Cincinnati Bengals sign CB Tacario Davis

Tacario Davis earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI) on his rookie signing with Cincinnati, a grade that reflects measured value in a low-cost, low-risk cornerstone move. At $1.8M AAV across a $7.2M total deal, this is precisely what you expect from a third-round draft pick — a salary-capped entry contract with minimal guaranteed exposure and upside optionality built in. The Bengals are adding depth in the secondary at a price point that preserves cap flexibility during an offseason window where roster composition still matters; a 6-11 team can afford to develop young defensive talent without breaking the bank on unproven contributors. Davis enters a rebuild-adjacent situation where snap counts and role definition will determine whether this deal becomes a steal or a sunk cost — third-round cornerbacks have wide outcome variance, and $1.8M AAV leaves room for both breakthrough and bust without damaging Cincinnati's financial footing. The C+ signals this is neither a steal nor a misstep: it's baseline NFL value execution, the kind of transaction that doesn't move the needle but doesn't hurt it either, and one that will be retroactively graded by production over the next 1–2 seasons.