Cincy Jungle
In 2020, the Cincinnati Bengals needed a linebacker, and three names were commonly discussed among Bengals fans: Joe Schobert, Blake Martinez, and Cory Littleton.
At age 27, Schobert signed a $53.75 million deal with the Jaguars. At 28, they traded him to the Steelers. At 29, Pittsburgh made him a salary cap casualty. He played six more games after that and retired
A 26-year-old Blake Martinez signed a $30 million contract with the New York Giants. He had 151 tackles that season, but only played 8 more games over the next three years. At 27, an ACL injury ended his season, and indeed his time as a Giant. He had brief stints with the Raiders and the Steelers, and was out of the league by age 30.
Littleton signed a $35 million deal with the Raiders at 27. His production took an instant hit. After having 259 tackles and 7.5 sacks over the previous two seasons, he had 180 tackles and 0.5 sacks over the next two seasons. At 29, he moved on to the Panthers, where he started 7 games. Then at 30, he spent time with two different teams, playing in 10 games and not starting a single one.
The Bengals went with Josh Bynes (31) for $1.6 and drafted Logan Wilson with a plan for him to take over in a year.
Devin Bush and Devin Lloyd are both very good players coming off of very excellent seasons, but at they are also both 27 and looking for massive paydays. It might be good for a year, but if the past is any indicator, they could be in for a rapid decline.
With that in mind, here are my top linebackers for the Bengals to consider. A couple of them are younger, and a couple are older, but are unlikely to find a large long-term contract.
The 25-year-old Chenal is an excellent athlete who had a good year for the Chiefs before a shoulder injury ended it in Week 15. He had 58 tackles in only 440 snaps this season.
Chenal ran a 4.53 40 at the NFL Combine and has been a consistent contributor for the Chiefs’ defense throughout his career, making 44 starts in four seasons.
Chenel is coming off an injury, but looks to be an affordable option with a lot of upside.
Oren Burks got an opportunity in Philadelphia because the 25-year-old Nakobe Dean was injured, but could Dean be the right fit in Cincinnati?
Dean tore his patellar tendon during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run a year ago, causing him to miss the beginning of this season. His play has definitely dropped off since then, which could be permanent, or it could just mean he is still recovering.
Dean might be looking for a 1 year “prove it” deal to show that he is still the same guy he was in 2024, and he could be a steal if he is.
This would be...
