Bengals Told to ‘Walk Away’ From 32-Game Starter in Free Agency

Getty Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie is an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

The Cincinnati Bengals were warned against re-signing veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie in 2024 free agency.

At age 29 in May, Awuzie is an unrestricted free agent after starting 32 games over the course of his three-year, $21.75 million contract that was agreed to ahead of the 2021 AFC champion campaign. On February 19, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay explained why it’s time to let Awuzie “walk away.”

“The Bengals have invested heavily into their secondary over the past two NFL drafts, expending four picks between Rounds 1 and 3 on defensive backs in that span,” Kay began. “That series of selections—which includes a pair of cornerbacks taken at No. 60 overall in Cam Taylor-Britt in 2022 and D.J. Turner in 2023—should render incumbent starter Chidobe Awuzie expendable this offseason.”

The NFL analyst went on to acknowledge Awuzie as a “strong value pickup” in 2021 before his torn ACL sidelined him for nine outings the following campaign. “After earning a sterling 83.3 PFF grade in his first year with the Bengals, Awuzie regressed to score a far more pedestrian 62.6 this past season,” Kay noted, adding that he “hasn’t looked the same since” the injury.

“Awuzie’s recent ACL tear was the second major injury of his career, following a hamstring strain that sidelined him for seven games during the 2020 season… While he’s generally been productive when he’s on the field, these ailments have limited him to 45 games with 38 starts over the past four seasons,” the writer said.

“Rather than paying Awuzie market value—estimated by Pro Football Focus to be $21 million over the next two years—the Bengals should instead prioritize getting their younger, homegrown draft picks more playing time,” Kay concluded. “This will also free up cash the team can use to retain more critical free agents such as wideout Tee Higgins.”

It’s Time for the Bengals to Trust the Youth Movement in the Secondary

Awuzie was a big part of the Bengals’ Super Bowl berth, and he even registered an interception during the NFL championship game versus the Los Angeles Rams.

That roster had its opportunity, however, and cornerback is not generally a young man’s position. Cincy already took the first step in thrusting Taylor-Britt and Turner into starting roles in 2022 and 2023.

Those promotions came with their fair share of ups and downs, but in the end the prospects either outperformed or kept pace with Awuzie.

According to Pro Football Focus, Taylor-Britt recorded the best NFL passer rating against in the secondary at 67.6. That performance included a team-leading five defensive penalties, but the second rounder also snagged four interceptions and forced six incompletions with a stingy reception rate of 53.4% in coverage. Taylor-Britt only surrendered two touchdowns on the year.

Turner was more on par with Awuzie, but that’s not horrible considering it was his rookie season. Both had a passer rating against in between 112.0 and 113.0, and each forced more incompletions than Taylor-Britt (seven for the rookie, eight for the veteran).

The area Turner bested Awuzie was reception rate allowed, at 57.6% compared to 67.9%. Both CBs also drew the same number of flags (four) and Awuzie allowed one fewer touchdown (three compared to four).

Should the Bengals Cut Mike Hilton?

On a similar note, veteran slot DB Mike Hilton has been highlighted as a cut candidate throughout the winter. Having said that, it might be smarter to keep the defensive team leader considering Cincy is doing pretty well in the cap space department ($72.8 million available after the 2024 cap increase).

Especially if Awuzie does indeed walk in free agency.

Trusting the youth is one thing, having zero veteran presence in the secondary is another. With Taylor-Britt and Turner possibly manning each corner and recent draft picks Dax Hill and Jordan Battle on the back end, Hilton is still a nice fit for the nickelback role.

After all, Hilton didn’t look like a player that had lost a step in 2023, with a 78.5 passer rating against, two interceptions and seven forced incompletions.