Five Free Agents Cincinnati Bengals Should Target Following Geno Stone’s Paycut

TribeNews
4 Min Read

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals’ offseason program continues this week and rookie minicamp is just a few days away.

Cincinnati kept some key pieces of their roster, brought in some veteran free agents and added six players to their roster in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite that, some clear holes remain.

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The Bengals have re-worked the contracts of Geno Stone and Zack Moss in recent weeks to create extra cap space. Does that mean they’re going to add to their roster?

It should. Especially since the team has other levers they can pull to create even more cap space (Germaine Pratt, Cordell Volson, etc).

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Here are five veterans the Cincinnati Bengals should target in free agency:

Brandon Scherff, Guard

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Scherff would be a no-brainer addition to a pass-first Bengals’ offense that could use an established right guard. He’s a high-end pass protector and might not be in his prime, but would be a perfect veteran to bring in—especially with rookie Dylan Fairchild expected to start at left guard.

Signing Scherff would likely mean moving on from Cordell Volson’s $3.6 million base salary. Clearing nearly $4 million in cap space would make it much easier to sign a proven veteran and former All-Pro like Scherff.

Julian Blackmon, Safety

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The Bengals didn’t address safety in the 2025 NFL Draft and Blackmon could be the perfect fit in free agency. He’ll be 27-years-old in August, has started 66 regular season games for the Colts and is comfortable playing free safety.

Adding a proven veteran that has had a bit of an injury history, but could be entering his prime would make a ton of sense for the Bengals.

Cincinnati has had plenty of turnover in the safety room. They didn’t address the position in the draft. Finding a veteran option should be high on their priority list. Blackmon may sign for the $1.5-ish million that the Bengals saved by re-working Stone’s contract.

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Maurice Hurst, Defensive Tackle

There aren’t many defensive tackles available, but Hurst is a guy that could give them another pass rushing option in the middle of their defensive front.

He won’t cost a lot and there aren’t many options available in free agency. Hurst would certainly push for a roster spot and would likely win a job in training camp.

Justin Simmons, Safety

Simmons has flirted with the idea of signing with the Bengals this offseason. The former Pro Bowler isn’t in his prime, but could he help this Bengals’ defense?

It’s a young group in the secondary that could certainly use a leader—but they need someone that’s capable of going out there and executing at a high level. Simmons has played at least 800 snaps in each of the past seven seasons.

If the Bengals are looking to add a safety following Stone’s paycut, a proven veteran on a one-year deal could make sense.

Will Hernandez, Guard

Hernandez is another intriguing option for the Bengals if they want to bring in a veteran guard. He certainly won’t cost as much as Scherff and has experience playing on both sides of the line.

He only played in five games last season due to a knee injury, but he’s a proven player that could make sense at the right price.

Other Free Agents They Could Target: Dalton Risner, Jordan Whitehead, Marcus Williams, Shaq Mason, Taven Bryan.

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