A.J. Hawk to Bengals: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Linebacker A.J. Hawk spent his first nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers and became the franchise's all-time leading tackler. Following his release earlier in the offseason, the 31-year-old veteran has found a new NFL home with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hawk's agent, Mike McCartney, broke the news:

Fox Sports 1's Mike Garafolo previously analyzed the presumptive motive behind Green Bay cutting ties with Hawk:

Hawk has been a solid—if unspectacular—inside linebacker considering his career in the context of his top-five draft status. Rotoworld's Patrick Daugherty, citing Pro Football Focus, had a discouraging statistic to present following Hawk's departure from Green Bay:

The Bengals nevertheless couldn't have found a much better overall open-market option at Hawk's position with his production and experience.

Although he isn't in his physical prime, Hawk has the intangibles, the leadership and a Super Bowl ring under his belt that should benefit Cincinnati at least within the locker room. Hawk has missed just two games since entering the NFL, so his durability has been most impressive as well.

Having a positive culture is key to NFL success, and few free agents outside of Hawk could be better additions in that regard.

Even if Hawk isn't the biggest playmaker in the Bengals front seven, his role as a mentor ought to be invaluable.