Bengals Begin Defensive Reset with Mafe and Cook Signings
- Ian Altenau
- 6 minutes ago
- 6 min read
It was quiet at first, and then without warning, the Bengals landed two defensive starters in Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook, and all at a reasonable price. The NFL’s legal tampering period remains one of the strangest, and most bizarrely-named, periods on any professional sports league’s calendar, but Monday's kickoff was a resounding win for a Bengals defense that has been desperate for competence – and finally got some.
The signings of Mafe and Cook represent massive upgrades at defensive end and safety. I mentioned both players specifically as serious targets for the Bengals to improve their defense, and while the job is far from over, it’s a very encouraging start. Mafe and Cook not only address critical needs, but they’re both young, ascending players who signed manageable deals. The Bengals must continue to make additions – even subtle ones– in free agency and then in the draft next month if they’re going to finally restore this moribund defense to… well, I’ll accept mediocrity at this point.
With Mafe and Cook now in the building, the Bengals are probably done making big splashes in free agency unless a surprise opportunity opens up in the next few days. There are a few important names to watch, including linebackers Leo Chenal and Bobby Wagner, but the rest of the free-agent class doesn’t look particularly enticing.
DE Boye Mafe
Three-year, $60 million contract
27 years old
6-4, 261 lbs.
Former second-round pick out of Minnesota (40th overall)
Why did they sign him?
It might upset some Bengals fans to read this—and I’m not trying to dampen the excitement – but Boye Mafe is still a bit of a projection at this point in his NFL career. He’s certainly had his successes, and at times he’s looked like he’s on the verge of stardom, but he’s never quite put his prodigious talent together.
Still, that didn’t stop him from being a very important part of the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl–winning defense. And the fact that he ranked eighth in pass rush win rate (according to ESPN) will certainly be touted by enthusiastic Bengals supporters, but his impact goes far beyond metrics or the box score. Mafe, even as a work in progress, is almost the complete package.
The Bengals needed help everywhere: run defense, pass rush, coverage – you name it. They needed a serious infusion of talent, but it also had to be competent talent. Mafe fits that description. He brings pass-rushing ability to a team that finished 23rd in the NFL in sacks with 35.0. He also fills a crucial need at nearly $10 million per year less than fellow 27-year-old pass rusher Odafe Oweh, who signed with the Washington Commanders. At that price, and with his potential and big-game experience, Mafe is a steal.
Where does he fit?
What Mafe brings to the table that most (if not all) of the other available edge defenders on the free-agent and trade markets lack is versatility. There are plenty of pass rushers available who can get to the quarterback – the Bengals are letting one hit free agency in Trey Hendrickson – but Mafe brings serious run-stopping ability along with the capacity to drop back in coverage. He is a true jack-of-all-trades, and for a Bengals defense that has been a master of none, the fit couldn’t be more seamless – or more welcome.
He takes a lot of pressure off Myles Murphy to be the guy and gives Shemar Stewart more room to develop. Particularly in Murphy’s case, Mafe also gives the Bengals some insurance if they decide not to exercise Murphy’s fifth-year option in a few weeks. Ideally, Murphy continues his recent development and Stewart takes a second-year leap, because this trio of edge defenders – with Mafe leading the way – could create serious problems for offensive lines. And that’s before considering any defensive tackle additions, which will surely be on the horizon.
What happens next?
Adding Mafe should not be viewed as the finishing touch on a revamped Bengals pass rush. Mafe is not Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals must replace Hendrickson in the aggregate, to borrow a term from Moneyball. Mafe, Myles Murphy, Shemar Stewart, and likely a fourth to-be-determined free agent or draft pick all have to contribute. Relying on one elite player to prop up a defense rarely works – unless that elite player is someone like Myles Garrett or Aaron Donald. Hendrickson isn’t quite that, and Mafe certainly isn’t either. Fortunately, he won’t be asked to be.
As for specifics, that’s harder to project. The current free-agent market for edge defenders is deep but not particularly strong. There are reliable journeymen like Jadeveon Clowney and even “tweener” prospects with possible untapped potential like Logan Hall, but no one who really screams, I’m your guy.
That said, if Miami’s Rueben Bain falls to the Bengals at pick No. 10, they should make that selection so fast it would make the Flash look like some guy going for a casual jog.
S Bryan Cook
Three-year, $40.25 million contract
26 years old
6-1, 206 lbs.
Former second-round pick out of Cincinnati (62nd overall)
Why did they sign him?
Speaking of great fits, Bryan Cook certainly qualifies. The safety from Mt. Healthy – who played college ball at UC – returns home after four seasons and two Super Bowl rings with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cook was one of, if not the best, safeties on the market, the other likely being fellow UC Bearcat Cobe Bryant. Like Mafe, he fills a massive need in the Bengals defense at a sensible price-point. He isn’t particularly flashy and he isn’t a turnover machine, but he’s dependable – and that’s exactly what the Bengals need. He also brings championship experience, having won two titles with the Chiefs during his four-year tenure in Kansas City, a place known for developing defensive backs (as the successful careers of Trent McDuffie and Jaylon Watson demonstrate).
Additionally, with Jordan Battle set to become a free agent in 2027, Cook provides the Bengals with some insurance. If Battle’s second-half improvement last season turns out to be a mirage – or if he performs so well that he prices himself out of Cincinnati – Cook’s presence ensures stability at the position. His age (27) is just as important as his skill set.
Where does he fit?
Cook, much like Mafe, is a solid player across multiple defensive facets. He leans more toward being a deep safety than a box safety and does his best work as the last line of defense, but he’s also a big hitter who plays disciplined football and generally finds himself in the right position.
What he hasn’t done much of so far is generate splash plays. In four years, Cook has three interceptions and one sack, and he has never forced a fumble, though he has recovered three fumbles and returned one for a touchdown.
Still, in the simplest terms, Cook is an almost incomprehensible upgrade over Geno Stone. If there’s one thing Stone has over Cook, it’s that he’s better when the ball is in the air. But given that accounts for maybe five percent of an actual NFL game, Cook is running laps around Stone as a complete football player. Stone was frequently overwhelmed physically, often looked lost in coverage, and seemed outmatched week after week. Nobody made routine tackles look more like superhuman achievements than Geno Stone. Cook may not have Stone’s knack for catching tipped or errant passes, but he’s superior in nearly every other aspect of the position.
What happens next?
The biggest question with the Cook signing is whether it precludes the Bengals from selecting Caleb Downs in the first round. And I don’t think it should.
Yes, drafting Downs would mean the Bengals – who historically have not shown much enthusiasm for paying safeties – would be investing close to top dollar in two players (Cook and Downs) while also potentially paying starter money to a third in Jordan Battle if they re-sign him after the upcoming season. But if Downs is as good as scouts and draft experts believe, then he should probably be the pick at No. 10 – assuming options like Sonny Styles and Rueben Bain are already off the board.
Trading down, of course, could also be an option, and targeting a bigger safety like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the second round might make sense as well. But the Bengals shouldn’t stop adding talent to the safety position now. Cook is a good player, and Battle has that kind of potential too, but the NFL is increasingly becoming a position-less league –especially on defense. Continuing to add versatile players like Downs or McNeil-Warren, even if they’re technically safeties, should not be off the table.