Bengals urged to sign key free agent after NFL draft

   

The Cincinnati Bengals hit some major needs in the 2025 NFL draft with one glaring exception -- that pesky safety spot that has hurt the franchise since Jessie Bates left.

After not addressing the safety position during the draft, the Bengals seem content to roll with Geno Stone and Jordan Battle next year as the primary players there.

But some interesting free agents remain, as pointed out by Sterling Xie of Pro Football Network, who has suggested that Quandre Diggs is the one name the Bengals should still sign:

He’s 32 years old and missed nine games last year with a Lisfranc injury, so the medicals would need to come back clean. However, he’s a proven ball hawk who had six straight seasons with three or more interceptions between 2017-22, and he would likely come cheaply on a one-year deal.

There are obviously some red flags there with Diggs. But the team going out to get a cost-effective veteran to reinforce the depth chart behind Battle and Stone might make some sense, as the verdict on younger players like Daijahn Anthony and Tycen Anderson remains unknown.

 

Then again, the Bengals could always aim higher for a starter-level free agent such as Justin Simmons, who has gone out of his way to say that he would like to play in Cincinnati next year.

Either way, it certainly feels like the Bengals could add to the problem area between now and the summer.