Before NFL free agency, the Cincinnati Bengals talked like a team that wanted to be a player in the linebacker market during the first wave.
But those Bengals were almost oddly silent at the position of need, one of two seemingly massive mistakes to start the offseason.
And as it turns out, the Bengals were never really after some of the most theorized names.
The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. explained:
“He (linebackers coach Mike Hodges) also expected to see additions. Everyone we talked to did. Alas, a big investment never came. Two names that lived near the top of the list of many, Kaden Elliss and Leo Chenal, didn’t draw as much attention internally. Elliss’ money got driven up above their value ($11 million per year), while Chenal wasn’t a top target.”
Kaden Elllis went and got three years and $33 million from the Atlanta Falcons, while Leo Chanel went to the Washington Commanders on three years and $24.75 million.
The Bengals weren’t in on Devin Lloyd at the very top of the market, either.
These contracts probably got richer than the Bengals wanted to pay after already investing in rookies Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter last offseason.
But for a team that didn’t want to make an Oren Burks-type mistake again, that’s the type of market they’re now looking at for the second offseason in a row.
That places more pressure than ever on the sophomores with little in the way of a fallback plan for the Bengals at a spot that was their downright worst last season.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals sound like they surprised themselves with lack of LB move
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
