Bengals need to fill three positions despite big offseason spending

The Cincinnati Bengals have made a few strong moves to bolster the defensive side of the ball this offseason, adding three veterans to key positions of need in major free agent moves.

Bryan Cook has resolved the safety issue, Boye Mafe has filled the void left by Trey Hendrickson on his way to the Baltimore Ravens, and Jonathan Allen has bolstered the interior of the defensive line.

Now, as ESPN's Ben Baby writes, the Bengals have three holes to fill on the roster, all on defense. Despite some big spending this offseason, the Bengals still have a lot of work to do on defense this offseason.

Bengals have three major roster holes to fill after spending spree

"Biggest remaining roster hole: A veteran linebacker," Baby writes. "Cincinnati still needs someone to help Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. The team invested time and resources at a pretty significant level in 2025. Adding a veteran can help the second-year players improve and help fix Cincinnati's defense. The Bengals also still have voids at both inside and outside cornerback."

The Bengals need to upgrade their cornerback room in a big way this offseason, but they also need to land a veteran linebacker to give the LB room some leadership and NFL experience.

Currently, Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr., entering their second seasons in the NFL, are joined by Oren Burks, Shaka Heyward, Joe Giles-Harris, and Liam Anderson.

The available linebackers that could help the Bengals include Bobby Wagner, Bobby Okereke, Lavonte David, Matt Milano, and Kenneth Murray. There are others, but none stick out as these linebackers do.

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David and Wagner are fantastic options, and Okereke and Milano could be good pickups as well. The Bengals need a veteran linebacker, and one of these options would make a lot of sense in the open market.

But that's not all the Bengals need. Cornerback, outside of Dax Hill, Jalen Davis, and DJ Turner II, could use some help. There are plenty of options in the draft, including Jermod McCoy or Mansoor Delane at 10th overall.

If the Bengals want a free agent cornerback, they could land Marshon Lattimore, L'Jarius Sneed, Tre'Davious White, Jeff Okudah, Adoree Jackson, Rasul Douglas, or Trevon Diggs, among plenty of veteran options.

Cincinnati has some options at both positions. There's more work to be done for the Bengals to have a complete offseason. But their work so far is a good start, as the Bengals look to be Super Bowl contenders once again in 2026.

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