Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor looks to his play sheets in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. The Bills overcame a halftime deficit to win 39-34. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bengals Already Facing Criticism for Free Agency Moves

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Connor Mardian | Last updated Mar 22, 2026 5:19 PM ET

As the first wave of NFL free agency looks to finally be finding a calm, the Cincinnati Bengals are still in the process of reshaping a defense that gave up 28.9 points per game, ranking as the third-worst scoring defense in the league.

So far, the Bengals have confirmed the defensive signings of defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, edge rusher Boye Mafe, and safety Bryan Cook. All were signed on multi-year deals, and all have been recently graded by ESPN’s Seth Walder.

Varying grades paint an up-and-down projection for next season

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Let’s start with the good news first. Walder gave Cook’s three-year, $42.5 million contract a solid “B” grade, as Walder pointed out the improved tackling that the former Kansas City Chief offers in upgrade of new Buffalo Bill Geno Stone.

“Stone's 16.1% missed tackle rate was almost three times as high as Cook's 5.7%, per NFL Next Gen Stats.”

In Cook’s 62 games with the Chiefs, the former Howard Bison and Cincinnati Bearcat notched a strong 238 tackles, four tackles for loss, three interceptions, and 15 passes defended. Cook was one of the very few consistent pieces in 2025 for the 6-11 Chiefs, as his 83.5 PFF grade proved.

Things only got better as the signing of Boye Mafe heralded an “A-” grade from Walder.

“His pass rush win rate at edge ranked in the 86th percentile. It was not a fluke, he was in the 67th percentile in his breakout 2023 season,” quotes Walder.

“I think Mafe will go a long way to helping the Bengals get their defense back on track.”

With former stalwart Trey Hendrickson making the offseason move to the Baltimore Ravens, acquiring Mafe on a three-year, $60 million contract was crucial.

Mafe compiled 34 starts in his career with the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks, primarily filling in at linebacker. Mafe totaled 164 tackles and 24 TFLs in his four seasons in the Pacific Northwest.

Walder poses questions over Allen’s capability

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While two of the Bengals’ three signings received initially positive grades, the decision to bring in the veteran Allen leveled expectations as he was awarded an unfavorable “D.”

Allen’s 3.5 sacks and 68 tackles, despite facing a “lower-than-average” double-team rate is not deserving of a two-year $26 million deal, according to Walder.

Allen finished the season with a 53.2 overall grade, which certainly backs Walder’s question marks, and with Allen’s age factored in, the perceived risk of acquiring Allen grows each day.

After splashing cash all across the defense, up next comes a slight reprieve as the Annual League Meeting is set for next Sunday and runs through the following Wednesday, as pro days run rampant in the buildup to the NFL Draft.

Check out Walder's entire breakdown here.