The Cincinnati Bengals diverted from their standard operating procedures by making significant financial commitments this offseason. After some pressure from quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals locked in wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to four-year deals with a combined average annual salary of $68.9 million.
On one hand, it’s a pleasant surprise to see the Bengals commit to building a winning roster. On the other hand, their missteps to get to this point have proven to be costly. If Cincinnati had signed the two wideouts a year ago, their combined annual salaries could have been around the range of $54 million. That difference of approximately $14.9 million could have helped shore up a defense that finished as the eighth-worst scoring unit in the league last season. Instead, the Bengals will have to bolster their defense through the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bengals show interest in Ohio State running back despite defensive needs
Despite their defensive deficiencies, Cincinnati is still evaluating some of the top offensive prospects in the weeks leading up to the draft. The Bengals are one of several teams who plan to host Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson for a pre-draft visit this week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday.
Henderson is considered to be one of the top running back prospects in this year’s class, and he’s currently projected to be selected near the end of the first round. In his four seasons at Ohio State, Henderson compiled a total of 3,761 yards and 42 touchdowns. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023, and helped the Buckeyes win a national championship with 1,016 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. He also added 27 catches for 284 yards and one score out of the backfield.
Cincinnati had the third-worst rushing offense last season, but their low output was mostly caused by their negative game scripts and propensity to throw the ball. The Bengals finished the 2024 season with the second-most pass attempts (652) and the third-fewest rushing attempts (380) in the NFL.
Cincinnati traded away running back Joe Mixon last offseason, but replacement Chase Brown seized the starting spot from veteran Zack Moss in Week 6 and put together a promising breakout campaign. Brown started 10 games and notched 229 carries for 990 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He also added 54 receptions for 360 yards and four scores.