Cincinnati bolsters its defense by claiming athletic linebacker Swayze Bozeman off waivers and signing versatile safety Isaiah Nwokobia to fill critical roster gaps before summer practices begin.
After what many are calling the most aggressive decision-making of the offseason so far, the Cincinnati Bengals made additional moves to further strengthen its roster.
On Friday, the organization made another splash to directly address some more areas of need heading into training camp. The Bengals acquired linebacker Swayze Bozeman on waivers from the New York Giants and signed college free agent safety Isaiah Nwokobia out of SMU.
Neither transaction will generate the kind of buzz that the Dexter Lawrence trade or the Bryan Cook signing did. But both players arrive with something to prove and a specific hole to fill on Cincinnati’s roster.
Fresh Competition at Linebacker
Bozeman is a second-year player out of the University of Southern Mississippi who has bounced between rosters since going undrafted in 2024. He first signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, then the Chicago Bears, then landed on the Giants’ practice squad before signing a reserve/future contract with New York in January 2026.
He impressed at his pro day with marks in the bench press, broad jump, shuttle run, and three-cone drill that each would have been the best among linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Across nine career appearances with the Chiefs and Giants, Bozeman has totaled five defensive tackles and four special teams stops.
His 2025 season in New York was interrupted by an ankle injury that cost him multiple games, and he was ultimately waived after logging three tackles in four appearances, primarily on special teams.
The Bengals’ linebacker room has been one of the most scrutinized units on the roster entering 2026, with Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter returning after a season in which both ranked among the worst at their position by PFF grade. Bozeman won’t completely solve that problem, but at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds with elite athletic testing and special teams value, he gives the organization a developmental piece who could carve out a roster spot if training camp goes well.
Depth at Safety?
Nwokobia is arguably the more intriguing of the two additions. The 23-year-old Dallas native played five seasons at SMU, earning First Team All-ACC honors in 2024 after recording 100-plus tackles, three interceptions, and six pass breakups.
In his final collegiate season in 2025, he started 12 games and finished with 80 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble, posting a season-high 12 tackles on two separate occasions.
PFF graded his run defense at 80.0 in 2025, which ranked 122nd among all qualified college safeties.
But what makes him particularly relevant to Cincinnati is his positional flexibility. Nwokobia is listed as a safety, but has the profile and skillset to play nickel corner, a position the Bengals never directly addressed in the draft.
He could also fill the void left by Tycen Anderson, who departed for the Denver Broncos in free agency. In a secondary that already has Cook and Kyle Dugger at safety, Nwokobia faces a much more difficult path to the 53-man roster and will need to prove he can handle hybrid assignments in Al Golden’s defense.