The Bengals will be bringing back S Vonn Bell on a 1 year deal, according to James Rapien.
Bell was recently released by the Carolina Panthers, and had $6M of guaranteed money left on his deal. This means that the Bengals will be able to sign him for the veteran minimum $1.21M, which would then leave the Panthers with $4.79M in dead money, instead of the full $6M.
It is a bargain price for the Bengals, who continue to bolster their depth throughout the roster. Bell’s role for this upcoming season is a bit muddy, as last year’s 3rd round pick Jordan Battle stepped into the SS spot and did very well.
But for the Bengals, this is a win-win situation. We know Bell can play, and if Battle continues to build on his rookie season, we will have two players who are capable of starting at SS. Bell also brings a lot of leadership with him, which was missed when he left for Carolina last offseason.
As for Daxton Hill, I’d expect him to still be the primary backup at FS, with newly signed Geno Stone starting. However, the likelihood of Hill moving around seems more and more likely. He very well could also serve as Mike Hilton’s backup in the slot, and potentially take over as the starter there if Hiton isn’t retained beyond this year.
The possibility of him backing up Taylor-Britt and Turner on the boundary has also been floated out there. We should continue to get a better sense in their intentions for the CB position as they navigate their way through free agency.
In any event, the Bengals S unit has improved drastically from last season, and they can now feel comfortable with their depth.
