Cincy Jungle
And if not the Bengals, which NFL team would you like to see Hilton land with?
One of the best NFL free agents still waiting to be signed is none other than former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton.
ESPN recently ranked the best remaining free agents, and it was no surprise to see Hilton near the top of the list.
Hilton checked in at No. 4 overall and No. 3 among cornerbacks.
A slot corner who plays with a sense of urgency, Hilton had 12 tackles for loss and eight pressures last season. He has a natural feel for playing in space as a coverage defender with the aggressive mentality to tackle and blitz on the edges. In eight seasons, Hilton has 13 interceptions, 11.5 sacks and 34 pass breakups.
Obviously, Hilton is a good starting slot corner who acts like a strong safety at times and blitzes off the edge or even blows up run plays. He’s also a veteran presence that the Bengals’ cornerback could use. No one projected to be in the top four of that group’s rotation this year has more than three seasons of experience, while Hilton has eight.
The argument against signing Hilton is that he is 31, so he could be nearing the end of his career. His presence could also slow the development of Dax Hill and/or Josh Newton, depending on who plays in the slot this season (it’s looking like Newton).
Plus, the fact that Hilton is still a free agent could signal he’s asking for more than teams want to pay. That would explain why a solid starting nickelback is still a free agent in July.
What say you Bengals fans? Time to bring back Hilton, or should they focus on their young group of corners?
And if you’d pass on Hilton, what other NFL team would you like to see him sign with? Let us know in the comments section!
