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 Detroit Lions.
After reaching the playoffs every year from 2011-2015, the Cincinnati Bengals fell short of the postseason for the second year in a row. To return to the postseason, free agency will play a key role.
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, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins. and Chicago Bears. Next up: the Detroit Lions.
Nick Bellore, LB
Entering last season, the linebacking corps of Cincinnati looked really good coming into the year. Vontaze Burfict, though stuck with an dirty reputation, was a game-changing star. Vincent Rey had a good 2016 and seemed set for another quality year. Kevin Minter appeared to be a steal off the free agent bargain bin, the sort who would prove to be an incredible value in a starting role.
That thinking was proven wrong big time, and the depth was a key reason as to why. Burfict was good, but not great; beyond him though, there was nothing positive to take into the offseason. Minter couldn’t stay healthy. Surprise starter Nick Vigil showed his poor rookie season wasn’t a blip, putting in a just-as-bad sophomore campaign.
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Because of Vigil, Rey relegated to backup duty at first, but even when injuries forced him to start he was not a positive force. Behind those players were only late round draftees and street free agent fill-ins; none were ready for significant roles, and proved that fact as injuries dilapidated the depth chart late in the year.
This can’t be allowed to happen again. A team which relies heavily on three linebacker looks must be able to reliably field decent options, or the defense becomes a sieve in the center. The need for good depth is particularly necessary for Cincinnati because of Burfict too, by the way; though he is one of the better 4-3 linebackers in the league, his knack for getting suspended leaves him especially vulnerable to missing time.
The team will need to add a bunch of different options into the fold. Even if they went after the biggest names on the market (by the way, that’s not happening), they would still need better depth. They need to add players who can come into the game when injuries strike and not be targets, players who can play specific roles in different alignments and coverages so that an offense has a more difficult time keying in on any one weakness.
He may not be a big name, but Bellore could help in that regard. The unheralded veteran is definitely not the first linebacker anyone should want targeted from Detroit (Tahir Whitehead, anybody?), but I’d argue he’s not only a more likely choice for Cincinnati, but could be a much better value for the team.
The “value” aspect begins and ends with the cost. Bellore is leaving a contract which didn’t even pay him $1 million; it’d be surprising if he makes much more than that with his next contract. Whitehead, meanwhile, is one of the better 4-3 linebackers entering the free agent market; even with that position being relatively undervalued league-wide these days, the higher-end guys still do make significant money, and Whitehead could quickly find his price tag somewhere over $7 million per year with the right team. Even with cap room to spare, Cincinnati is not paying that for an outside free agent at a position which is mostly devalued right now. Bellore’s cost is much easier to swallow.
The problem with banking on cheap guys like Bellore is their limitations of course, but that’s where a clear role will be important. He entered the league lacking speed, shedding blocks, and taking poor angles on tackles. Those issues still haven’t been fixed (and likely can’t be), but he has shown a little growth in coverage ability (Pro Football Focus Edge grade for Coverage in 2017: 73.6, which rates as average in their metrics). If that is part of a permanent trend for him, he might have a role coming in on passing downs in his future.
Next: NFL Free Agency 2018: Grades for major signings
What will definitely be part of his role, regardless of where he goes: special teams. Bellore has been a core special teams guy throughout his career. Since 2012, he’s picked up 200+ special teams snaps every season; in five of those six seasons, he’s picked up 300+. The special teams groups he’s been on have often been really good, too: three times in his career, his team’s special teams have ranked No. 10 or better in Football Outsiders’ special teams rankings.
A team’s roster is made up of 53 players. Not all are stars, but they each have a role to play which, if done well, will be important on the path to winning games. Somebody like Whitehead may be an ostensibly better option, but every team needs guys like Bellore to build a successful roster. We’ll see if Cincinnati decides he’s worth adding to theirs.