Were the Bengals right to let Vonn Bell leave? Cincinnati have cause for concern after safety signs with Panthers

It wasn’t a favorable start to free agency for the Cincinnati Bengals, as they lost talented safety Vonn Bell to the Carolina Panthers.

Bell's exit came as an unexpected blow to most of the fanbase, who had envisioned the team would do everything possible to keep such a crucial player.

Bell joined the franchise before the start of the 2020 season after a four-year stint with the New Orleans Saints. He inked a three-year deal worth $18 million and became an important player on defense.

Bell was a big contributor in Cincinnati's transition from being the worst team in the league to one of its best, and letting him walk looks like a poor piece of business.

Making things worse for Cincinnati fans is Bell's reported salary with the Panthers. Bell signed a three-year contract worth $22.5 million with Carolina, which is a fair representation of his skills and experience. It's not much of an increase on his previous contract, which makes his departure even more surprising.

Compounding this bad situation is the fact that the Bengals have now lost their two starting safeties to free agency.

Jessie Bates, who was expected to leave, has signed for the Atlanta Falcons on a four-year deal. This leaves the team with Dax Hill, Brandon Wilson, Tycen Anderson, and Michael Thomas.

Cincinnati Bengals need to make moves in the 2023 offseason

Vonn Bell intercepts a pass as Jessie Bates watches on in the AFC Championship vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The departures leave a significant void in the Bengals' defense and they will surely look for replacements or risk losing their grip on the AFC North.

As such, the Bengals will need to make some strategic moves to bolster their secondary in order to maintain their strong defensive presence on the pitch. It's almost certain Cincinnati will acquire a veteran safety, perhaps even two.

However, any new player will likely take time to adjust and integrate into the team's system. As such, letting Vonn Bell leave could, with hindsight, look like a mistake.

Bell made an impressive 288 total tackles, 21 pass deflections, and 8 forced fumbles in his three seasons with the Bengals. This is certainly not an output that can be replaced cheaply, and given his new contract with the Panthers, Cincinnati could be accused of being penny-wise and pound-foolish.