DT Offseason

State of the Position: There is talk of cutting both BJ Hill and TJ Slaton. I don’t really understand that. Hill would save just 4.7M, and we would have 7.4M in dead cap. He also played well overall with 4 sacks and is a leader on the defense, although he’s 31. Slaton is a different story. He struggled for much of the year but came on over the last six games. He’s in the final year of a 2-year contract. If he were released, the team would save 6.6 million and have 2.5 in dead cap. Can the team find an upgrade at nose tackle for 6.6 million in a weak NT group?

Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson failed to make an impact in their second years. Like Slaton, Jackson didn’t really come on until the end of the year, and he finished with just 129 total snaps and seven tackles. Jenkins was lauded in camp by Golden and then failed to do much of anything as well. He will be back in the rotation after starting four games in 2025.

Jordan Jefferson was a former Jaguars 4^th-rounder in 2024, picked up by the Bengals in October after his release from the 49ers. He played sparingly his rookie year with 151 snaps and 25 this year with us. Howard Cross played for Golden in South Bend and was a captain. He’s back on a futures contract

Need: The team needs a Difference maker at the position. Even if they return everyone, they need someone who can push the pocket and create chaos.

Candidates

High Priced

The draft appears thin at DT, which will make it nearly essential that the team dives into free agency for an impact player.

David Onyemata is 33, but his PFF grades are off the charts. He had 62 tackles last year, 7 for loss and 19 hurries. While he only had one sack, he has 34 over his career. He’s coming off a three-year, 35M dollar deal.

Sebastian Joseph-Day had 41 tackles with 1.5 sacks and 15 hurries. He’s 31, and his PFF scores were solid. He’s bounced around the league for a bit before signing his one year 6.5M deal to return to the Titans this year.

John Franklin Myers might see the biggest payday amongst this group. He had eight sacks this year with 23 hurries. Those hurry numbers are consistent over his career, and he already has 37 career sacks. He’s completing a two-year 15M contract and is 29.

Logan Hall was someone I was excited about when he was coming out in the draft. At just 26 he is the youngest of this group by far. He was the #33 overall pick in 2022. He had just 1.5 sacks this year, but he also had 26 hurries to go with it.

Kenny Clark is a potential cap casualty for the Cowboys, where they will save 21M with his release. The Cowboys are in trouble with the cap as well.  He’s 31 and had another solid year rushing the passer with 4 sacks and 34 hurries. Clark is probably the most likely player to be added, as he played for our defensive line coach in Green Bay from 2016 to 2023.

A’Shawn Robinson would have to be a cap casualty as well. The Panthers would save 10.5 million with his release. Golden coached in Detroit when he was there in 2018 and 2019. Robinson started 16 games this year and had 65 tackles, 22 hurries, and three sacks. He played more nose tackle than he ever did this year, but is primarily a three technique. He’s 31.

Mid

Neville Gallimore didn’t score well overall in PFF, but his pass rush grade was excellent. He had 38 tackles, 10 hurries, and 3.5 sacks. He played for the Rams in 2024 and was coached by Sean Desai. He was on a 1 year 1.3M deal in Indy last year.

Old

Harrison Phillips has been someone I have liked since he came out. He is a potential cap casualty in New York, where they would save 7.5M. He’s 30 and had 60 tackles, two sacks, and eight hurries this year. He’s more of an undersized run stuffer than a pocket pusher.

Javon Hargrave is another potential cap casualty, with the Vikings potentially saving 11 million by releasing him. This year, he had 52 tackles with 24 hurries and four sacks. He’s 33.

Shelby Harris is the oldest of the group at 35, but he might be the best fit. He’s coming off a very reasonable two-year 9-million-dollar deal and is still making an impact with 32 tackles, 7 for loss, 2 sacks, and 14 hurries. He was coached by Desai in 2023.

Nose

DJ Reader is well known here. There is a very real possibility that he and his leadership return. He’s 32 now, and his play has declined somewhat, but he is still solid. Last year, he had 28 tackles and 17 hurries. He’s coming off a 2 year 22-million-dollar deal. If they can get him for around 6.6M he could slide right into Slaton’s contract and position.

Roy Lopez played for the Lions as well this year. He played primarily over the B gap but has historically played more of the Nose. He’s 29 and had 30 tackles with three sacks and eight hurries this year. He was on a one-year 3.5 million deal.

Andrew Billings is another ex-Bengal who will be on the market. He started 14 games for the Bears this year and had 31 tackles, including six for loss. PFF ranks him very low, but his pass-rush grade was ok. He’s finishing up a two-year, eight-million-dollar deal and is 31.

Although we would be getting older, I could see a world where we send out Slaton and bring in both Kenny Clark and DJ Reader. Reader would be remedying a mistake, and Clark is a known commodity who could create push in the middle.

29 minutes ago, MichaelWeston said:

DT Offseason

State of the Position: There is talk of cutting both BJ Hill and TJ Slaton. I don’t really understand that

Easy enough to say they're replacement level players, and I think that's accurate, but that assumes the Bengals have the ability to replace them. Looking at Jenkins & Jackson here.. If there's any competition at all on the IDL come training camp one or both of them could end up cut. But they probably won't be, because the organization stays doing the least possible.

Thing is, there are these younger dudes all over the roster that have flashed at times but are wildly inconsistent. Said it before but look to Murphy - dude openly admits he was loafing, now he's heading into a contract year and he turns it on, kind of, against some shit opponents. Now they're ready to name him the starter and singing his praises?

Imagine someone stealing from you for years and then one day they come to you like "yeah sorry I stole your TV and all the tools from your garage and kicked your dog and stuff but here's $20". Like ok I can appreciate your honesty and all that but I'm still not letting you borrow my lawnmower. FOH.

If that's too abstract what I'm saying is The Family (mike) is pudding soft, he's a mark, and everyone in that locker room knows it. These young guys aren't performing because they don't think they have to, and there's Murphy, the new golden boy - proof positive. All they need to do is show up and smile a bunch. They go 6-11 & no one from the top down is feeling any kind of pressure, and they're proud of it. Why would we expect anything different if that's the culture?

holy shit kris jenkins jr on the shit list for lack of effort and going above and beyond to excel as a young player is going nuts...

im up to 5 different people having made a passing comment on his lack of drive to be great...

something is up there.. the "wasting his talent" vibe is going crazy right now..

i wont be shocked if the bengals move on from him if some sort of trade needs a played added to it..

makes my two on field custom jerseys i got a bit of a bummer.... yikes.

32 minutes ago, GoBengals said:

holy shit kris jenkins jr on the shit list for lack of effort and going above and beyond to excel as a young player is going nuts...

im up to 5 different people having made a passing comment on his lack of drive to be great...

something is up there.. the "wasting his talent" vibe is going crazy right now..

i wont be shocked if the bengals move on from him if some sort of trade needs a played added to it..

makes my two on field custom jerseys i got a bit of a bummer.... yikes.

Did he not have a nickname "mutant" at Michigan and known for his work effort, etc.?

3 hours ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

Did he not have a nickname "mutant" at Michigan and known for his work effort, etc.?

Might sound crazy but I suspect Michigan has higher standards for that sort of thing. If someone is slacking off it's because they think they can get away with it. Now, where would he get that idea? There's no pressure to perform, at any level. The people at the top are comfortable with losing and that's become their culture.

4 hours ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

Did he not have a nickname "mutant" at Michigan and known for his work effort, etc.?

the nickname was based on his strength in the weight room for his size.

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

Might sound crazy but I suspect Michigan has higher standards for that sort of thing. If someone is slacking off it's because they think they can get away with it. Now, where would he get that idea? There's no pressure to perform, at any level. The people at the top are comfortable with losing and that's become their culture.

jesus christ man...

this is why i hate coming here.

1 minute ago, GoBengals said:

jesus christ man...

this is why i hate coming here.

sorry bro. . not my job to wake Murphy up during meetings.. don't shoot the messenger.

me being more optimusprimely though maybe MM really is an NFL starter! I mean lets hope but damn it would've been nice for someone to notice before the bye week and insist on it

none of this shit is my fault just like Volson didn't write himself in at LG1 when no one was watching.. someone has to know better, it's their whole job to do these things that aren't getting done. can't just be waiting for that first round pick to blossom 3 years later.. Take your time, honey.

Jenkins - how does it reach the point where it's apparently the talk of the town? Where's his DL coach? It all sounds so fucking passive. Ditto Burton, and so on.. We should know about it when they clean out their lockers, not this constant soap opera of who's in the doghouse. Hey, it's our defensive Team Captain Logan Wilson! Damn you Logan! If only we had signed some hyped up career backup LB from the Eagles and then drafted 2 more in the middle rounds.. WTF is the musical chairs going on in that room? All his fault, I guess. Or Lou. Or anyone but the decision-makers.

"Let's all have fun and play together!" Your Favorite QB, before the Battle of Agincourt. They didn't draft him with a 10 year contract, that was an organizational decision. Be mad and disgusted with the right people for once.. as a fan you fucking well should be. you personally more than most, damn. and im wrong to say shit's getting complacent? ok my bad.

Another oddity about Jenkins - was it not proclaimed that he had 'the best training camp of any player"? Perhaps that was a sign of things to come for the defense.....

What happened with Jenkins…did I miss something? 🤷‍♂️

12 hours ago, T-Dub said:

Your Favorite QB, before the Battle of Agincourt.

If Henry V….then OK. If Charles VI…not so much. Or do you mean vice versa? 🤔

19 hours ago, GoBengals said:

holy shit kris jenkins jr on the shit list for lack of effort and going above and beyond to excel as a young player is going nuts...

im up to 5 different people having made a passing comment on his lack of drive to be great...

something is up there.. the "wasting his talent" vibe is going crazy right now..

i wont be shocked if the bengals move on from him if some sort of trade needs a played added to it..

makes my two on field custom jerseys i got a bit of a bummer.... yikes.

Jenkins doesn't have much trade value at this point, maybe less than Jackson.

In the mock offseason I'm in, I offered Tee plus BJ Hill for Jeffery Simmons and they said no. Then tried to get Walter Nolen from the Cardinals but they had zero interest in Shemar Stewart as part of the deal.

Got my eyes on Clark.

1 hour ago, sparky151 said:

Jenkins doesn't have much trade value at this point, maybe less than Jackson.

In the mock offseason I'm in, I offered Tee plus BJ Hill for Jeffery Simmons and they said no. Then tried to get Walter Nolen from the Cardinals but they had zero interest in Shemar Stewart as part of the deal.

Shemar is the ultimate pro level of asking "do you play basketball?" to any random stranger over 6'3. They probably order Chinese food based off the pictures at the counter. Free side of wonton soup? Oh boy!

& then everyone tries to ignore the strangled goose sounds coming from the bathroom

7 hours ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

Another oddity about Jenkins - was it not proclaimed that he had 'the best training camp of any player"? Perhaps that was a sign of things to come for the defense.....

They're continually trying to talk someone into greatness rather than admit they suck at drafting

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

They're continually trying to talk someone into greatness rather than admit they suck at drafting

Indeed, and Dufus said at his presser that certian players 'were taught the right techniques but simply did not use them' or something to that effect. Essentially once again taking zero accountability - we drfated the right guy and coached him well he just did not perform. Oh well, try again next time.

They wont bail on Jenkins of Jackson - they are cheap rotational guys with all those traits and potential.

6 hours ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

Indeed, and Dufus said at his presser that certian players 'were taught the right techniques but simply did not use them' or something to that effect. Essentially once again taking zero accountability - we drfated the right guy and coached him well he just did not perform. Oh well, try again next time.

They wont bail on Jenkins of Jackson - they are cheap rotational guys with all those traits and potential.

Well they can't just go down to WalMart and find some chunky lad that will at least show up every day and follow instructions.. For 3 million real yankee dollars a year..

"Yeah we coached them up perfectly but they didn't do it, ah well what can ya do.." -VP of the Right Voices, or whatever the fuck he does for The Family besides fetch their slippers.

Tell you this much, I'd bet there's someone with better college stats than Stewart working at WalMart these days. Not that there's anything wrong with that, beats stealing catalytic converters.. But everyone is doing their best and it's mean to say that's not good enough to play for the Bengals.. a professional football team, in the National Football League, according to the website.

13 hours ago, spicoli said:

What happened with Jenkins…did I miss something? 🤷‍♂️

2 injuries set him back.

10 hours ago, sparky151 said:

Jenkins doesn't have much trade value at this point, maybe less than Jackson.

In the mock offseason I'm in, I offered Tee plus BJ Hill for Jeffery Simmons and they said no. Then tried to get Walter Nolen from the Cardinals but they had zero interest in Shemar Stewart as part of the deal.

I'll give Jenkins another chance once healthy.

Don't know his mental makeup to succeed but

he has talent to add to dline

Make or break this year...

Same with the disgruntled (for lack of snaps)

Jenkins..

Could see both elevatkng I hemselves this year....

11 minutes ago, claptonrocks said:

I'll give Jenkins another chance once healthy.

Don't know his mental makeup to succeed but

he has talent to add to dline

Make it break this year.

As I recall.. he was supposed to back up Rankins, who got squirrelpox & almost died until he went back to Texas and resumed playing like a pro.. but that made Jenkins the starter, 10/10 tremendous plan, great job everyone, but then he got hurt which is totally unheard of for a midround rookie unexpectedly starting at DT, just bad luck all around and no on is responsible for any of it..

Except, except.. We hear Jenkins is in the doghouse, which is reserved for one person at a time and one only & everything must be their fault, exclusively. Very healthy organization, really turning that defense around. Can't wait to find out who is responsible for everything that goes wrong next.

BJ Hill is now the best proven defensive lineman signed to the roster, and it's no knock on him being a decent enough pro to say that's a problem for the defense. If everyone else on the DL was around his level or better they might have a chance, but they're not. He's the only trustworthy starter of the bunch.

I would suggest instead of kicking rocks and moaning about how nobody wants to pway for the po widdle cibinabi bingos.. sniffle.. they hit the ground running in FA and make the case that this team is a credible defense away from a Super Bowl contender and they're ready to accept FA's cost what they cost & spend some of that sweet, sweet guaranteed ever-increasing ad revenue instead of finding couch cushions to hide it under. unless they're just fine with how things are & have given up, which seems to be closer to the truth.

2 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

As I recall.. he was supposed to back up Rankins, who got squirrelpox & almost died until he went back to Texas.. but that made Jenkins the starter, 10/10 tremendous plan, great job everyone, but then he got hurt which is totally unheard of for a midround rookie unexpectedly starting at DT, just bad luck all around and no on is responsible for any of it..

Except, except.. We hear Jenkins is in the doghouse, which is reserved for one person at a time and one only & everything must be their fault, exclusively. Very healthy organization, really turning that defense around. Can't wait to find out who is responsible for everything that goes wrong next.

BJ Hill is now the best proven defensive lineman signed to the roster, and it's no knock on him being a decent enough pro to say that's a problem for the defense. If everyone else on the DL was around his level or better they might have a chance, but they're not. He's the only trustworthy starter of the bunch.

I would suggest instead of kicking rocks and moaning about how nobody wants to pway for the po widdle cibinabi bingos.. sniffle.. they hit the ground running in FA and make the case that this team is a credible defense away from a Super Bowl contender. unless they're just fine with how things are & have given up, which seems to be closer to the truth.

Katy knows this.

Frugal or whatever , she's smart .

Getting a NT ( Reader? ) and a pass rusher is

Imperative.

If Bain slipped to us the line would be more than intact as a pass rushing 3T or lineup on the edge as well.... a stretch to think so but shit happens in the draft....

They'll stall and wait until the release of players around the league which isn't a bad idea.

Sign Reader...draft an explosive pass rusher and the line comes alive.

(Imagine David Bailey pass rush abilities

if on the board )

It could happen..

We'll see....

Mike Brown loves two positions more than any others.

Receivers and Corners

He's always been of mind that these two spots have to be high level..

Would they pull the trigger on these positions in first 2 rounds?.

Maybe shouldn't but not unexpected imo .

20 hours ago, spicoli said:

What happened with Jenkins…did I miss something? 🤷‍♂️

Sounds like he is lazy.

Once again the front office didn't do their due diligence.

7 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

Mike Brown loves two positions more than any others.

Receivers and Corners

He's always been of mind that these two spots have to be high level..

Would they pull the trigger on these positions in first 2 rounds?.

Maybe shouldn't but not unexpected imo .

Indeed, while the actual smart football people on winning teams love the OL and DL.

2 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

Sounds like he is lazy.

Once again the front office didn't do their due diligence.

Somehow we drafted all these guys who were team captains but now we need leadership on our D. I guess we did not really have ALL the information did we Dufus?

BTW - what injuries did Jenkins have this past season? I thought it was the previous year he had the broken thumb and some other issue?

2 hours ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

Somehow we drafted all these guys who were team captains but now we need leadership on our D. I guess we did not really have ALL the information did we Dufus?

BTW - what injuries did Jenkins have this past season? I thought it was the previous year he had the broken thumb and some other issue?

Sprained ankle week 15.