Bengals Elite Defensive Tackle Expected to Leave Team in 2024 Offseason.
Cincinnati will need to be exceedingly analytical to maximize their Super Bowl Window after the Burrow Contract.
The concept of free agency in the NFL is a tough business and no team knows that better than the Cincinnati Bengals. After signing ace quarterback Joe Burrow to a huge five year agreement for $275 million at the beginning of the season, the clock has officially starting ticking on the Super Bowl window in Cincinnati. After every season from here on, retaining players will become just a little bit more difficult and building a competitive roster on the field will be a little bit harder.
Bengals Defensive Tackle Expected to Walk in 2024 Free Agency
One of the biggest cap casualties this summer for Cincinnati will be start defensive tackle D.J. Reader. While Cincinnati’s defense has experienced a big decline this offseason, Reader has been one of the few reliable players over the past several years. While the club has failed to make tackles, little of that is to blame on the great nose tackle on the Cincinnati offensive.
In fact, Cincinnati defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo recently went out about how much he would love to keep his star defensive tackle in town for the foreseeable future.
“I’d love to have DJ back, love everything about him,” Anarumo remarked. “He’s such a big influence in the locker room. He’s such a significant influence on our defense and has done so many amazing things for the city, the community and our team would really like to get him back if we can.”
Unfortunately for Cincinnati, the “if we can” is the biggest part of that phrase as Reader is coming off of a contract for four years and $53 million dollars with Cincinnati that averaged him $13 million per season. With what contracts are looking like in the present market, I would anticipate reader to want between $15 to $20 million dollars per year to stay in Cincinnati. Given the fact that he is a thirty year old nose tackle coming off of a season ending injury to his lower body, the risk is just far too high for Cincinnati to offer him that contract.
As much as I have liked watching Reader play at a high level in Cincinnati, the team will need to seek for a cheaper defensive lineman to make the numbers work. One candidate would be disgraced Titans defensive standout Teair Tart who was just dismissed by the team and signed a one year contract with the Texans. Tart is a 26 year old lineman who has performed well with Tennessee but his short term attitude troubles could force his price down to a reasonable value for Cincinnati.
Another possible method for the Cincinnati would be to draft a replacement in the upcoming NFL Draft. Given the above average take home in the recent NFL Drafts, Cincinnati’s only large needs will be right tackle and defensive tackle this offseason. Defensive Tackle Leonard Taylor out of the University of Miami would be a strong pick.
Taylor has exhibited outstanding ability and his one major shortcoming as a player is pad level. Pad level is a typical concern with defensive tackles coming out of college as college players are used to being able to overpower players with their pure strength rather than emphasis on technique. His lower body should improve with time with Cincinnati and he might develop into an excellent option on the defensive front.
D.J. Reader has been a terrific player in Cincinnati but the pay cap can only allow so much after the team dumped a record breaking contract on Burrow.
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