Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are a tightly managed roster right now at $17.3M in cap room (rank 18 of 32), but the financial picture brightens sharply next year with $52.3M projected available, giving this front office a real chance to address its linebacker and line gaps.

40 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Six starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

The roster's clear top strength is the receiver-quarterback combination powering the offense, while the linebacker corps, headlined by a 69-overall starter at SAM, is the weakest spot on the depth chart.

• SAMhigh

  SAM is the roster's most urgent positional gap, with Oren Burks starting at 69 overall and the depth behind him thin and below-average.

• LShigh
• MIKEmedium

  Barrett Carter starts at just 69 overall at MIKE, and the backups behind him are both cut candidates, making this a medium-priority upgrade.

• WILLlow

  Demetrius Knight Jr holds this spot adequately, but the backup Liam Anderson is a cut candidate, leaving the position a single injury away from trouble.

• LTlow

  Orlando Brown Jr holds down the starting spot but is entering a later stage of his career, and the backup options in Cody Ford and Corey Robinson II offer little security.

• RTlow

  Amarius Mims is a promising 23-year-old starter, but the depth behind him is thin, with Andrew Coker sitting as a cut candidate at 59 overall.

• LGlow

  Dylan Fairchild is a young Star-trait starter at 72 overall, and while he has upside, adding competition behind him would shore up the depth.

• Plow

  Ryan Rehkow starts at 73 overall, which is functional but below elite, and the position is a low-cost upgrade target if available.

• Air RaidoffensiveGood

  With Burrow at 97 overall and Chase at 99, the Air Raid's tempo-driven, spread-passing concepts play directly to the elite arm and route-running talent already on the roster.

• 4-3 Cover 2 MandefensiveGood

  Dexter Lawrence II and Jonathan Allen give the 4-3 a menacing interior foundation, while DJ Turner II and Dax Hill provide the cornerback athleticism that Cover 2 Man coverage demands.

• 70T.J. SlatonDTT.J. Slaton is a DT backup behind three stronger options and cutting him frees $5.7M against $3.4M in dead money, making it a worthwhile savings given the team's $17.3M cap room.Frees $5.7M · $3.4M dead
• 62Josh JohnsonQBJosh Johnson is the third-string QB at 62 overall and 40 years old, and releasing him frees $1.3M while leaving only $200K in dead money.Frees $1.3M · $200.0K dead
• 68Drew SampleTEDrew Sample sits third on the TE depth chart at 68 overall while entering a later stage of his career, and his release frees $2.5M against just $300K in dead money.Frees $2.5M · $300.0K dead
• 58Sean CliffordQBSean Clifford is the third QB on the depth chart at just 58 overall, and cutting him frees $1.1M with zero dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 66Jalen DavisCBJalen Davis is the fourth cornerback at 66 overall and is entering a more advanced stage of his career, and his release frees $1.3M against only $180K in dead money.Frees $1.3M · $180.0K dead

Cincinnati enters this franchise window with one of the most exciting offensive tandems in the league, built around the 97-overall Joe Burrow and 99-overall Ja'Marr Chase, both in their primes and carrying X Factor traits. Tee Higgins adds a legitimate third weapon at receiver, and Chase Brown gives the backfield a capable Star-trait runner. The defensive side is more nuanced: Dexter Lawrence II is a true interior anchor, but Jonathan Allen is entering a more advanced stage of his career and will need a succession plan over the medium term. The linebacker corps is the roster's clearest liability, with a high-severity SAM need and a starting MIKE in Barrett Carter who is still developing. The offensive line has youth in Amarius Mims and Dylan Fairchild but question marks at the backup level and in Orlando Brown Jr's longevity at left tackle. With $17.3M in current cap room and $52.3M projected for next season, the near-term financial picture improves considerably, giving the front office a genuine opportunity to address the linebacker and line depth that stand between this team and a championship window.

The Bengals were founded in 1968 by legendary coach Paul Brown, who had been fired by the Cleveland Browns in 1963. Brown's ownership group received AFL approval on May 23, 1967, the team began play in 1968, and joined the NFL in the 1970 merger. Brown chose the same shade of orange as Cleveland and named the team 'Bengals' to link it to earlier Cincinnati pro teams of the 1930s-40s. The franchise's golden era came in the 1980s: after adopting the iconic orange tiger-striped helmets in 1981, the Bengals, led by QB Ken Anderson (1981 NFL MVP), reached Super Bowl XVI, losing 26-21 to the 49ers. Under QB Boomer Esiason (1988 NFL MVP) and coach Sam Wyche, they returned to Super Bowl XXIII after 1988, losing 20-16 to the 49ers on a late Joe Montana-to-John Taylor touchdown. After a 1990 playoff appearance, the team collapsed into 14 consecutive non-winning seasons, earning the nickname 'The Bungles.' A 2-14 finish in 2002 led to the hiring of Marvin Lewis in 2003, who restored respectability but never won a playoff game across 16 seasons. The drafting of Joe Burrow first overall in 2020 transformed the franchise: in 2021 the Bengals won their first playoff game since 1990 and reached Super Bowl LVI, losing 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams. They returned to the AFC Championship Game in 2022 but missed the playoffs in 2023, 2024, and 2025.