NFL Free Agent Rumors: Connor Barwin Reportedly to Visit Bengals on Monday

Free-agent defensive end Connor Barwin plans to visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, ESPN.com's Adam Caplan reported Sunday night.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced Thursday they released the 30-year-old after he spent four seasons with the team.

Packers Wire's Zach Kruse was surprised to see Barwin linked with the Bengals but noted his connection with the city of Cincinnati:

Following a flurry of signings Thursday, Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon listed Barwin as the top free-agent defensive end still available: "He might never replicate his 14.5-sack 2014 season, but the 30-year-old still hasn't missed a start since 2010. He's a reliable starter, which isn't easy to find."

This offseason has been rough for the Bengals. They lost their two best free agents, offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, per NFL.com. Re-signing Dre Kirkpatrick helped the franchise avoid a complete disaster but arguably carried less significance following Whitworth's and Zeiter's departures.

Signing Barwin would be similar.

After registering a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2014, his sack totals declined in each of next two years. He had seven sacks in 2015 and five sacks in 2016. Pro Football Focus graded Barwin the 100th-best edge defender (42.1) last season.

Targeting a veteran pass-rusher makes sense for a team that finished 15th in adjusted sack rate, according to Football Outsiders. It also likely means the Bengals don't plan to re-sign both Wallace Gilberry and Margus Hunt, who are also free agents.

While Barwin would address a need for Cincinnati, his arrival wouldn't drastically improve the defense, nor would it fully make up for the team's personnel losses this spring.