Last season, the Bengals had the worst defense in the league. They ranked last in the NFL in both points against and total yards. This led head coach Marvin Lewis to fire first-year defensive coordinator Teryl Austin midseason and take over the defense himself. Despite their immense struggles, the front office didn’t make any major changes with their defensive personnel.
In free agency, they picked up former Giants defenders in Kerry Wynn and B.W. Webb, who played under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo last year. Weeks later, they and added Germaine Pratt and Renell Wren in the third round and fourth round of the NFL Draft.