https://atozsports.com/cincinnati/bengals-free-agency-rumors-veteran-safety-market-interest-dax-hill-nick-scott/

Bengals should have signed Xavier Woods back in 2022 when they had the chance.
That dude signed a 3-year, $15 mill deal.
That contract is a steal right now.

Maybe they could find a way to make a trade with CAR to get him?
CAR in rebuild mode anyway.
Or maybe try to pull Vonn Bell back with a trade.

Thanks for this thread.

The more I think about it, with Tee already tagged, outside of the trenches (DT/NT, OT), I think a vet S makes the next most sense for a significant FA signing.

The FA classes for TE & IOL are thin. Given what we are paying Higgins (and soon Chase), even a medium priced WR does not seem wise, given the deep draft class and with Jones and Yoshi already here. The CB class us pretty deep and we (probably) are only looking at depth. Unless we strike it rich at DT/OT in FA, but then we are talking #18, not a FA. LB is depth only. And the only way we spend big at RB is if we cut Mixon..and that seems unlikely to me.

With a lot og quality S's on the market, and a lot of teams averse to spending at that position, we could get a very good bargain. A solid vet to pair with Battle deep would let Dax be closer to the LOS, he could mentor both. And I bet we'd play a lot of "big dime" with 3 S's.

And we could cut Scott loose. 

It makes too much sense as green as the secondary is. Many others have pointed out how we may get more out of Dax floating him around like they did at Michigan. I think that's what they meant by Dax at corner, doubtful they meant outside but more like a nickle/dime type that can move around and still play some safety. We need a vet and have money to spend. We could use a fringe starter type.

Battle seems solid (just needs experience) and Dax is a young first round pick who just got his first experience starting.

Can't be spending money on safety this offseason. There are bigger places of need. Lou is just going to have to show he can develop and coach up young guys and make it work.

Good, I think adding a rangy vet Safety that is good at communication would be one of the best moves to get our Defense back on track.

Do this along with adding a physical DT in FA and this will go a long way in improving the Defense. As they say Dax was our best Defender
against TE's last year and he is good coming up to the LOS and playing Slot Corner at times and this could free him up to make plays and
we still would see a lot of him and Battle. This is Hilton's last year contract wise and we have to prepare for his departure even if I love Mike.

This is what the coaches meant when talking about Dax playing Corner, they weren't talking about boundary Corner.

Use Daxton Hill like the Ravens use Kyle Hamilton.

(03-01-2024, 07:44 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Good, I think adding a rangy vet Safety that is good at communication would be one of the best moves to get our Defense back on track.

Do this along with adding a physical DT in FA and this will go a long way in improving the Defense. As they say Dax was our best Defender
against TE's last year and he is good coming up to the LOS and playing Slot Corner at times and this could free him up to make plays and
we still would see a lot of him and Battle. This is Hilton's last year contract wise and we have to prepare for his departure even if I love Mike.

This is what the coaches meant when talking about Dax playing Corner, they weren't talking about boundary Corner.

Use Daxton Hill like the Ravens use Kyle Hamilton.

I wholeheartedly second this emotion. 

(03-01-2024, 07:43 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Battle seems solid (just needs experience) and Dax is a young first round pick who just got his first experience starting.

Can't be spending money on safety this offseason. There are bigger places of need. Lou is just going to have to show he can develop and coach up young guys and make it work.

We're a majority single High team; if we suck at that position it's going to really hurt our defense. So investing in that position shouldn't be frowned upon. 

(03-01-2024, 09:46 PM)J24 Wrote: We're a majority single High team; if we suck at that position it's going to really hurt our defense. So investing in that position shouldn't be frowned upon. 

It's a pleasant surprise if this report is true and they aren't just standing pat.

(03-01-2024, 10:27 PM)samhain Wrote: It's a pleasant surprise if this report is true and they aren't just standing pat.

Yeah, just anyone to work the back end and teach these young guys how to read and communicate for a year will make massive improvements in the secondary.

(03-01-2024, 07:43 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Battle seems solid (just needs experience) and Dax is a young first round pick who just got his first experience starting.

Can't be spending money on safety this offseason. There are bigger places of need. Lou is just going to have to show he can develop and coach up young guys and make it work.

We save $6.4 Mil in cutting Hilton, we do that and CTB w/ his 21 NFL starts is our "vet" in the backfield. I think we can sign a vet SS/FS  and Lou still has plenty young guys to develop 

I agree that we need a veteran presence in the unit, but if we are replacing Scott then we are looking for more of a SS than FS, which leaves Dax and Tycen playing centerfield. I'm not sure we have addressed the possible problem in Dax' development.
Mike Hilton is one of the best slot corners in the league. Him rotating back to FS is an admission of weakness at centerfield.

(03-01-2024, 10:52 PM)bfine32 Wrote: We save $6.4 Mil in cutting Hilton, we do that and CTB w/ his 21 NFL starts is our "vet" in the backfield. I think we can sign a vet SS/FS  and Lou still has plenty young guys to develop 

We are not cutting Hilton, that's nuts. He is one of the best slot corners in the league. I'd extend him before I cut him. 

Again, we are not in a cash crunch. After guys get tagged/signed before Tuesday 4pm, I think it will become pretty obvious that getting impact guys to come here will be more problematic that not having cap space. 

(03-01-2024, 11:56 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: We are not cutting Hilton, that's nuts. He is one of the best slot corners in the league. I'd extend him before I cut him. 

Again, we are not in a cash crunch. After guys get tagged/signed before Tuesday 4pm, I think it will become pretty obvious that getting impact guys to come here will be more problematic that not having cap space. 

Hope so, love me some Mike Hilton, but it is a business. 

(03-01-2024, 11:56 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: We are not cutting Hilton, that's nuts. He is one of the best slot corners in the league. I'd extend him before I cut him. 

Again, we are not in a cash crunch. After guys get tagged/signed before Tuesday 4pm, I think it will become pretty obvious that getting impact guys to come here will be more problematic that not having cap space. 

Why do you think that will be a problem?

so theyre grooming dax to be Hilton's successor

(03-01-2024, 11:56 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: We are not cutting Hilton, that's nuts. He is one of the best slot corners in the league. I'd extend him before I cut him. 

Again, we are not in a cash crunch. After guys get tagged/signed before Tuesday 4pm, I think it will become pretty obvious that getting impact guys to come here will be more problematic that not having cap space. 

I get what you're saying but it's the proper move. Maybe it's just me but I believe that if we move Hill to Nickleback than he will be a better player than Hilton at that position in the near future. To me Hill would give you kyle Hamilton like production from that spot this upcoming season.

Also; I think you could get something for Hilton in a trade. For example Hilton to the Eagles for DT Milton Williams.

(03-02-2024, 12:06 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Hope so, love me some Mike Hilton, but it is a business. 

It's a  Bill Belichick type move!

(03-01-2024, 10:52 PM)bfine32 Wrote: We save $6.4 Mil in cutting Hilton, we do that and CTB w/ his 21 NFL starts is our "vet" in the backfield. I think we can sign a vet SS/FS  and Lou still has plenty young guys to develop 

Don't love that. Feels like that would lead to a net loss in experience in an already inexperienced group. I also wonder if it would really make us better if we're trading out Hilton for a vet safety signing, which then means you're going to have 2 new guys with no experience playing their position in the system rather than 0. I say that assuming that vet SS/FS isn't going to be Antoine Winfield because of both money and he's expected to be tagged.

Kevin Byard just got cut. I wonder what he has left.

Trying to make sense of this they obviously don’t trust Hill or Battle ? It’s now or never for Hill entering year 3. Far as Hill to CB talk I know he’s not an outside CB and Hilton is the slot replacing him now makes your secondary even more inexperienced and if anything they probably kick Turner inside when Hilton’s contract is up. If you sign a good vet to play along side Hill I guess you view Battle as only a 3rd Safety? He played well and getting less playing time in year two means he’s not in your future plans as a starter? I know they missed Flowers in 3 safety looks and I was like maybe Lou wants to get back to that ? But I feel like we can’t stop anybody up front and are division is more geared towards stopping the running and your in less 3 safety looks.