With the offseason now underway for the Bengals, the routine moves are now beginning to take place. The first of which is locking players up to reserve/futures deals. A reserve/futures contract is for a player who was not on an active roster at the conclusion of the season. So this means that free agents or players who were on the practice squad are eligible to sign. Unlike players on the active roster, practice squad contracts have officially expired, with the conclusion of the season, whereas with pending free agents on the active roster, teams retain their negotiation rights until the new league year begins in March. Further, players signed to reserve/futures deals do not officially join the offseason roster until the new league year in March.
The Bengals have signed the following 9 players to reserve/futures deals:
- DT, Domenique Davis
- CB, Allan George
- WR, Kendric Pryor
- WR, Shedrick Jackson
- WR, Kwamie Lassiter
- LB, Shaka Heyward
- G, Jaxson Kirkland
- DE, Jeffrey Gunter
- C, Nate Gilliam
All of the players signed in this initial wave were previously on the Bengals practice squad. Of note, the following players who finished the year on the team’s practice squad were not signed to reserve/futures deals:
- WR, Stanley Morgan
- LB, Clay Johnston
- S, Michael Thomas
- CB, Sidney Jones
- RB, Demetric Felton
- QB, Drew Plitt
The Bengals can still sign these, or any other current free agents to reserve/future deals, should they remain available. That said, if they haven’t already signed some members from their practice squad, it seems more likely that the two sides will be moving in separate directions.
Featured Image Via: Eli Marshall