CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 01: Carl Lawson #58 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates a play in the first half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Aller /Getty Images)
The Bengals have a pair of key free agents in cornerback William Jackson III and defensive end Carl Lawson. Cincinnati could choose to apply the franchise tag one of them for the 2021 season. Bringing back either or both Lawson and Jackson next season would greatly help the Cincinnati defense.
A report by Pro Football Focus in an article focusing on the “Franchise tag candidates for all 32 NFL teams” the Bengals’ most likely candidate is speculated to be Lawson.