Cincinnati Bengals sign LB Joe Giles-Harris

Cincinnati's signing of linebacker Joe Giles-Harris earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a reasonable depth move for a team sitting at 6-11 and looking to add competition in the middle of the defense without tying up cap resources. At $1.235M over one year, this is a replacement-level investment — the kind of prove-it deal that either yields a serviceable reserve or exits quietly if the player doesn't stick. Giles-Harris is being brought in as a depth piece, not as a cornerstone linebacker, which makes the modest AAV appropriate to the role; there's no expectation of star-level production here, just rotational snaps and special-teams value. The one-year structure gives Cincinnati complete flexibility heading into the 2026 regular season without dead-cap liability, and the modest hit to the salary cap reflects the low-risk nature of the commitment. For a team still in rebuilding mode after last season's struggles, this type of transaction — cheap, short-term, and fungible — is exactly the kind of numerically sound decision that keeps flexibility intact while the organization evaluates its defensive core.