Cincinnati Bengals has been aggressive in the free agency so far, signing players like pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and ex-cornerback rival Mike Hilton, but they were arguably the most active team in terms of player movement in the Friday. During what was a busy morning, Bengals launched defensive striker Geno Atkins, signed offensive tackle Riley Reiff and replaced quarterback Ryan Finley.
Atkins’ launch saves $ 9.5 million in cap space this year outside the four-year span, $ 62.5 million that he signed up to 2022, according to the official Bengals website. The Cincinnati website also mentions that he could return “if the numbers match”. Atkins, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, has been one of Bengals’ most consistent supporters for the past decade. He made eight Pro Bowls, was a first-team All-Pro three times and accumulated 75.5 sacks in 161 games played. After playing in all 16 games for six consecutive seasons, Atkins played only eight games in 2020 and recorded a tackle.
The Bengals also announced on Friday that they had signed Reiff, who was the Minnesota Vikings’ left tackle for the past four seasons. He started 15 games in each of the past two years and made 32 in December. Reiff was identified as a victim of the cap, so he had the opportunity to seek a change of scenery in this off-season. The Bengals know that keeping ex-general general of choice Joe Burrow on his feet will be important in the future, and a veteran like Reiff should help immediately.
Finally, the Bengals parted ways with Finley, which the franchise selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft 2019 outside NC State. Cincinnati was prepared to release him, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Bengals ended up finding a trading partner at the Houston Texans, who reportedly traded the final round’s choices for Finley. The 26-year-old played in eight games in total for Bengals, with four matches, and posted a record of 1-3. In all, he completed 48.7 percent of his passes for 638 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.