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A local product was the first big splash for the Cincinnati Bengals in NFL free agency.
Kicking off the legal tampering window for the Bengals on Monday was Bryan Cook agreeing to sign with the Bengals.
It’s a massive investment for the Bengals on a reported $40.25 million over three years.
And it’s not exactly hard to see why.
Cook, formerly of Mount Healthy High School and the Cincinnati Bearcats, has two Super Bowl rings before the age of 27 thanks to his time with the Kansas City Chiefs.
More importantly, he graded as the fourth-best safety in the NFL last year while logging 85 total tackles and six passes defended, among other notable snaps.
For comparison’s sake, Geno Stone ranked as the 81st safety out of 98’ last year on the same list.
There are other data points than just that, but it generally illustrates why the Bengals moved so aggressively here. Bengals coaches have been adamant that they want a new starter next to Jordan Battle, so here comes Cook.
If there’s a major negative to be found with the move, it’s that the Bengals might have been hoping for defensive line help first before losing out on John Franklin-Myers.
This, then, would signal the team is all-in on early draft pick rookies this year to help out Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart, plus a couple of possible veteran free agents yet to be found.
Either way, it’s impossible to complain about the Bengals landing free agency’s best safety and one of the best overall players in the NFL at that position.
Grade: A
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals free agency: Instant analysis, grade for Bryan Cook
Continue reading...
Kicking off the legal tampering window for the Bengals on Monday was Bryan Cook agreeing to sign with the Bengals.
It’s a massive investment for the Bengals on a reported $40.25 million over three years.
And it’s not exactly hard to see why.
Cook, formerly of Mount Healthy High School and the Cincinnati Bearcats, has two Super Bowl rings before the age of 27 thanks to his time with the Kansas City Chiefs.
More importantly, he graded as the fourth-best safety in the NFL last year while logging 85 total tackles and six passes defended, among other notable snaps.
For comparison’s sake, Geno Stone ranked as the 81st safety out of 98’ last year on the same list.
There are other data points than just that, but it generally illustrates why the Bengals moved so aggressively here. Bengals coaches have been adamant that they want a new starter next to Jordan Battle, so here comes Cook.
If there’s a major negative to be found with the move, it’s that the Bengals might have been hoping for defensive line help first before losing out on John Franklin-Myers.
This, then, would signal the team is all-in on early draft pick rookies this year to help out Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart, plus a couple of possible veteran free agents yet to be found.
Either way, it’s impossible to complain about the Bengals landing free agency’s best safety and one of the best overall players in the NFL at that position.
Grade: A
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals free agency: Instant analysis, grade for Bryan Cook
Continue reading...
