For all the boxes ticked, the Bengals skipped the loudest one: cornerback is exactly as bare as it was. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.

However the rest shakes out, Sanders at that price is a win they earned. The roster is better shaped than it was, with interior defensive lineman chief among the fixes. The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.

In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.