The Cincinnati Bengals have spent the entire NFL offseason looking to fix their defense, a familiar emphasis after this was a discussion last offseason as well. When Trey Hendrickson departed in free agency to join the Baltimore Ravens, it made it even more important that Cincinnati focused on bolstering what was the 30th-ranked defense in points allowed last season.
While the Bengals are not going to find a Hendrickson-level player on the open market, they have done nicely to bring in some pieces who project to improve the team on that end of the ball.
That continued on Thursday when the Bengals signed free agent safety Kyle Dugger. This is the second safety Cincinnati has brought in this offseason, joining Bryan Cook who agreed to a three-year contract for more than $40 million.
Dugger has spent six years in the NFL after being selected in the second round by the New England Patriots in 2020. He spent his entire career with New England before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers last season in a deal that also included draft compensation.
In his six-year career, Dugger has started 78 games and appeared in 90 total. He has 11 interceptions and 318 solo tackles. Recently turning 30 years old, Dugger is still a productive defensive player who will help Cincinnati on that end this season. Dugger had 59 total tackles last season, two of which went for loss. He joins a Bengals defense that has been revamped and could continue to see changes between now and the upcoming season.
Currently stuck in a three-year postseason drought, Cincinnati is looking to get back to the NFL playoffs this season. The Bengals lost in the Super Bowl in 2021, then the AFC Championship Game the next season, and have been out of the playoffs since. The defense has been the biggest reason why, which is why there has been a concerted effort to fix that this offseason.
Ranking 12th in points scored last season, the Bengals were above average offensively. This is just one season after they ranked sixth in that category in 2024, as that side of the ball has not been an issue. With a star offensive pairing in quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, that is easy to understand.
But without a defense that can give the offense a chance, the Bengals will be on their way to another early offseason. Perhaps some of the moves they have made, including this one-year deal for Dugger, can change that.