CINCINNATI – The position expected to be the Cincinnati Bengals’ biggest focus in free agency, defensive tackle, remains unfilled heading into Day 3.
Cincinnati was never going to be in the market for Chris Jones, had the Kansas City Chiefs let him test the market, or Christian Wilkins. But some of the defensive tackles thought to be in the Bengals’ price range have ended up signing for considerably more to follow Jones’ path by remaining with their 2023 teams.
Best Remaining DT Options for Cincinnati Bengals
Grover Stewart got $39 million over three years to stay with Indianapolis, and DaQuan Jones landed a two year, $16 million contract to stay put in Buffalo.
Cincinnati has its own defensive tackle it would like to retain, but it’s complicated. DJ Reader turns 30 in July.
The Bengals learned their lesson in 2018 when they gave massive third contracts to Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap despite their ages. They have avoided doing that again, almost by rule. The lone exception was signing 32-year-old Riley Reiff in 2021 because they were desperate for help on a dismal offensive line.
But even then, that was an inexpensive one-year deal. The kind of help Cincinnati needs at DT is going to take a bigger investment, which again complicates things with Reader, who is coming off a torn quad in December, an injury with roughly a nine-month timeline for recovery.
The Bengals would love to bring Reader back on a one-year, incentive-heavy contract, but that isn’t going to happen if other teams are willing to put trust in Reader’s recovery and pay him market value. Reader reportedly is visiting the Detroit Lions on Thursday.
So where else could Cincinnati turn if Reader ends up elsewhere? Here are some of the top defensive tackles remaining.
Arik Armstead
2023 team: San Francisco 49ers
2023 cap number: $11.9 million
Age: 30
He’s not technically a free agent, but Arik Armstead has declined a pay cut with a cap hit of $28.3 million in 2024 and is expected to be released. He can play EDGE or DT, but Armstead has been used inside more frequently of late, with 70% of snaps coming at defensive tackle in 2023.
Armstead’s age and expected salary make him a long shot for the Bengals.
Sheldon Rankins
2023 team: Houston Texans
2023 cap number: $9.8 million
Age: 29, turns 30 next month
The Bengals’ scouts didn’t have to go through a lot of film to study Sheldon Rankins. They’ve seen firsthand what he’s capable of the last three seasons, including a 30-27 loss to the Texans in November when he had three sacks and four quarterback hits.
Rankins had six tackles and a sack against the Bengals while with the Jets in 2022 and a sack of Joe Burrow in New York’s 34-31 upset in 2021.
If they could get Rankins in their price range, the Bengals could look past his looming 30th birthday.
Teair Tart
2023 team: Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans
2023 cap number: $4.3 million
Age: 27
Teair Tart makes the most sense of all of the defensive tackles available. The Bengals have played the Titans in each of the last four seasons, and ahead of each game, every Cincinnati offensive coach from Zac Taylor to Brian Callahan to Frank Pollack would rave about Tennessee’s defensive line while singling out Jeffery Simmons and Tart.
Tart won’t be 28 until next February.
Quinton Jefferson
2023 team: New York Jets
2023 cap number: $2.1
Age: 30, turns 31 this month
Quinton Jefferson has been a one-year rental player for several years, having not played back-to-back seasons with the same franchise since 2016-19 with Seattle. Jefferson has had at least 4.5 sacks in three consecutive seasons, one of five defensive tackles who have accomplished that.
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Tim Settle
2023 team: Buffalo Bills
2023 cap number: $4.1 million
Age: 26, turns 27 in July
Young, affordable, but probably not a difference-maker. Tim Settle is better suited as a depth piece, which the Bengals also need.
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