Last Minute Guide to Cincinnati Bengals' Free Agency

As the door to free agency sets to open—rather, gets blown off its hinges—all remains quiet around the Cincinnati Bengals. 

So it goes in the Queen City, as a front office that prefers to draft well and retain its own bucks conventional wisdom—if allegedly throwing $114 million with $60 million guaranteed at Ndamukong Suh, per ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen, can even classify as such.

No, Cincinnati is once again hard at work bringing back its own players and will be active on the market once the bidding and overpaying comes to an end after a few days.

That approach has worked well for years, so it's hard to imagine things change now. There is a ton of value on the market where the roster could use some marginal upgrades, and if folks look closely, the Bengals have already been working on making progress on those fronts. 

Within, let's take a look at a brief guide outlining what to expect from the Bengals over the course of the next week and change.

Taking Care of Their Own

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First and foremost, expect the biggest news surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals to concern their talks with their own players.

It's what has already dominated the headlines, really. The front office just brought back starter Rey Maualuga in an effort to reinforce the linebacking corps, as ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed:

"

One potential free agent off market: Bengals and MLB Rey Maualuga reached agreement on a 3-year deal, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2015"

Not long after, ESPN's Field Yates revealed the front office is active in the tenders department, attempting to keep Emmanuel Lamur around:

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2 additional RFA's that received the 2nd round tender worth $2.356M: Seahawks WR Jermaine Kearse and Bengals LB Emmanuel Lamur.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 6, 2015"

Feel free to add in the fact Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson reported Sunday the team is set to bring back kicker Mike Nugent, too.

The point is, this is business as usual for the Bengals. Cincinnati values continuity and still has others the front office would presumably like to bring back such as guard Clint Boling. Once the market opens, if nothing else, expect to hear about the Bengals in on their own guys who slipped through the cracks.

The Cap Situation

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Fan frustration is understandable, as the Cincinnati Bengals remain mostly silent while the rest of the league seemingly wheels and deals and improves overnight.

It's not that easy, though.

Right now, the Bengals are in a deceptive situation because the front office continues to draft so well. It's easy to dislike the $7.1 million cap hit Rey Maualuga will represent this year, per Spotrac, but it's a front-loaded deal that clears the team of any serious financial responsibility in the seasons after when it comes time to re-sign major names such as A.J. Green.

Cincinnati.com's Paul Dehner Jr. sums up the team's current cap situation best after the Maualuga deal:

"

When counting this year's salary cap of $143.3 million and subtracting the current top 51 salaries equaling about $120.8 million after the Rey Maualuga contract, that would seemingly suggest the Bengals have $22.5 million to spend. Toss in approximately $8 million still remaining in rollover cash from the Carson Palmer offseason and the number exceeds $30 million.

"

That rollover money, though, is something the team intends to use on its own players. Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com recently wrote it is "a nest egg they have devoted to extending their own."

Truthfully, Cincinnati doesn't have as much cap space as most think, especially after taking into account cash set aside for dead money, injury insurance, workout bonuses and the salaries of future draft picks.

This means the team can use free agency for what it's best used for—complementary pieces to a strong roster.

So it goes for a team that continues to turn in excellent drafts on an annual basis.

Linebacker in Focus

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Clearly, linebacker is one of the biggest concerns surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason.

Rey Maualuga is already back in the fold and Emmanuel Lamur should be, too, but that doesn't mean the front office is done looking for further depth—if not a starter to take over the responsibility on the strong side.

With that in mind, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com recently noted the team will visit with A.J. Hawk:

"

Hearing Bengals to visit with A.J. Hawk next week as they rate vet LB depth in free agency.

— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) March 6, 2015"

Hawk, 31, was a cap casualty in Green Bay this offseason. The former No. 5 overall pick ranked as the No. 52 overall inside linebacker in the league last year according to PFF, but slots perfectly as a veteran presence who can stuff the run and figures to come at a relatively cheap cost.

Even if Hawk and the Bengals don't see eye to eye, the interest—even after extending Maualuga—shows the staff wants more depth in the linebacking corps, especially with the future of Vontaze Burfict up in the air as he recovers from injury.

If the Bengals find more suitable, productive depth on the market, it eliminates a need in the early rounds of the upcoming draft.

Addressing Tight End

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It's unlikely the Cincinnati Bengals want to spend another high draft selection on a tight end, so look for the front office to prioritize the position in free agency.

Jermaine Gresham is a goner at this point, especially now that the Bengals have used up a large chunk of their available re-signing funds on the aforementioned deals for Rey Maualuga and Mike Nugent.

It doesn't help that other teams are beginning to show interest in Gresham, anyway, as ESPN's Adam Caplan reports the Oakland Raiders have an interest in his services.

No matter, as the Bengals have already allegedly been busy when it comes to tight ends. Per Caplan last month, the Bengals had a visit with James Casey:

"

Next stops on the James Casey free agency tour visits express: #Bengals, #Redskins, #Jaguars.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) February 26, 2015"

Casey isn't a major name by any means as he has struggled to climb up the depth charts in both Houston and Philadelphia. That's not a major red flag, though, as he has sound hands and a versatile skill set—not to mention a strong reputation as a run-blocker.

At worst, Casey is a strong indication of what the Bengals want as the No. 2 behind Tyler Eifert.

Shoring Up Special Teams

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The most notable outside buzz concerning the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason concerned their visit with elusive kick returner Jacoby Jones. 

It made loads of sense, as the Bengals have plenty of first-hand experience with the former Baltimore Ravens star and need a potential replacement with returner Brandon Tate heading to the open market.

Alas, Jones is on his way out West after agreeing to a deal with the San Diego Chargers, per Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.

The interest is a clear sign the Bengals will look to grab a returner on the market if the price is right and the candidate presents an upgrade over what Tate brought to the table last season. 

This is something that can be addressed in almost any round of the upcoming draft, yes, but it's a "the more the merrier" sort of thing as the team doesn't want to see its depth crippled and be forced to turn to starters at other positions such as corner Adam Jones or back Giovani Bernard.

Look for Cincinnati to strike if another proven returner presents himself. It's not flashy, but nothing about the team's pursuit of outside free agents over the years has been—for better or worse.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of March 8 at 9 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.