Tag: D.J. Reader

Bengals comment on shift from DJ Reader to Sheldon Rankins

The Bengals know they’re making a big change along the defensive line.

The Cincinnati Bengals will have a much different-looking defense in 2024 after the loss of DJ Reader and filling the void with Sheldon Rankins.

Just ask Bengals director of pro scouting Steven Radicevic.

Radicevic recently sat down with Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com and brought up that fan-favorite combo of Larry Ogunjobi and B.J. Hill when asked about the frustrations with how free agency turned out along the defensive line:

SR: Yeah. Obviously (Sheldon) Rankins is a different style of player than what we had with DJ (Reader), but he’s going to help us with the interior rush and B.J. (Hill) is going to pair up really well inside. We haven’t really had that combo since Larry (Ogunjobi) and B.J. were rolling together. The interior rush is something we were missing and we’re hopeful that Rankins will give us that.

As outsiders have opined since free agency’s opening salvo, the Bengals look quite different in the trenches with Reader gone and Rankins traditionally viewed as a pass-rusher before anything else.

That said, the lack of interior pass-rush was a major issue last year that didn’t do the edge rushers any favors, either, so the team is clearly confident with its schematic fits and possibilities given the current depth chart.

For his part, Reader recently commented again on his Bengals departure in an interesting manner. Former nose tackle Josh Tupou remains a free agent and it is something the team could still look to address in the draft, too.

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DJ Reader offers interesting comments about departure from Bengals in free agency

DJ Reader’s latest comments about leaving the Bengals might raise an eyebrow.

DJ Reader and the Cincinnati Bengals being unable to work out a deal before he signed with the Detroit Lions in free agency understandably turned lots of heads.

And soon after the events unfolded, Reader’s comments about leaving the Bengals made some noise.

Now there’s a little more in this area in the wake of Reader appearing on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams.

“I was there doing rehab, doing my thing,” Reader said. “The talks just never happened. And they didn’t happen until free agency happened. And by that time I’m like, ‘I should probably go see what else there is to offer’ since it didn’t seem like…there was a focus on me being there. That might not have been the case, might have had some other things to figure out, but that’s just how I felt.”

Reader has already said he was surprised about how things turned out. And it’s certainly interesting to hear that the team wasn’t in contact before the market opened, so it’s hard to blame player and rep for looking at all options.

Another report has said the Bengals were absolutely interested in bringing Reader back, though it didn’t specify the timing of events. Injury risk or not, the Detroit Lions took advantage of Reader’s availability and the Bengals will need to pivot in the future.

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Bengals meet with another DT at Florida Atlantic pro day

More draft notes on the Bengals.

With college teams holding their pro days in full force, the Cincinnati Bengals are reported to be interested in another defensive tackle, according to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.

They were present at Florida Atlantic’s pro day where defensive tackle Evan Anderson worked out for scouts and coaches, and the Bengals met with Anderson afterward.

Here’s some of what Pauline wrote about Anderson:

Anderson, a Shrine Bowl player who measured half an inch over 6 feet and 319 pounds in Dallas, timed 5.20 in the forty, hit 30 inches on the vertical jump and completed 31 reps on the bench. He looked solid in position drills, moving incredibly well for a bigger defensive tackle.

Anderson is one of many defensive tackles the Bengals have had their eyes on as the draft approaches, and it remains a position of need for the team since D.J. Reader left in free agency, signing a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions.

Through four seasons with Florida Atlantic, Anderson had seven sacks, 20 tackles for a loss and 145 total tackles. And 3.5 of those sacks and 5.5 of the tackles for a loss came in his final season in school.

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New details on Bengals wanting DJ Reader and Sheldon Rankins, interest in Arik Armstead

An insider details how the Bengals played the free agency market.

The Cincinnati Bengals would’ve liked to pair DJ Reader with new arrival Sheldon Rankins on the defensive line in 2024.

But as fans know, Reader went on to sign with the Detroit Lions in free agency, revealing that he was a little surprised with how things worked out with the Bengals.

Thanks to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com linking up with the likes of director of pro scouting Steven Radicevic and senior personnel executive Trey Brown, we now have a little more information about how the market developed and another player the team liked:

But then it got hard for Radicevic and Trey Brown as they focused on re-signing nose tackle DJ Reader. The frustration grew with the escalating deals for the defensive tackles. They were talking to players like Reader and the just-released Arik Armstead, among others. Others didn’t have passing grades or weren’t locker-room fits.

One of the other reported players that presumably didn’t fit for one reason or another was Teair Tart. With Armstead, Jacksonville giving him $51 million over three years probably pushed the Bengals out of their comfort zone.

If nothing else, the interest in other guys shows the front office still views the area as a massive need, properly thinking of the schematic hole they now have at the nose.

Comments from the organization back this up, too.

“It was a good market for D-Tackles. I think a lot of teams saw what was coming in the draft and felt the need to spend there,” Radicevic said, per Hobson. “We were hopeful to try and keep DJ. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. I think Rankins is going to do a great job filling a different type of void.”

While many fans understandably focus on offensive tackle even after the addition of Trent Brown, the way the Bengals played the market and comments suggest that interior of the defensive line is right there as a priority as early as Round 1, too.

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Breaking down D.J. Reader’s free agent contract with the Lions

Breaking down D.J. Reader’s free agent contract with the Lions, which is different that originally reported

The Lions addressed the hole in the middle of the defensive line with one of the biggest free agents on the market in D.J. Reader. It turns out they filled the hole with less expense than expected.

Over The Cap has the contract figures for Reader and what the 30-year-old nose tackle signed for in Detroit. Although many originally reported it as two years and $27 million, in fact, it’s just $22 million for those two seasons.

It breaks down pretty favorably for the Lions:

$6.215 million signing bonus

2024 base salary of just $1.21 million, which is fully guaranteed

2025 base salary: $6.29 million

Total of $7.465 million guaranteed at signing

Three void years, which amortizes the signing bonus over five years at $1.243 million per year

There is a $5.303 million cap hit for 2024 that escalates to $12.243 for a cap figure in 2024.

DJ Reader was ‘little bit’ surprised by leaving Bengals for Lions

DJ Reader speaks on leaving the Bengals for the Lions.

The Cincinnati Bengals lost DJ Reader to free agency despite making a push to keep one of the best nose tackles in football.

Reader, though, admitted after signing with the Detroit Lions that he was surprised by how things unfolded during his exit.

“But you know, things happen,” Reader said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “Sometimes things don’t work out in relationships and you gotta move and on to a better opportunity that I’m really excited about.”

Reader said that the change of scenery registered as a surprise, at least in part, because there is always a positive expectation that things will work out.

Outsiders probably won’t get more details about the rift between the Bengals and Reader, though it’s safe to presume that some of it focused on the torn quad that ended his season.

For the Bengals, they moved on to Sheldon Rankins after winning a bidding war to get him in free agency, though that nose tackle spot remains vacant.

Reader posted the following message to fans after he signed in Detroit:

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PFF says the Saints should pursue this DL on Day 2 of free agency

Pro Football Focus says the New Orleans Saints should sign former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader on the second day of free agency:

The first day of free agency was quiet for the New Orleans Saints, who lost a couple of backups on defense to other teams — but things could pick up as we enter the second day of the NFL’s legal negotiating window. Could the Saints finally make a move to improve their team?

Pro Football Focus analyst Brad Spielberger has a suggestion, pointing to the Saints’ mediocre run defense as an obvious problem. Spielberger writes that former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader would make sense for New Orleans:

Only injuries slowed Reader down in Cincinnati. Otherwise, he was a dominant force on the interior of a talented defensive line that was able to control the line of scrimmage and win big games up front over the past few seasons. The eighth-year veteran was the anchor in the middle. Reader is as stout as they come and nearly impossible to displace by just one blocker. And while he’ll never fill up the stat sheet with sacks, he can push the pocket and free up teammates as well as any nose tackle. Reader, unfortunately, suffered a torn quadriceps injury in Week 15 that knocked him out for the remainder of the season. We will await more details on the recovery process before changing his projection, but the injury could obviously impact his market.

Reader’s ability to stop the run would be a welcome addition to a team that ranked in the middle of the pack in PFF run-defense grade.

Reader hasn’t played a full season since 2018, back before the NFL expanded to a 17-game regular season. But he wouldn’t be asked to play as many snaps in the Saints’ rotation with Bryan Bresee, Nathan Shepherd, and Khalen Saunders as he has been in Kansas City. Reader has averaged 51.8, 39.3, 37.1, and 38.2 snaps per game through four years with the Bengals.

Here’s how many snaps per game the Saints’ top four defensive tackles averaged last year:

  • Nathan Shepherd: 34.9 (51.1% on running downs)
  • Bryan Bresee: 31.7 (27.5% on running downs)
  • Khalen Saunders: 30.8 (52.9% on running downs)
  • Malcolm Roach: 24.2 (47.9% on running downs)

Roach is a free agent himself, so if he’s on the way out then there’s a clear void for Reader to fill. He’ll turn 30 this year and can clearly still play at a high level when healthy, so limiting his snaps in the rotation would help protect him from injury and keep everyone fresh. Bresee was a liability against the run last year, which is why the Saints focused on playing him against the pass, so Reader could shore up that weakness, too.

The move would make sense, but the money would need to check out, and it’s unclear what Reader’s seeking in a new contract. We’ll have to wait and see if anything materializes here but it’s a good suggestion.

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Bengals have competition for DJ Reader from Titans, Lions, per report

The Bengals will have to fend off multiple teams for DJ Reader.

The Cincinnati Bengals want star defensive lineman DJ Reader back, which those around the team haven’t been shy about since the season ended.

But other teams want him, too.

According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, the Titans and Lions have made a push for Reader, too.

No shock there, given Reader’s elite level of play. And in Tennessee, new head coach Brian Callahan knows a thing or two about what Reader can do to an opposing offense.

Likely complicating matters on the Bengals-Reader front is the fact he suffered a season-ending torn quad, his second in four seasons with the team. Plus, he’ll turn 30 over the summer.

This doesn’t mean Reader won’t be back in Cincinnati, but there are hurdles if the Bengals want to keep a top-five nose tackle who helps the entire scheme tick.

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Bengals impacted multiple ways with Chris Jones going back to Chiefs

Chris Jones is back in KC and it could impact things like DJ Reader for the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals won’t get a shot at superstar defender Chris Jones, not with the defensive tackle and the Kansas City Chiefs agreeing on a massive extension before free agency opens.

But it goes a little deeper than that.

Yes, Jones to the Bengals has been a fun theory for fans on social media. It wasn’t that outlandish that Jones might look at a contender such as Cincinnati if the Chiefs couldn’t make it work, either.

But more concerning now is how the interior defensive lineman market is shaping up. Jones going back to the Chiefs and Justin Madubuike getting a massive extension with the Baltimore Ravens leaves Cincinnati’s DJ Reader as one of the top left on the market.

Reader’s future with the Bengals was already complicated before these market developments because of the torn quad he suffered late last season — his second injury of that variety since joining the team.

When healthy, Reader is one of the best in the NFL, which would explain why the Bengals have already expressed an interest in bringing him back. But that injury outlook made it hard to see just what type of contract he’ll earn and if the Bengals will play ball.

Now, given the shape of the market, it might not matter. If another team panics and throws more cash at Reader despite the injury risk, the Bengals could be out the centerpiece of the defense and need to shift that to the top of the needs list.

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Browns named possible landing spot for defensive tackle D.J. Reader

Could the Browns steal the veteran from their in state rivals?

Could the Cleveland Browns land defensive tackle D.J. Reader in 2024 NFL free agency?

The wait for NFL free agency is nearly over, as legal tampering begins Monday, March 11th, at noon Eastern time. Of course, the Cleveland Browns have already gotten an early start by agreeing to a trade for Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Again, Cleveland needs the defensive tackle position after several contributors from last year were only on one-year deals. The Score recently published an article linking the Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader as a possibility for the Browns to sign.

“Reader may have to settle for a one-year deal after a torn quad ended his 2023 season. If healthy, though, that could make him one of the steals of this year’s free-agent class. Reader has long been among the NFL’s premier interior run defenders. He’s never been one to pile up sack numbers, but his underlying pass-rush metrics look pretty good. His presence next to Myles Garrett could be the final piece for an already outstanding Browns defense.

Though Reader has been the subject of some injury concerns lately, his impact on the field is hard to argue with. Browns fans have seen him twice a year for a long time and know it is nearly impossible to consistently run the ball directly at Reader.”

This would be a great addition for the Browns, though with the injuries, I’m not sure the team would guarantee him the projected $9 million in guarantees.