Cincinnati Bengals 2021 free agency outlook

The Cincinnati Bengals will have some key decisions to make relatively soon on a few big-name free agents. There were 29 players on the 2020 Cincinnati roster that are free agents heading into the offseason. Longtime Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green is a free agent, and we’ll see how the front office values him. On the defensive side, the Bengals will have plenty of decisions to make including what to do with cornerbacks William Jackson III and Mackensie Alexander as well as edge rusher Carl Lawson.

Lost revenue due to COVID-19 will impact every team, but with so many free agents the likely drop in the league wide salary cap number could make things difficult. The 2020 number was around $198 million, while the 2021 number could drop to $180.5 million according to Over The Cap, but is subject to change.

Franchise/Transition Tag possibilities

It will be interesting to see whether or not the Bengals opt to put any of their free agents on a franchise tag this offseason. The two potential options for this designation would be Jackson and Lawson as the two most talented free agents on the roster, though both could be seeking long-term deals.

Green played last season on the franchise tag and saw a dip in production. He played in all 16 games but caught just 47 passes on 104 targets for 523 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In addition, receivers John Ross and Alex Erickson are free agents.

Salary cap

Estimated 2021 cap space: $33,337,130

2021 transactions

Free agent signings

TBD

Free agent departures

TBD

Trades

TBD

Notable unrestricted free agents

* Denotes Restricted Free Agent (RFA)