Salary cap detail a big reason Bengals getting Vonn Bell back is top move

It’s hard to get a bigger guaranteed win than the Cincinnati Bengals did when they brought back safety Vonn Bell in free agency.

After all, it’s not often that a team gets back a player who was productive in their system with plenty to offer.

And it’s almost never the case that the player’s last team is paying a huge chunk of this year’s cash.

But that’s part of the reason the Bengals getting Bell back was one of The Athletic’s Mike Sando‘s favorite moves from the offseason:

Bringing back Vonn Bell at safety seemed like the surest way the Bengals could restore stability in their secondary. The price was ideal (only $1.21 million, with the Panthers paying the rest of the $6 million Bell was guaranteed for 2024 when they released him), and the fit is assured to be right.

Given the communication issues that plagued the defense last year, it’s a no-brainer of a move for the Bengals, even if Bell doesn’t see the field all that often thanks to the upstart Jordan Battle.

Case in point? Bell has already made a point to mentor Battle — and he’s helping new arrival Geno Stone learn the defense, too.