The Cincinnati Bengals have already done well to address their defense this NFL offseason. After missing the playoffs for a third consecutive year, largely due to their poor defense, the Bengals made it a point of emphasis to improve on that side of the ball. This became especially important when Trey Hendrickson departed in free agency, as the Bengals quickly got to work to not only replace him, but bolster other areas of the defense that were lackluster a year ago.
Cincinnati’s big move was acquiring Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants in exchange for the number 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft. While that was a major swing, it is not the only addition the Bengals have made to their defense this offseason. Among the new additions on that side of the ball are DE Boye Mafe, safety Bryan Cook, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, and CB Jasir Taylor.
In case the Bengals are not done adding to their defense, there is at least one free agent with potential interest in joining. Appearing on a recent segment of Up & Adams with Kay Adams, two-time Super Bowl champion Kyle Van Noy expressed his interest in potentially playing for the Bengals, particularly due to his interest in being teammates with star quarterback Joe Burrow.
When asked about some of the buzz around him and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Van Noy said he is not sure they have a spot for him.
"I like the thought of it, but I don’t know how much I would play with the guys they already have," he said of potentially joining the Steelers. "They’ve got Nick Herbig, who’s a phenomenal player — he’s going to make a lot of money. Then you’ve got T.J. Watt… I don’t know how many more edge guys they’re really going to rotate in there."
On Burrow and the Bengals, Van Noy gave a different answer.
"I will say, at the Pro Bowl, getting to know Joe Burrow was really impressive," he said.
"Just seeing how locked in he was — even for a flag football game — and the competitive side he has, how he turns it on. I was like, 'Oh, he’s one of those guys.' People don’t always get it with him, but when you play against him, you understand. He’s a top-three quarterback in this league. He’s so cerebral. Yeah, he had a bad game against us, but he’s different. If you know, you know. He’s that dude."
Van Noy added that it would be wild if he and Hendrickson ended up switching teams, but that would be exactly what happens if he lands in Cincinnati as a free agent.