With about a month left to go until the 2025 NFL Draft, free agency is all but wrapped up. Many of the big name players have been scooped up and the dust is starting to settle. Any moves at this point are likely to be considered temporary or depth roles. With that being said, lets take a look into what the Bengals did in this free agent class.

Oren Burks: B+

The Bengals agreed to terms with former Eagles, 49ers, and Packers Linebacker Oren Burks on a 2-year $5 Million dollar contract on Monday, the first day of the legal tampering period. Cincinnati’s adds depth to their linebacker room and raised the floor of their run defense capabilities after ranking 19th and surrendering 2,122 rush yards in 2024. Burks is a good athlete, reliable tackler, and a solid run defender. In his limited 63 run defending snaps in the 2024 regular season, Burks received a 86.8 PFF run defense grade, 11th out of 189 linebackers.

Burks has never been a full-time starter in his 7-year career. However, he did make three starts in the playoffs during the Eagles’ road to the Super Bowl. Burks stepped up on the biggest stages for Philadelphia, recording 2 forced fumbles, a sack, 25 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 QB hits. Burks is no stranger to the playoffs; besides his rookie season, he has been there every year of his career with the Packers, 49ers, and Eagles respectively.

Given the Bengals current situation at linebacker, Burks could be in line to see a career high in snaps. Cincinnati lost Akeem Davis-Gaither to the Arizona Cardinals after seventh-year Bengals Germaine Pratt requested a trade. Behind starter Logan Wilson, the Bengals currently tout three former undrafted linebackers in Joe Bachie, Maema Njongmeta, and Shaka Heyward. The opportunity is there for the taking for Burks.

Burks’ deal is so cheap at $5 Million over 2 years that if he is able to carve out a starting role, he could become one of the better value signings from this free agent class. Burks doesn’t give the Bengals a true roster upgrade, and there is work to do to develop him into a consistent and well-rounded contributor. But for the money and the need to address this position before the draft, this is an all-around solid move.

T.J. Slaton: B-

The Bengals gave former Packers defensive tackle T.J. Slaton a 2-year $14.1 Million dollar deal in free agency. Slaton has started every game for the Packer over the previous two seasons. Slaton reunites with his former Defensive Line Coach, Jerry Montgomery in Cincinnati after spending three years together in Green Bay. The Bengals were able to retain defensive tackle B.J. Hill as well, forming a solid, high floor run defending rotation between Hill, Slaton, and sophomores Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson developing behind them.

But the problem is there are still no pass rushers in the room. The Bengals won’t find help in that regard from T.J. Slaton who brings next to nothing in the pass rush department. Slaton has two career sacks and should be subbed out on passing downs.

Although Slaton may lack pass rush upside, he will bring reinforcements in the ground game. According to ESPN, Slaton ranked first in run stop win rate in the 2024 season and 9th in 2023. Yet PFF only graded Slaton with a measly 45.0 run defense grade. Although PFF did rank him 26th in stop % in 2024 and 20th in 2023. The Bengals need all the help they can get in run defense after allowing the 14th most yards this past season.

Given that Slaton isn’t going to help the Bengals address one of their biggest flaws on the roster, pass rush, and his contract is a little too rich for me, I don’t love this signing. Yet with his familiarity with Coach Montgomery and his run defending ability, there is a level of comfortability and expectation that makes this an okay signing.

Samaje Perine: B+

There isn’t much analysis to dig into here with this signing. Samaje Perine had been with the Bengals since 2019 before adventuring off to Denver and Kansas City in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Now Perine is back in Cincinnati in 2025 on a 2-year $3.8 Million dollar deal. The Bengals know what they are getting with Perine, their level of experience and comfort with the running back is why he’s back in stripes. Perine is a reliable, high floor-low ceiling running back who has his role on offense.

The Bengals wanted to add more size and physicality to the running back room to pair with the shifty Chase Brown. Perine and Brown and both the same height at 5’10, but Perine packs about 20 more pounds. Still, Perine won’t consistently bring help on short yardage downs, an area the Bengals offense desperately needs help in. Cincinnati needs a bruiser at running back and I would have preferred adding a running back in the draft. the 2025 draft offers a deep and talented running back class full of sizeable runners. With just six draft picks however, I understand not every position of need can be addressed. By signing Perine, Cincinnati no longer has to draft a back. But the commitment to Perine doesn’t prevent the team from drafting one if the opportunity is there. This was a smart depth and insurance move by the Bengals.

Lucas Patrick: A- or C-

I have trouble giving this signing a true grade without knowing the Bengals intentions with this move. I can only assume what I believe to be their plan. If Lucas Patrick is a depth signing, this is a fantastic move. If Patrick is expected to start, this is an underwhelming addition. However, based on the 1-year $2.1 million contract my assumption, or perhaps hope, is this move is to merely raise of the floor and bolster the depth of the offensive line.

Patrick, who will be 32 to start the season, has never been a regular, full-time starter in the NFL. Although, Patrick has started 25 games since 2023, allowing 0 sacks in that span. In 2024, Patrick allowed 0 hits and just 10 pressures. Both Bengals starting guards last season allowed at least 7 hits, 40 pressures, and 6 sacks. However, Patrick has accumulated 17 penalties over the previous two seasons and posted less-than-impressive pass blocking grades at or well below 60 the past three seasons from PFF.

Yet, his best year in recent memory came last season in New Orleans after struggling with the Bears for two seasons. Perhaps that speaks more about the dysfunctional Chicago offense than it does Patrick. Following an uptick in pass blocking efficiency in 2024, the Bengals are hoping that continues in 2025.

Patrick has experience at all three interior offensive line positions and is a fine run blocker. He raises the floor of the line and is a versatile, high end depth piece. It is clear Patrick is not a true answer as a starter in the long term, but he will provide strong competition for Cordy Ford, Cordell Volson, and a potential rookie for a starting spot at guard.

There are other options still left available in free agency that are upgrades over Lucas Patrick such as Brandon Scherff, Dalton Risner, and Will Hernandez. This signing shouldn’t prevent the team from going out and signing any of these players. If the Bengals make no other additions to guard via free agency, that will be disappointing and will diminish the value of Lucas Patrick if he is in the starting lineup. Patrick’s contract is short and cheap where there is very little risk and the value of having a quality, veteran depth lineman surpasses the value of the contract.

If the Bengals sign a starting guard and ideally draft another, this is a fantastic move to raise the floor of the offensive line. If the Bengals don’t make the necessary moves, there is a real scenario where Patrick starts, which worries me.

Cincinnati failed to address their two biggest needs through free agency. The Bengals struggled mightily in both rushing the passer and protecting their own. The team still does not have a proven pass rusher other than Trey Hendrickson and the only guard addition that was made was Lucas Patrick, a career journeyman backup. They’ve failed to plug holes before the draft by not adding any impact free agents. Cincinnati could have used a better external free agent class, but at least they were able to lock in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to keep this offseason from becoming a disaster.