The Cincinnati Bengals have found themselves with few needs this off-season. The franchise levied the franchise tag on talented wide receiver Tee Higgins and the offense is looking pretty well rounded heading into the 2024 offseason aside from the right tackle position. On the defensive side though, there is some confusion as to how the defensive line is going to shape out for next season.
After all, defensive tackle D.J. Reader is going to turn thirty this summer and is recovering from a season ending injury to his hamstring. Unfortunately for the talented Clemson product, the odds of him returning next season without a heavy drop in form is fairly low which leads to the conclusion that Cincinnati will opt not to bring him back even on a team friendly contract.
Aside from Reader, starting 3-technique tackle B.J. Hill saw a dramatic dip in form last season that found his PFF tackling score dip from 76.8 in 2022 to 58.3 in 2023. With only $3 million guaranteed this upcoming season, he could find himself become a cap casualty for Cincinnati.
When you take all of that into account, there are major question marks regarding who will be the starting defensive tackles in Cincinnati next season.
Bengals Set Sights on Superstar Cap Casualty Defensive Lineman
If Cincinnati decides to move on from both of its 2023 starting defensive tackles, one of the best strategies may be to look at the recent cap casualties. The headliner from that list would clearly be elite defensive tackle Christian Wilkins who was it was announced on Sunday afternoon that he would be allowed to hit free agency as a cap casualty. Wilkins was drafted by Miami with the 13th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft and just finished up his rookie contract and will look to get a big raise heading into his first foray with free agency.
Based on his age and statistical output, Wilkins should be expecting a contract around $20 million annually which would rank him just inside the top 10 for defensive tackle contracts. If Cincinnati were to let both Reader and Hill go, sign Wilkins to a contract and draft a young promising nose tackle such as T’Vondre Sweat, they could lock up an elite tandem of young talent for the next four seasons on the defensive front.
While Reader and Hill have each played well over the course of their current contracts, there is no doubt that age and wear affect defensive tackles differently than any other position on the field. Any season-ending injury to the lower body has the ability to dismantle the career of a defensive tackle due to the physical demand on the body to maintain athleticism at over 300 pounds. Reader will be turning 30 this offseason and Hill will be 29 next month.
The only way to maintain a competitive roster is to be able to tell when to move on from players even when they have been solid contributors in the past. Cincinnati needs to be careful to maintain youth and talent on the defensive front particularly after being unable to stop the run effectively last season.
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