Bengals given underwhelming grade for early returns in free agency

CBS Sports isn't especially impressed with the Cincinnati Bengals' early returns in free agency this year.

Cincinnati has yet to make any major splash moves, and the team's biggest moves so far involved bringing back their own guys. They gave tight end Mike Gesicki a three-year deal worth $25.5 million and re-signed defensive tackle B.J. Hill on a three-year, $33 million deal.

Other additions included running back Samaje Perine and linebacker Oren Burks. They also designated Tee Higgins as a franchise player prior to the onset of free agency.

Bengals given a grade of 'C-' for their free agency additions so far

For their early moves, the Bengals were given a grade of 'C-' from CBS, with the following rationale provided:

"The Bengals were able to keep Tee Higgins via the franchise tag and signed tight end Mike Gesicki to an extension as they look to lock up their offensive core. However, the defense is the biggest need for a Cincinnati team that missed the playoffs last season largely in part due to the failures on that side of the ball. They were able to sign B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton to bolster the interior of the defensive line, but more work needs to be done there."

The grade seems fitting, as the Bengals haven't just sat on their hands, but they also haven't done much to move the needle.

As an organization, the Bengals are in a weird spot, because they have a lot of money tied up in potential contract extensions for Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson. Until they know what they're doing with those guys financially, it's tough for them to go out and spend a ton of money on free agents. So, they've kind of handcuffed themselves there until they get some deals done.

It's also tough because even if the Bengals manage to hammer out extensions for all three of their stars -- which is a best-case scenario -- they'll still largely be the same team they were last season without and major additions made, but that's a concern for another article.

Until they figure out what they're doing with their top guys, the Bengals will likely continue to have a relatively quiet free agency. It will probably be quiet after they figure out the future for their stars, too, as they'll have limited cap space and most of the top guys will have already signed.

So overall, it's shaping up to be a pretty underwhelming free agency in Cincinnati.