Three pending free agents the Bengals should not target

Unlike the NFL Draft, free agency is a two-way street. Interest from the player and club both have to exist in order for a deal to be struck. 

The Cincinnati Bengals used to show zero interest in impactful free agents. They've gotten much better at playing the market in recent years, and that doesn't just entail signing the right players. They've also done well in avoiding the wrong players, at least most of the time.

Keeping that trend alive will be crucial this year and beyond as Joe Burrow's behemoth of a contract will gradually take up more and more cap space. Here are three players the Bengals would be best to let sign elsewhere next month.

Three Free Agents Bengals Should Avoid

Christian Wilkins, defensive tackle

To be crystal clear, Wilkins has been a phenomenal player for the Miami Dolphins over the past five years. He's one of the best run-stopping interior linemen in all of football, and that skillset would give the Bengals what they could be losing if DJ Reader is done playing in Cincinnati.

The issue with Wilkins is purely financial. A to Z Sports' salary cap experts Josh Queipo and Kyle Dediminicantanio project Wilkins' multi-year contract to average out at $23 million per year, featuring $50 million in guaranteed money. 

While the Bengals could afford that, it's simply far too much money for one player at a position that needs multiple new players. Wilkins is also set to turn 29 this year, which is slightly older than what the club targets for multi-year deals.

Josh Jacobs, running back

Jacobs is also a quality player at his position, but his position is the crux here. He's a soon-to-be 27-year old running back with over 1,500 NFL touches to his name. If he gets the deal Queipo and Dediminicantanio project he'll get, which would pay him $36 million over three years, his ability will likely fall off before he reaches the end of that contract. It's the cruel nature of the position. 

The Bengals may end up interested in a veteran running back should they move on from Joe Mixon, but releasing the veteran they already know to spend significantly more on Jacobs is not a wise move. 

Trent Brown, right tackle

Here's a case where the position and money are right, but the player is risky. Brown has always been at his best with the New England Patriots, but the partnership appeared to end once Brown became a healthy scratch at the end of the season. Brown's contract officially voided Monday morning, making him a free agent when the league year begins.

Brown will be 31 years old in April, and even if a projected one-year, $5 million deal isn't significant, there are better investments elsewhere.