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4 hours ago
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What should've been the Cincinnati Bengals' No. 1 priority this offseason doesn't feel like it has gotten enough love.
We are, of course, talking about the defense, which remains a major concern after a 2024 campaign in which it was the biggest culprit in Cincinnati missing the playoffs.
Cincinnati's unit ranked 25th, 21st, 19th and 26th in total yards, passing yards, rushing yards and points allowed per contest last season, according to ESPN.
The Bengals fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and cut ties with Germaine Pratt, but Cincinnati is running it back with much of the same unit from last year.
Adding to that, contract disputes with Trey Hendrickson and first-round pick Shemar Stewart leave their respective statuses up in the air.
While we would guess that something will get done with Stewart at some point, we cannot say the same for Hendrickson, who is steadfast in getting paid or sitting out.
It's not too late to add reinforcements. Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox thinks the Bengals should do that by signing former Buffalo Bills cornerback, Rasul Douglas.
The Cincinnati Bengals would also be wise to give Douglas a look. Cincinnati fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and replaced him with Al Golden this offseason, hoping to provide a quick fix for last year's 25th-ranked defense.
However, the Bengals have essentially done nothing to address a secondary that ranked 19th in net yards per pass attempt allowed last season. Douglas could give Cincinnati some playmaking potential on the perimeter.
With the exception of edge rusher, cornerback is the most troubling position on the Bengals' defense.
Both Dax Hill and DJ Turner are returning from injuries and Cam Taylor-Britt just had a terrible season that leaves him as a major question mark, also. The Bengals didn't draft a cornerback, either.
Douglas is coming off a down season in which he gave up a completion rate of 72.9% and a passer rating of 122 when targeted. Both marks were the worst of Douglas' career.
However, he is just one season removed from a campaign that saw him tally a 58.8% completion rate and 73.1 passer rating when targeted.
Breaking it down further, Douglas surrendered a completion rate of 51.3% and a passer rating of 38.6 over nine games with the Bills in 2023.
Douglas would offer the Bengals another possible starting option, and at worst some quality depth. He also has plenty of playoff experience and a Super Bowl ring, which is valuable for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Douglas made $21 million over his previous deal that was split between the Bills and Green Bay Packers, but he isn't likely to garner anywhere near that much money after his lackluster 2024 showing.
That only makes it more logical for the Bengals to bring him in and see if he can provide a boost to what is one of the most questionable units on the defense.
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