Analyst lauds Bengals for $60 million free agent signing

The Cincinnati Bengals know most of their issues are on defense, with the offense, under Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, set.

That made what the Bengals do in free agency rather interesting.

How all out would they go to fix their defense? Well, on Day 1, they went big.

The franchise signed Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a huge three-year, $60 million deal.

And for ESPN's Seth Walder, he loves the move, giving it an "A-" grade.

“At $20 million per year, Mafe is coming in well behind Jaelan Phillips and Odafe Oweh, who agreed to deals for $30 million and $25 million per year, respectively, earlier on Monday,” Walder wrote. “I think Mafe will go a long way to helping the Bengals get their defense back on track ... and at a decent price, too.”

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Bengals going big in free agency

The defense has been Cincinnati's biggest problem for years, with the unit struggling to become good enough to complement what Burrow and the offense do.

Granted, they don't even have to be a good defense, just league average, and the Bengals are playoff-bound.

With Mafe, the Bengals get some good pass-rush juice and a player who they hope can turn this defense around. 

In an ideal world, the Bengals won't stop there, with play of other options still out there in free agency.

But in Mafe, Cincinnati got its free agency plan underway in the best way possible.

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