The Cincinnati Bengals will need to make some tough decisions in free agency, especially when it comes to bringing back some of their own players.
So far, much of the attention on this front has gone to tight end C.J. Uzomah. He’s a heart of the locker room and productive player. Several notable tight ends have received the franchise tag or big-money extensions, thinning the free-agency class, thus upping his pricetag.
But what about defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi?
Ogunjobi, after all, had a stellar year with the Bengals when healthy, tallying eight sacks and playing a key role. And that’s enough, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, to make him one of the guys who will get much bigger deals than fans might expect:
“Top big men always seem to get bigger deals than expected, and these two should be no exception. Fatukasi (listed at 6-4, 318) became a full-time starter last season and had a career-high 46 tackles (25 solo). Ogunjobi (6-4, 305) signed a one-year deal with the Bengals, had 16 QB hits and emerged as a key piece in Cincinnati’s march to Super Bowl LVI. It wouldn’t be a surprise if both command upwards of $10 million a year.”
Still just 27, Ogunjobi provides that rare interior pressure every defense needs and it’s easy to see how a bidding war could erupt for his services if he reaches the open market.
This is actually why when looking at things the Bengals need to do in free agency, we suggest bringing back B.J. Hill and letting Ogunjobi go. Getting the latter back would be ideal too, but Hill is younger and probably more affordable at this point. The Bengals will need to make these types of tough calls in order to preserve cap space, bring back others and add new free agents.
