Cincinnati Bengals Non-Playoff Team Free Agency Targets: San Francisco 49ers

We’ve embarked on a series looking at free agents the Cincinnati Bengals should pursue on teams which sat out the 2017 playoffs. Next up: the San Francisco 49ers.

After reaching the playoffs every year from 2011-2015, the Cincinnati Bengals fell short of the postseason for the second year in a row. Now they await NFL Free Agency in 2018, which could be key for them getting back in the mix.

Entering the offseason, we started with a series that highlighted players from playoff teams that the Bengals could look at in free agency. Now, the focus has turned to the other teams that weren’t in the postseason.

We’ve previously taken a look at players from the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Ravens, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets,Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, and Arizona Cardinals. Next up: the San Francisco 49ers.

Aaron Lynch, DE

Every year we end up with players who become available despite track records which would seem to preclude that from happening; oftentimes, those players become incredible bargains for their next franchises.

Lynch could soon prove to be that. His career began with plenty of promise. On the strength of physical attributes teams would kill to add to their mix, he managed to be an effective piece in a pass rush rotation. Through two years (1,261 defensive snaps), Lynch forced 12.5 sacks. That second season especially showed him growing into being a terror. Per Pro Football Focus Elite, he had 62 quarterback pressures that season. The signs pointed emphatically at him becoming a star.

If that happens it won’t be with San Francisco, however. The past two years saw his role decrease drastically; between 2016 and 2017, he didn’t even rack up 400 defensive snaps. Search his name from the past couple seasons and you find a startling amount of articles reporting him weighing nearly 300 pounds (20+ over his listed weight), being a healthy scratch for games, talking about him being nearly released, and spotlighting just how much he needs a change of scenery.

What went so wrong for him? Well, for all that tantalizing physical talent, his effort has always been a massive hindrance. Lacking effort was evident throughout most of his college career, and his draft profile negatives are pretty much every way to call him lazy without outright saying the word.

Here’s something else his profile mentioned: he could land with the Bengals. Obviously there’s a difference between a draft selection and a veteran signing, but the same reasoning which made Cincinnati appear to be a destination for him back then is still in place. Marvin Lewis has proven to have the guiding hand which is not only attractive to players with perceived character concerns, but he’s shown a penchant for helping so many of them find the way to having successful careers. Cincinnati’s roster has plenty of them on the roster right now, and plenty more throughout Lewis’ tenure. Vontaze Burfict, Adam Jones, Joe Mixon, Andre Smith…the list goes on and on.

All of Lynch’s issues are nothing that hasn’t been seen by the Bengals before. Weight issues? Look at Smith. Suspension for off-field issues (like the four-game one he received in 2016)? Jones has that covered multiple times over, with markedly worse reasons for his troubles than having a diluted urine sample.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Combine 3-Round projection

For Cincinnati, this should be a no-brainer. Lynch has clear athletic talent, and their coach is the exact type of person who can and has proven able to coax the best out of his players. As a player exiting a rookie contract and multiple low-production years, his value — and therefore his price — will be minuscule. The team already has a deep pass rush rotation, so Lynch isn’t going to be forced into a big role; assuming health, he will need to earn any and every snap he’s allotted in what could be a six-deep pass rusher rotation.

Make it happen, Cincinnati.