Outside their own fanbase, not many expected the Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs in 2021, let alone be Super Bowl-bound. But that’s exactly how things play out for Cincy this past season.
The fact that the Bengals made it to the postseason was noteworthy in itself but then they beat the Las Vegas Raiders, the Tennesse Titans, and the Kansas City Chiefs to reach the Super Bowl. The Jacksonville Jaguars should be taking notes of everything Cincinnati did to go from one of the worst teams in the league to one of the top two. What makes this possible is that just like Cincy, the Jags have a young promising quarterback. Just like the Bengals, Jacksonville has a head coach in Doug Pederson that has been in the championship game and even won it.
Also, the Jaguars will have around $56 million in caps space this offseason and it wouldn’t hurt to poach a few Bengals that are set for free agency, including these four.
No. 1 Bengals free agent the Jaguars can sign – Eli Apple, CB.
Eli Apple hasn’t turned into the shutdown cornerback the New York Giants expected him to be when they made him the tenth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. In fact, he no longer plays in the Big Apple (no pun intended) and has spent time with the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Panthers, and more recently the Bengals.
Coincidentally, Apple had arguably his best NFL season in Cincy, appearing in a career-high 16 games with 15 starts and posting 49 total tackles with 10 passes defensed and two interceptions. An ankle injury forced the Ohio State product to sit 14 games in 2020 but he had no setbacks last year. He could add depth to a Jaguars’ cornerback group that includes Shaquill Griffin and Tyson Campbell.
No. 2 Bengals free agent the Jaguars can sign – C.J. Uzomah, TE.
All signs point towards Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah suiting up for the Super Bowl. He’s currently dealing with an MCL sprain and is listed as questionable but partook in Cincy’s last practice before the game. He may or may not be at full strength but this is the kind of game no NFL player would want to miss, so it makes sense that he’s pushing through the injury.
A second-round pick in 2018, Uzomah has become a mainstay of the Bengals’ offense. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is their top weapon but opposing defenses can’t take the tight end lightly. In 2021, he hauled in 493 yards and five touchdowns. While the Bengals have enough cap space to re-sign him, he would be a hot commodity in free agency on a player the Jaguars should keep an eye on.
Spotrac expects Uzomah to get a three-year contract worth $24.68 million. That would fit the Jags’ spending budget nicely and he would be a nice complement to tight end Dan Arnold, who is set to become a free agent after the 2022 season. James O’Shaughnessy is slated to hit the open market and Luke Farrell is a role player at this stage of his career, so signing Uzomah would give Jacksonville’s tight end a nice boost.
No. 3 Bengals free agent the Jaguars can sign – Quinton Spain, OG.
The Bengals’ offensive line has gotten the spotlight ahead of the Super Bowl but not for good reasons. The unit allowed quarterback Joe Burrow to get sacked nine times against the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round of the playoffs and has generally struggled to give him optimal protection.
But Cincy’s hog mollies have somehow managed to get the job done and are just hours away (as of this writing) from taking on defensive tackle Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams. Speaking of Donald, the Bengals’ interior offensive line will have their hands full trying to slow down the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Guard Quinton Spain and Tre Hopkins were the only two Bengals starters who gave up a pressure rate below 4.0 percent last season, per Pro Football Focus.
An undrafted free agent in 2015, Spain spent the four seasons of his NFL career with the Tennesse Titans before signing with the Buffalo Bills in 2019. He was cut in the middle of the 2020 season and the Bengals signed him to their practice squad. He was re-signed last offseason and went on to make 16 starts in 2021. Looking back, the decision to bring back the West Virginia product paid off but it may prove to be a bit of a challenge to re-sign him once again this offseason.
No. 4 Bengals free agent the Jaguars can sign – B.J. Hill, DL.
The Jaguars got solid production from their defensive front last year. DaVon Hamilton was healthy in his second season and Adam Gotsis made a strong case to return to Jacksonville after signing a one-year deal last season. Similarly, Malcom Brown helped the Jags set the tone at the line of scrimmage. However, it’s uncertain if the front office wants to bring back Gotsis. Whether they do or not, they could add B.J. Hill to their defensive line rotation this offseason.
A third-round pick by the New York Giants in 2018, Hill landed in Cincinnati via trade before the start of the 2021 season. He went on to appear in 16 games with two starts and logged 5.5 sacks 50 total tackles and 12 tackles for a loss as part of Cincy’s rotation up front. Hill would beef up the Jaguars’ defensive front and it wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive to sign him. On the other hand, he’s not the only Bengals’ defensive lineman who is slated to become a free agent this offseason, and if the Jags prefer, they could target Larry Ogunjobi, who signed a one-year deal worth $6.1 million with Cincinnati last offseason.
The 2018 third-round pick logged seven sacks, 49 tackles, and 12 tackles for a loss last offseason. He’s better than Hill but he will most likely be more expensive, so it would be up to the Jaguars to decide how much they want to spend this offseason.