable.
Bates and Apple are the two best cornerbacks on the team, and will likely demand top-dollar contracts.
As evidenced by the two teams playing in the Super Bowl, paying your top performers is essential.
Without elite options at most, if not every position, it’s challenging to advance in the postseason.
Will the Bengals be able to pay their most impactful players in the offseason?
With back-to-back AFC Championship appearances, the organization that was once starved for wins is now hungry for more.
They may be more aggressive than in years past to keep their winning ways alive.
NEXT: NFL Analyst Has A Message For The City Of Cincinnati
