Divisional Round Mock

[*ochocincos*]

I put in two 4th round comps - one for Carl Lawson (expected) and one for John Ross (rumored to still happen even though he didn't play 25+% of Giants offensive snaps).

2022 NFL FA and Draft:
Estimated cap - $63 mill
Release Trae Waynes +$11 mill = $74 mill

Franchise Tag - Jessie Bates - $13 mill

Re-sign:
Quinton Spain - $10 mill APY - Need to keep the best OG the team has.

CJ Uzomah - $6 mill APY - Uzomah did well enough given the opportunities. He's also a leader of the team, and they will want to keep him.

BJ Hill - $8 mill APY - I expect Hill will be cheaper to retain than Ogunjobi, and Hill was actually the better run defender. Hill can be the starter next to Reader.

Eli Apple - $5 mill APY - Apple has really come along this season. Bengals should be able to cut Waynes, re-sign Apple, and still have some money left over. Apple can be the starter opposite Awuzie.

Mike Thomas - $1 mill - Taylor seems to like Thomas. He has familiarity with the playbook and plays ST, so there's value there.
--------------------------------------------
$31 mill remaining

FA:
Josey Jewell, LB DEN - 2 years, $10 mill ($5 mill APY) - Jewell is a well-rounded LB who I liked coming out of Iowa back in 2018. He's solid at about everything, but not great at any one thing. 2020 was his best year, putting up 113 tackles, 4 PDs, and 2 sacks. Jewell takes Evans' spot on the roster but is used as the 3rd LB, ahead of ADG and Bailey. Jewell takes over Pratt's starting role in 2023 if Pratt departs in FA.

Germain Ifedi, OT/OG CHI - 2 years, $12 mill ($6 mill APY) - A guy who has bounced between starting RT and RG in his 6 seasons. He's been ok as a starter. I think he could be a valuable addition as a versatile veteran who probably won't get a lot of attention in FA. I see him competing for a starting spot but a valuable veteran backup at minimum. He slots in as the new starting RT going into the draft.

Josh Reynolds, WR DET - 2 years, $4 mill ($2 mill APY) - Reynolds is a perfect WR3/4 in an offense, and he has familiarity with Taylor from their time with the Rams. Bring in Reynolds to be the new WR4 to replace Tate.

Mitchell Trubisky, QB BUF - 2 years, $6 mill ($3 mill APY) - Burrow's new backup. Upgrade over Allen, IMO.

Casey Hayward, CB LVR - 1 year, $4 mill - Depth veteran CB. Was solid for the Raiders, but he's older. Only signed with LVR for 1 year, $2.5 mill, so $4 mill should be enough to acquire him. If Hayward goes higher, get a different quality vet for this price or lower. There should be plenty of options.
------------------------------------
$11 mill remaining - Enough to cover the draft and have a bit left over.

Draft:
1) Trevor Penning, OT UNI (6'7", 321 lb) - I'm always nervous about FCS players transitioning well to the NFL, but from what I've read and seen, I think Penning can succeed. He has ideal size and length, plus he's dominated nearly everyone he's gone up against. He's freakishly strong and also athletic enough that he should be fine in the Bengals' scheme. Penning comes in to compete with Ifedi as the starting RT.

2) Phidarian Mathis, DT Alabama (6'4', 312 lb) - Versatile DL who has ideal size to play DT in the NFL. He's well-rounded, so he can not only rush the passer but also defend the run. His combination of length and strength should allow him to keep the opponent off him and drive him back into the pocket.

3) Coby Bryant, CB UC (6'2", 185 lb) - I think that the Bengals will try to retain Apple and probably sign another veteran CB after letting Waynes go. With that said, they could use a young guy to build quality depth and groom into a future starter. I like Bryant's fit in Anarumo's scheme. His skill set and size translate very well outside too.

4) Jake Ferguson, TE Wisconsin (6'5", 244 lb) - Well-rounded TE who can block but also underrated as a pass catcher. Across 4 seasons in Wisconsin's run-heavy scheme, Ferguson put up 1618 yards and 13 TDs on 145 receptions (11.2 YPR). I see him similar to someone like Dalton Schultz and an improvement in the passing game over Sample.

4comp1) Calvin Austin III, WR/PR Memphis (5'9", 162 lb) - This dude is small, but he's electric. Memphis used him all kinds of ways, and he delivered. He especially thrives with YAC. Austin is also a good PR, which the Bengals need. I see Austin as the 5th WR activated on gamedays, serving as the team's PR and coming into the offense occasionally for gadget plays and in the slot.

4comp2) Sterling Weatherford, SS Miami University (6'4", 215 lb) - Weatherford is a bigger Safety who can cover TEs due to his size and length. He could play some nickel LB if the Bengals wished to use him for that. Weatherford also could be a stud on ST, which is valuable when picking guys on Day 3.

5) Ty Chandler, RB/KR UNC (5'11", 210 lb) - Productive RB in both the SEC (Tennessee) and ACC (UNC). Played more in a RBBC with the Vols, but he got lead back duties at UNC. He had a handful of receptions each season (10-19 each season). He looks to have solid speed, which would help add some explosion to the Bengals offense. It also helps that he has plenty of KR experience - 38 KRs for 850 yards (22.4 YPR) and 1 TD.

6) Chase Lucas, CB Arizona St (6'0", 185 lb) - Lucas is a guy I liked last draft season but he decided to return to college. He still is projected to be a Rd 5-7 pick, so I'll put him where I had him last year - 6th round. I like Lucas as a depth guy initially that could eventually develop into a starter potentially.

7) Nick Ford, OL Utah (6'5", 315 lb) - Extremely versatile OL who has played every single position in college. Ford was voted All-Pac-12 twice. I've seen multiple draft sites say his best position in the NFL will probably be center. He's projected so low because he's been moved around so much in college that he hasn't had the time to develop at one position. I think he's a perfect candidate to take a gamble on late and see if he can turn into something if put at one position. Ford would make the perfect PS candidate if not making the last OL spot on the 53-person roster.