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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/LloydTheWonderDog on 2025-07-29 14:17:44+00:00.
Staffing Changes
Defensive Coordinator
Out: Lou Anarumo | In: Al Golden
Following a second straight season of disappointing defensive performances, the Bengals parted ways with Lou Anarumo. Anarumo’s tenure in Cincinnati was marked with incredible clutch moments against some of the premier offensive talent in the league, but an underlying problem with talent development eventually reared its ugly head as premium draft picks were eschewed for roster stalwarts. While many Bengals fans were clamoring for the likes of Myles Murphy and Jordan Battle to take over starting roles in the defense, Lou opted to give the lion’s share of snaps to Sam Hubbard and Vonn Bell. This clearly worked to the defense’s detriment, as oftentimes the veterans were stiff, slow, and unable to make the plays that they could have in years past. This defense finished 25th in points allowed, highlighted by finishing 31st in run success rate.
Enter Al Golden, the former Bengals Linebacker coach and Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator. Golden presents as a sort of “foil” to Lou’s style. Under Golden’s tenure at Notre Dame, more underclassmen played vital roles in their defense than any other team in college football, showcasing his ability to get the most out of young players. With a changing of the guard coming for many roles on the Bengals’ defense, this trait may be the most vital to Golden’s success in Cincinnati. Golden will lean the aforementioned Murphy, Dax Hill, DJ Turner, and rookies such as Demetrius Knight and Shemar Stewart to lead a defensive turnaround that is desperately needed in Cincinnati.
Golden also brings along Jerry Montgomery as the Defensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator, Mike Hodges as the Linebacker Coach, and Mike Moon/Sean Desai as defensive assistants.
Offensive Line Coach
Out: Frank Pollack | In: Scott Peters
The efforts to improve the offensive line continue. Pollack never quite fit the puzzle of the Bengals’ offense, who are prioritizing trait-heavy draft picks in need of some refinement in their game. Pollack fielded the worst guard tandem in the league year, one of which was a prospect he was supposed to develop (Cordell Volson). This coupled with aggregated offensive line rankings below 20th in the league every year since his hiring in 2021 led to the team parting ways with him and bringing Scott Peters from the rubble of the New England Patriots’ coaching staff
Peters is somewhat “new-wave” as a hiring in Cincinnati, as he comes with an MMA background and a very technique-based approach. He doesn’t have a long resume, but he comes from the school of Bill Callahan (as did Frank Pollack, it should be noted) and is highly touted by legendary offensive line coach Jim “Mouse” McNally. With the past two drafts netting the Bengals potential future starters in Dylan Fairchild, Matt Lee, and Jalen Rivers, a coach who prioritizes technique refinement should net the results that the Bengals were hoping for. Peters also brings along his assistant from New England, Michael McCarthy (not that one).
Retained
Zac Taylor: Taylor who has been maligned as a situational playcaller, gets a coaching staff reset and a chance to restore the glory of his early tenure in Cincinnati. Despite some more vocal members of the fanbase wanting to move on from Taylor, he has the trust of Joe Burrow and is one of the premier “locker room guys” inthe league. After his first four seasons netted two AFC Championship appearances (winning one of them), the Bengals missed the playoffs in 2023 and 2024. While fans are very quick to give Taylor his knocks for missing the ‘24 playoffs with a full season of Joe Burrow, they forget that the 2023 team (warts and all on defense and missing Joe Burrow) still nearly made the playoffs again. It would take a catastrophic failure of a season for the Bengals to decide to move on from Taylor, and even then I’m not so sure.
The most notable negative against Taylor comes from the slow starts of the past 4 seasons, with zero wins in week 2 in his entire head coaching career. This includes incredibly head scratching losses against the 2024 Patriots, the 2023 Browns, and the 2022 Steelers. Eventually, Taylor’s teams find ways to get hot, but in 2024, it was too little, too late. In face, the past two seasons would have been “zero doubt” playoff appearances if the Bengals started quickly. Taylor will look to rectify this in 2025.
Free Agency
Players Lost:
| Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Sheldon Rankins | DT | Texans |
| Alex Cappa | OG | Raiders |
| Germaine Pratt | LB | Raiders |
| Sam Hubbard | DE | Retired |
| Mike Hilton | CB | Dolphins |
| Akeem Davis-Gaither | LB | Cardinals |
| Trent Brown | OT | Texans |
| Vonn Bell | S | UFA |
| Khalil Herbert | RB | Colts |
| Joe Bachie | LB | Colts |
| Jay Tufele | DT | Jets |
| Chris Evans | RB | UFA |
| Cade York | K | Released/ERFA |
| D’Ante Smith | OT | UFA |
Ultimately, this free agency period marks an elevation of younger talent and a departure of much of the “old guard” of the Bengals’ last two playoff runs. Vonn Bell, Mike Hilton, Sam Hubbard, and Germaine Pratt were all critical parts of the 2021 and 2022 defense, but unfortunately had become relative liabilities of varying degrees, with Bell and Pratt notably looking slower and stiffer in 2024. The collective decline of these players can be considered a major factor in the underwhelming performance of Lou Anarumo’s units in 2023 and 2024. The Bengals elected to not re-sign Bell or Hilton, Hubbard retired, and Pratt was released.
Sheldon Rankins battled injuries and viral meningitis throughout the 2024 season, and was a shell of himself when he was on the field, so the Bengals decided to cut their losses and allow Rankins to find another opportunity.
Alex Cappa unfortunately never rebounded from his severe ankle injury at the end of the 2022 season, and showed significant regression. Cappa allowed more sacks and pressures than any other interior offensive lineman in the league, prompting the Bengals to find a way to reset that position.
Players Gained:
| Name | Position | Old Team | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Patrick | G | Saints | 1 yr/$2.1m |
| Oren Burks | LB | Eagles | 2 yr/$5m |
| T.J. Slaton | DT | Packers | 2 yr/$14.1m |
| Samaje Perine | RB | Chiefs | 2 yr/$3.6m |
Another edition of “that’s it?” by the Bengals front office was played yet again this offseason. Since the 2021 offseason (when many of the previously mentioned key components of the team were added), the Bengals have been extremely conservative in free agency compared to other contending teams in the league. Whether it’s due to the front office’s archaic contract structures and lack of future guarantees driving free agents away, or the team just believing in their ability to draft and develop, the Bengals are going into 2025 with only four veteran additions to the roster from outside the organization.
Lucas Patrick is a Guard/Center who is in line to compete for the RG spot with Cody Ford. Patrick has plenty of game experience, but at this stage of his career serves to be more of a depth piece/insurance policy.
Oren Burks immediately addresses a roster spot left open by the departures of Pratt and Davis-Gaither. Burks mostly served as depth behind Nakobe Dean in Philadelphia. Notably, he forced a fumble in the NFC championship. Burks offers championship experience and veteran presence in a Linebacker room in transition.
T.J. Slaton addresses a hidden need in the roster at Nose Tackle. D.J. Reader’s presence was sorely missed in 2024, and the run defense reflected that statistically. Slaton doesn’t have the two-gap ability that Reader did, but he is remarkably quick for a 340+ pound man. The hope is that the Defensive Tackle room can be efficient with a consistent rotation, as Al Golden likes to vary personnel based on situations.
Samaje Perine returns for his third stint with the Bengals after stops in Denver and Kansas City. Perine is an ultimate “trust” signing by the front office. He has a great relationship with the Bengals, and seems to find ways to contribute every season with them. Perine likely plays passing downs and short yardage situations, as he is a solid blocker and sturdy runner between the tackles.
Re-Signings
| Name | Position | Contract |
|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 4 yr/$115m/$40.9m gtd |
| Joseph Ossai | DE | 1 yr/$7m |
| B.J. Hill | DT | 3 yr/$33m/$16m gtd |
| Marco Wilson | CB | 1 yr/$1.52m |
| Cam Sample | DT | 1 yr/$1.225m |
Let’s get the big one out of the way. Tee Higgins re-signed with the Bengals alongside Ja’Marr Chase’s contract extension in one of the biggest offseason rollercoasters in recent memory. Tee seemed to be destined for a change of scenery when news broke that the Bengals and his agent, David Mulugheta were miles apart on securing a long term contract. Suddenly, everything changed at the end of 2024 when it was announced that Tee had signed with Rocky Arcenaux and Caitlin Aoki, the same team that represents Ja’Marr Chase. What was once an impossibility became an inevitability, even if folks couldn’t figure out how the Bengals could manage to get it done. Chase and Higgins signed at the same time, arriving together on a private plane to sign contracts that lock them into Cincinnati fo…
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