The Cincinnati Bengals’ secondary was one of the weaker points of their roster in 2023.
They ranked 24th in the NFL in defensive EPA per dropback and 29th in dropback success rate. The Bengals addressed this by adding two veteran safeties via free agency, snagging Geno Stone from the rival Baltimore Ravens and bringing back Vonn Bell after he spent a year in Carolina with the Panthers.
Bell has a base salary of $1.21 million, and his deal was labeled one of the biggest bargain contracts in the NFL.
“The Bengals made several smart, affordable signings this offseason, papering over holes by adding RB Zack Moss, OT Trent Brown, TE Mike Gesicki, S Geno Stone, and others,” Dallas Robinson of PFN wrote. “But Bell will be one of the NFL’s best bargains in 2024. Already collecting $6 million in guaranteed salary from the Panthers, Bell returns to Cincinnati after a one-year hiatus making only the league minimum. Communication issues torched the Bengals’ secondary last season, and Bell will be tasked with fixing that problem.”
Bell had four interceptions in his last season with the Bengals in 2022. Brining a familiar face back into the defense will certainly help a secondary that was subpar in 2023.