Bengals Need to Hit in the Draft for Playoff Hopes in 2025
Paying a wide receiver as the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league is a steep commitment for any organization. Especially a team that’s in desperate need of players on the defensive side. The Cincinnati Bengals are the latest team to pay that kind of price. Ja’Marr Chase signed a four-year, $161 million contract, averaging $40.25 million a year. The long-term deal was finally offered to Chase from the Bengals after extensive talks. Chase is deserving of the massive amount of money, but it comes with risky chances from team building. This type of money for a non-quarterback is only given to premiere edge rushers such as Myles Garrett, who recently signed his $40 million-a-year contract. The difficulty of paying one player $40 million a year or more is allocating the rest of the salary cap amongst 52 other players. This year’s salary cap for the NFL is set at $279.2 million per team. Quarterback Joe Burrow has a cap hit of $46 million this upcoming season. Let’s not also forget that receiver Tee Higgins signed a four-year, $115 million deal at the same time as Chase. His money averaging $28.75 million a year. $40% of the Bengals salary cap is being spent on three offensive players, which can handcuff the team from making key additions to address other areas of the team.
The Bengals ranked towards the bottom of the league in every defensive category last season. They ranked 25th in opponents’ points per game and solely relied on the offense to outscore teams to win games. The one standout from Cincinnati’s defense came from pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson led the league with 17.5 sacks and was named First-Team All-Pro. He was given permission from the team to seek a long-term contract around the league but has yet to find a suitor. The Bengals have noted that they are planning to keep Hendrickson, but at what cost? As one of the top defensive ends in the game, Hendrickson is likely looking toward being paid in the same ballpark as Garrett or Maxx Crosby. Adding Hendrickson to another massive deal will be nearly impossible to do while having the ability to bring in veteran free agents.
Striking in the upcoming NFL Draft is important for the Bengals. They have six picks this year, and the first one coming 17th overall. NFL’s Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah predicts they will pick edge rusher Mike Green from Marshall. Green led college football in sacks with 17 and would provide the Bengals with another dominant body lining up against opposing quarterbacks. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has a similar pick for the Bengals, but his idea is a defensive end from Texas A&M, Shemar Stewart. The depth in this year’s rookie class on the defensive line is deep, which presents a good opportunity for Cincy to focus on that side of the ball to help complement the explosive offense.
