Cincinnati Bengals free agency 2019: Top 5 targets

There is a new man at the helm of the Cincinnati Bengals, who have missed the playoffs three straight years. What free agents could the team add in 2019?

From 2011-15, the Cincinnati Bengals made five straight playoff appearances, albeit without a victory. Over these past three seasons, the club owns a combined 19-28-1 record and has failed to post a winning campaign. A year ago, it appeared that head coach Marvin Lewis’ tenure with the team had come to an end. But he returned for a 16th season and the Bengals finished dead last in the AFC North.

Now the franchise is headed in a different direction as the team hired former Los Angeles Rams’ quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor as its newest sideline leader. He takes over a club that has lost nine of its last 11 games and looked ugly in the process too many times. The Bengals aren’t a team used to splurging in free agency. But what five players could entice this organization?

5. TE Lance Kendricks (Green Bay Packers)

For now, the focus here will be on the fact that the Bengals have three players at the tight end position (Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah) that could all hit the open market on March 13. For the record, the team also has Jordan Franks, Matt Lengel, Cethan Carter and 2017 seventh-round pick Mason Schreck on the depth chart. And the team also signed Andrew Vollert to a reserve/future contract.

That’s the lay of the land in terms of the tight end spot. The leader of this contingent was Uzomah, who finished third on the team with 43 catches, good for 439 yards and three touchdowns. It’s certainly conceivable the club could opt to re-sign him and/or Kroft (more on Eifert later).

But if the Bengals opt to bring in a veteran, Lance Kendricks would be a nice addition. He spent 2018 with the Packers and caught a modest 19 passes for 170 yards and one score. He would certainly not be the solution, but could certainly help the cause.

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