Social distancing has made things a bit unorthodox for NFL free agency. A lot of free agent acquisitions are still unofficial because teams cannot perform medicals on some of the players they’ve agreed to terms with.
One thing’s for certain: it’s not a done deal until pen meets paper. This is exactly the case when it comes to former Bengals cornerback Darqueze Dennard and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The two sides reportedly agreed upon a $13.5 million contract that would keep Dennard in Jacksonville for three years, but according to NFL insider Dov Kleiman, the deal could not be finalized and Dennard is a free agent once more.
Pretty wild: The #Jaguars will not sign ex-#Bengals 1st round pick, CB Darqueze Dennard. Reports were last week that both signed agreed to a three-year, $13.5 million contract but the two sides couldn't finalize it and Dennard is now a regular free-agent again.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 26, 2020
This is obviously unfortunate for both sides, but it’s especially sad for Dennard. He settled settle for a one-year contract last offseason after he had hoped to receive a long-term deal. Another injury-filled season erased any hopes he had of securing a lucrative deal this time around, but the Jaguars seemed to buy into the vision of him competing for a spot on the boundary like he’s wanted for some time now.
After Dennard and the Jaguars seemed to come to an agreement last week, the Bengals have since AGREED TO TERMS with Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and LeShaun Sims at cornerback, with Alexander being the experienced slot cornerback and the presumed replacement for Dennard. Safety Vonn Bell, who also plans on joining the team eventually, has ample experience playing in the slot as well.
In short, don’t expect a reunion between the Bengals and Dennard. The two sides seemed to mutually want a separation and the Bengals have clearly already moved on. Dennard shouldn’t last too long on the open market, though.
Keep this debacle in mind with the free agents the Bengals have reportedly agreed to terms with. They haven’t officially signed their contracts and something like this can happen to them. It’s not likely, obviously, but it is possible.