How the Cincinnati Bengals built their 2021 roster

The Cincinnati Bengals 2021 offseason unofficially started on Jan. 4.

One day after the regular season ended, Bengals owner Mike Brown released a statement in support of head coach Zac Taylor, which signaled that Taylor would return for the 2021 season. Over the next seven months, the Bengals executed one of their most aggressive offseasons and added to Taylor's new wave of players.

The 2021 Bengals will have 11 new starters, including a No. 5 overall pick at wide receiver, and a young quarterback who threw over 40 passes per game last season.

Looking back, here’s how the Bengals built their 2021 roster. 

1. Changing of the guard

On offense, the Bengals longest tenured starters in 2021 will be tight end C.J. Uzomah and wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Neither of them were starters before the 2018 season. On defense, safety Jessie Bates III is the only Bengals player who was a starter in 2018, when Marvin Lewis was still the head coach.

The turnover process began in the 2020 offseason when the Bengals gave significant contracts to defensive tackle D.J. Reader, cornerback Trae Waynes and safety Vonn Bell. Less than a year later, the Bengals saw longtime starters Geno Atkins, William Jackson III, Geno Atkins, Bobby Hart, Carl Lawson and A.J. Green walk in free agency.

2. The free agent splash

The first day of free agency in 2021 appeared to be slipping away from the Bengals. On March 15, Lawson signed a contract with the New York Jets as several free agent offensive linemen agreed to new contracts.

Then at 10:10 pm, the Bengals made a splash, signing defensive end Trey Hendrickson to a reported four-year, $60 million contract. Hendrickson immediately became the best pass rusher on the Bengals, coming off a 13.5 sack season in 2020.

3. A secondary response

During 2020 training camp, the Bengals secondary took a significant hit due to an injury the Bengals never fully recovered from. Cornerback Trae Waynes missed the entire season with a pectoral injury. LeShaun Sims filled in and started 10 games, and Darius Phillips and Tony Brown also got starts at cornerback.

After signing Hendrickson, the Bengals next biggest moves were bolstering their secondary by signing starting cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton. Instead of signing Jackson III to a top of the market deal, the Bengals got two starting cornerbacks in Awuzie and Hilton. Later in the offseason, the Bengals signed long-time starters Eli Apple and Ricardo Allen to be backups in the secondary.

With Phillips and safety Brandon Wilson also returning, the Bengals have much more depth in 2021. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was a secondary coach before he joined the Bengals, and he has a more well-rounded secondary this season.

The Bengals executed their entire free agent process quickly this offseason. Hendrickson, Awuzie, Hilton, Riley Reiff and Larry Ogunjobi’s signings were announced on the same day in the first week of free agency.

4. ‘He wasn’t going to let me leave town’

It’s almost a legend at this point. On March 18, Joe Burrow had dinner at Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct Steakhouse with a few of the Bengals free agent targets. Reiff was one of the last starting-caliber offensive tackles left on the market.

“I wanted to (sign) right after meeting some of the guys,” Reiff said in March. “There was one coach here who said he wasn’t going to let me leave town.”

When Reiff put pen to paper, the Bengals had their starting right tackle. Without Reiff, the Bengals offseason could have looked much different. Reiff was one of the best offensive tackles to change teams via free agency in March. If the Bengals didn’t sign him, they might have had to turn to a lesser free agent option with less starting experience, a draft pick or an internal candidate. 

5. The Bengals draft for offense. Again.

With the exception of the offensive line, the Bengals have mostly built their roster with a consistent approach. They added to the offense in the draft and added to the defense in free agency.