Do you think the team should re-sign Dhani Jones?
Consider that Landon Johnson and Caleb Miller are heading into the offseason as unrestricted free agents. Rashad Jeanty will be an exclusive-rights free agent. Officially, he's not signed but will most likely play with the Bengals in 2008, possibly under a minimum deal depending on their perception of his future.
Note: A restricted free agent is allowed to negotiate with other teams but the team he played with the season before has the right to match another team's offer, otherwise the new team must provide compensation in the form of draft picks. An exclusive-rights free agent is a player with two years, or less, of NFL experience with no negotiating rights for other teams.
Signed for next season.
| Linebacker | Notes |
| Odell Thurman | Unknown if he'll play for the Bengals again. Unknown if the Chancellor will let him play in the NFL again. |
| David Pollack | Still unknown if he'll recover from a neck injury suffered against Cleveland in 2006. |
| Ahmad Brooks | If the two above do not play in 2008, Brooks will be "the man". Scary? An overall beast of a linebacker, Brooks' biggest challenge is converting potential into productivity. |
| Eric Henderson | A Marvin Lewis project moving a native defensive linemen to outside linebacker. A talented player, but a dislocated wrist put his season on the shelf. |
| Anthony Schlegel | Mostly a special teams guy, Schlegel has filled in on defense contributed where it was asked of him. |
| Jim Maxwell | Picked up off waivers from Miami, Maxwell has played one game this season and tied for the team lead with two special teams tackles. |
| Roy Manning | Picked up off waivers from Jacksonville, Manning has played sparingly on special teams. |
The Bengals are reportedly in talks with Landon for a long-term deal -- which helps. Assuming for a moment he's signed for next season, the Bengals starters (most likely) would be Brooks, Landon and Jeanty. Essentially the same starters that was expected to start in 2007 before Jeanty missed the first six games this season. After that? It doesn't blow your mind, does it? If this team doesn't get Dhani Jones signed to, at least, a one-year deal, if anything, to keep the depth while working to build players around him, then I would honestly be shocked.