Should Cincinnati Bengals show interest in Jason Pierre-Paul?

The Cincinnati Bengals are in an excellent position heading into the 2015 offseason, because they have plenty of cap space and don’t have any pressing free agents to take care of. Per Over The Cap, the Bengals are seventh in the NFL in cap space, and while we’re pretty sure they’ll never use it, it’s still interesting to look at a scenario that would give the Bengals a high-impact defensive end that they desperately need.

Michael Johnson left the Bengals in free agency last offseason and was a bust for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first season with his new team, but Johnson was once a consistent and valuable part of the Bengals defensive line, quietly starring with Geno Atkins up front. Not only was Johnson a consistent source of pressure, but he was also an excellent run defender. The Bengals clearly missed him last season, as Carlos Dunlap‘s new DE partner, Wallace Gilberry, was on-and-off.

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Although the New York Giants are expected to what they can to keep Jason Pierre-Paul from hitting the free agent market, the fact of the matter is that there’s a strong chance the Giants priority free agent hits the open market. JPP is an uber-athletic, young DE who makes big plays and plays elite run defense. Players with his athleticism at end are coveted, and he knows he can make bank.

The Bengals don’t really sign high-priced free agents, but maybe this is the year they should buck the trend and go after a slight-risk, high-reward end who could help take this defense to the next level. It’s obvious that the Bengals didn’t get enough out of their pass rush last season, because even their top pass rusher, Dunlap, wasn’t a star.

It’s clear that the Bengals pass rush will be better next season without any additional help, since a bounce-back season from superstar DT Geno Atkins is inevitable. They also like young linemen Will Clarke and Margus Hunt, but it’s hard to count on getting a significant impact from either of them, especially since neither has shown that they can reliably start for the Bengals.

The Bengals can always pride themselves on having one of the league’s deepest rosters, but it would behoove them to add some playmakers to supplement their depth, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. If you want to build a great defense, then you need to build a deep foundation, add some young upside guys, and then go for a playmaker or two to take your defense to the top.

We saw the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots add T.J. Ward, DeMarcus Ware, Brandon Browner, and Darrelle Revis last offseason to bolster their defenses with playmakers, and while the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t huge Super Bowl contenders, it would be wise for them to fill a big position of need with an impact player. They have the money to do it, but it will be interesting to see if they are willing to take the risk.

Pierre-Paul isn’t the only top impending free agent at the defensive end position, as Greg Hardy will be available and Derrick Morgan, who spent this past season in a 3-4, could join him. Hardy is an elite pass rusher and run defender, but his off-field issues are worth noting. If the Bengals are willing to look past that, then he could make sense. Morgan is an underrated player who will likely shine if he leaves the Tennessee Titans, but he isn’t as well-rounded as JPP or Hardy.

While the Bengals No. 1 goal should be to boost their pass rush, Pierre-Paul brings an additional benefit to the table that this team should also be interesting in obtaining. JPP has been one of the league’s best run defenders over the course of his career, as he recorded 77 tackles last season and was second among 4-3 DEs with 31 defensive run stops, per Pro Football Focus. His length, upper-body strength, and athletic ability make him a beast against the run, and that’s something that gets overlooked when evaluating 4-3 DEs. Based on how the Bengals used Johnson, it’s something this organization clearly values.

Although the Bengals were in the top half of the league in points allowed per game, they should aim to be higher than 12th, especially since they pride themselves on their defense. Again, the Bengals will be better in that regard next season by default, but they were a merely slightly above-average defense when accounting for net yards per pass attempt and rushing yards allowed per attempt. Moreover, Dunlap was their only player with more than five sacks, and while sacks don’t tell the whole story, the fact that just two players on the team had at least three sacks is concerning.

The issue with Pierre-Paul as a free agent candidate is his cost, because if he hits the free agent market, then he’ll probably command over $12 million per season. His disappointing 2013 campaign illustrates the risk involved in signing Pierre-Paul, because while he is a difference-maker who can define a defense with his ability to fill up a stat sheet, only J.J. Watt had a higher success count than JPP among all DEs last season, there are better pure pass rushers.

Oct 12, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) during warm ups before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Giants 27-0. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It would be incredible to watch JPP, Dunlap, and Atkins on the same defensive line, and Jason Pierre-Paul is the kind of aggressive, uncharacteristic signing the Bengals have never really made who could help raise the profile of this team. The Bengals haven’t had a deep playoff run, and while the focus is rightfully on the subpar Andy Dalton, the Bengals main task is building a great football team.

JPP is one of those stars who can be a building block for a great team, but I doubt the Bengals are willing to shell out $12+ million per year and guaranteed money for a risky player, even if he makes perfect sense due to his elite run defense, athletic ability, and explosive pass rushing.

Back in the day, the Bengals showed interest in JPP when he was a draft prospect, so I wonder if that’s still something Marvin Lewis thinks about (Pierre-Paul and the aforementioned Morgan were the 15th and 16th overall picks in the 2010 NFL Draft, and the Bengals took fellow impending free agent Jermaine Gresham at 21).

With just Clint Boling, Rey Maualuga, and Terence Newman as notable free agents for the Bengals and enough cap space, the Bengals could feasibly go after a top player at a position of need. For teams with dreams of winning at least one playoff game, the name of the game is adding star talent, and the Bengals need to embrace it.

Building through the draft and developing current talent is the most important thing for this team, but, man, it would be fun to see JPP and Atkins on the same line. If he costs as much as Ware ($10 million) then he’s worth it for a stingy team like Cincy, especially since Johnson makes $8.75 million a year with the Bucs.

It’s a pipe dream to expect him to be that cheap, so the Bengals will likely balk at JPP’s asking price if he does leave the Giants. That said, the Cincinnati Bengals biggest need is clearly at DE, and JPP clearly fills it in a variety of ways; he’s worth the price if it isn’t exorbitant, even if the Bengals probably won’t be willing to match any price. But if they are willing to deal with Hardy’s off-field issues, then he would be a cheaper, still-excellent addition to their defense.

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