5 Free Agents Who Won't Be Signing with the Cincinnati Bengals

The expectation surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals seems to be that the front office will use free agency to make a big splash.

Let's pump the brakes on that a tad, folks.

Coach Marvin Lewis and the Bengals want to improve, to extend the championship window, which is why recent comments made to Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com have the globe abuzz:

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It's a different feel than where we have been. It's not a status quo. There has not been a status quo conversation or 'Oh, we'll be OK, we'll just get these guys back.' No, no, no, that's bull. We got to be better.

"

Four consecutive first-round exits and a different feel this time of year does not mean the front office will go splurge its wealth of cap space on a player such as Ndamukong Suh.

Right now is an exciting time, yes. Cincinnati does need to bring on a few fresh faces to plug holes and complement a roster that is the result of exceptional drafting. That said, some potential free agents are too expensive, controversial or downright not a good option no matter how many times they may be linked to the Bengals in the coming weeks.

The following names will not put ink to paper with the Bengals this offseason. 

David Harris, ILB

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With Rey Maualuga on his way to free agency once again, the Cincinnati Bengals figure to be on the market for an inside linebacker.

Outside of Maualuga himself, veteran David Harris is one of the top names on the market—and won't be coming to the Queen City.

Harris has spent the last seven years with the New York Jets. Despite turning 31 this past January, he has yet to lose a significant step, ranking as the No. 29 overall inside linebacker in the NFL at Pro Football Focus.

For comparison's sake, Maualuga ranked two spots above Harris.

Harris' name figures to come up when observers discuss options for the Bengals, but he'll be looking for a rather big end-of-career deal with ideal locations such as New York or following Rex Ryan to Buffalo.

As they always do, the Bengals are better off taking care of their own.

Julius Thomas, TE

One of Cincinnati's most polarizing players, tight end Jermaine Gresham, heads to free agency this year.

The odds of Gresham making a return to the Bengals are difficult to discern for any number of reasons, chief among them being the almighty dollar, as the Oklahoma product may find more money on the open market than the team is willing to offer.

With that in mind, it is impossible to see how the Bengals would put up a fight for Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas.

Thomas is the crown jewel of the free-agency class at the position. Go figure—he caught 43 passes for 489 yards and 12 scores this year. Forget that he caught passes from a guy named Peyton Manning; he's clearly a reliable red-zone target and has enough speed to stretch defenses vertically.

Observers might get their hopes up that the Broncos cannot afford Thomas as they dole out cash to keep others such as Demaryius Thomas and Terrance Knighton around, but if Gresham is too expensive, Thomas figures to be as well.

Better, cheaper alternatives certainly exist, such as Cleveland's Jordan Cameron and Miami's Charles Clay.

Terrance Knighton, DT

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The man they call Pot Roast is the top target for many a team that does not want to throw an exorbitant amount of cash at a defensive tackle this offseason.

Standing 6'3" and weighing in at 331 pounds at 28 years old, Knighton ranked as the No. 12 overall tackle in the league last year at PFF.

Knighton is an ideal run-stuffing presence who would fit well next to Geno Atkins on the interior of Cincinnati's defensive line.

If the Bengals choose to upgrade next to Atkins via free agency, Knighton figures to be one of the top targets, especially because Denver's wealth of departing talent gives them a fighting chance on the open market.

That said, Knighton might not so easily leave the confines of a contender, nor the West Coast in general, as he may see fit to follow Jack Del Rio to Oakland.

Pot Roast has already said, "Me being happy is way more important than money," per Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post. For Cincinnati and plenty of others, that means other options must take priority on the market.

Greg Hardy, DE

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Let's tackle this one early and never speak of it again. 

Not. Happening. 

Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy is through his off-field issues, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reveals:

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Domestic abuse charges against Panthers DE Greg Hardy dismissed. http://t.co/mFvD1HomQV http://t.co/fuSF0xAFKj

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 9, 2015"

Hardy is a free agent this offseason, where he figures to drum up a solid amount of interest based on his prior elite level of play. Thus, the Bengals are beginning to crop up as a potential landing spot in the minds of many.

Decade-old thought processes of the Bengals taking character risks aside, the team does need another defensive end to help rush the passer after Margus Hunt spent some of the season hurt and Will Clarke was not ready for game action. 

Hardy is an obvious fit in this sense, but he will be out of the front office's price range and will counteract the effort made in recent years to mitigate off-field distractions.

More than anything, the draft and getting players healthy outweighs the risk that comes with a name such as Hardy.

Ndamukong Suh, DT

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Make no mistake—it is silly, old-fashioned fun to think about what a Ndamukong Suh-Geno Atkins tandem would do to the rest of the NFL. 

It is also completely unrealistic. 

This has nothing to do with the frugality the Cincinnati front office usually shows. The Bengals have plenty of money, but grabbing Suh, who may make even more than J.J. Watt, is out of the price range. 

Said price range is multifaceted. The Bengals already have costly contracts on the line with Atkins and Carlos Dunlap. A need not to give out another megadeal is part of the reason Michael Johnson left last offseason. Another major factor is that—front-loaded structure or not—bringing on Suh would hurt the team's ability to keep some of its upcoming free agents, such as A.J. Green.

Suh, besides Watt, is arguably the most disruptive player in the NFL. But the Bengals aren't desperate in a sense that the franchise and culture-changing maneuver they will make is to gamble on Suh.

Cincinnati will spend money on new faces, but in a smart manner. Suh would tie up too much cash in the defensive line and hurt the progression of the roster in future years.

The Bengals aren't the "same old Bengals" for potentially ignoring Suh if he reaches the open market—they're progressing in a smart manner while evolving on a formula of draft picks as the foundation and free agents as the complements, not the other way around.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.