Former Ohio State Buckeyes star Chase Young could be a perfect fit. .
With that mindset, tomorrow’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers has some players to watch out for in Who Dey Nation.
Chase Young, DE, San Francisco
Remember the Chase Young vs. Joe Burrow controversy? good times
Either way, the former Ohio State Buckeye could be on his third team in less than a calendar year if he doesn’t sign with the 49ers. While Young has just 16.5 sacks in four years, the ability is clearly there.
Meanwhile, the Bengals could definitely use some help in the pass rush in 2024, and pairing Young with Trey Hendrickson could be a pretty good show.
While he may be out of Cincinnati’s price range, Young (fittingly enough) is still only 24 years old. And we all know how the Bengals front office gets value from free agents.
AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay
No matter where you stand on your allegiance to Joe Mixon, the reality is that the veteran running back won’t be around forever.
Dillon is a huge running back at 247 pounds, and despite being just two years younger than Mixon, he has 974 fewer carries in the regular season. And he’s a much better passer.
Dillon’s fresh legs could give the Bengals a huge thunder and lightning duo with Chase Brown showing signs of growth this year.
Rudy Ford, FS, Green Bay
Currently on IR, Ford will not be on the field for this game. But he’s a speedy safety who took a step forward over the past two seasons, starting nine career games for the Packers this year before his hamstring injury. He would add nice (and affordable) depth at the position and potentially give Lou Anarumo more flexibility facing speedy receivers.
Tashaun Gipson, FS, San Francisco
You may notice a theme here. Bengal lacked a true free safety last year. So it wouldn’t hurt to add a veteran like Gipson, who has 33 career interceptions over 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears and 49ers.
Javon Kinlaw, DT, San Francisco
Kinlaw, the 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft, has not lived up to expectations, though he has shown signs of life this year with a career-high 3.5 sacks and playing in all 17 games. , including six starts. The Bengals may want to revive Kinlaw’s career at a bargain price. And for a defensive line that is getting razor thin, it would be worth giving an earlier first round pick..
