Top 5 defensive tackle free agent options for Raiders
It’s past time for the Raiders to make a splash at defensive tackle. They have the edge rushers and some solid overall play on the defense. If they can add an anchor in the middle of that defensive line, they could be a real force on the defensive side of the ball.
There are a lot of good option that could be hitting the market next week. Here are the top give they should consider.
After over a decade of passivity, will Jerry and Stephen Jones actually be players on the free agent market? If so, here’s a collection of top talent that fits the Cowboys’ roster holes. | From @KDDrummondNFL
The Dallas Cowboys are going all in, allegedly. That’s what owner Jerry Jones said from Mobile Alabama as the team’s brass is attending the week of Senior Bowl workouts. Now, there’s a lot of wiggle room to what that could mean. With the team staring at three cornerstone pieces ripe for new contracts, Jones’ statement doesn’t have to necessarily refer to bringing in outside talent.
Based on his inglorious track record of double talk, Jones could easily clarify his statement after the first wave of free agency by referring to new deals for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons as going all in. But let’s pretend that for the first time in over a decade, Dallas decides to be actual players in that first wave and compete for some of the bigger names to hit the open market.
Who has a chance to hit the open market? Who are some of the fits? Here’s a list of the top free agents of 2024 at the positions where Dallas could use an influx of more talent. This is a Cowboys-curated version of Pro Football Focus’ list of top free agents.
These are the players with injury designations for the Week 14 matchup between the Colts and Bengals.
The Indianapolis Colts (7-5) and Cincinnati Bengals (6-6) are just about set for a Week 14 matchup at Paycor Stadium.
On the final injury reports for the week, the Colts ruled out two players, both starters, and listed three others as questionable. The Bengals didn’t rule out any players and had three others listed as questionable, two of whom can be considered starters.
Here are the players with injury designations entering the Week 14 matchup:
Will the Jaguars be able to shut down the Bengals’ talented receiving corps?
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals have been headed in opposite directions, as of late.
The Jaguars have moved past early hiccups and are establishing themselves as a top team in the AFC. The Bengals, however, looked like one of the best teams for a stretch, but are now spiraling.
Without Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow, Cincinnati has turned to backup Jake Browning to turn the season back around. While the Bengals seem unlikely to make the playoffs, they’re still a team with difference makers on both sides of the field.
Here are five Bengals players who could cause problems for the Jaguars in Week 13:
Here’s the video of the training camp fight between Packers OL Elgton Jenkins and Bengals DL D.J. Reader.
There is video footage of the play that led to Elgton Jenkins’ removal from Wednesday’s joint practice between the Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Jenkins, who was at the center of a brawl with Germaine Pratt earlier in the practice, took Bengals defensive lineman D.J. Reader to the ground and then struck him in the helmet shortly after both players got to their feet.
First Star Media Group out of Cincinnati has the footage of the altercation between Jenkins and Reader:
Jenkins and Reader were tied up far away from the play, which appeared to be some kind of play-action rollout or run play to the offense’s left side. Off to the right side, Jenkins kept blocking Reader and eventually took him to the ground, escalating tensions. While Packers teammates attempted to separate Jenkins from Reader, Jenkins ended up taking a swing and was immediately removed from the practice.
The incident happened in front of the Packers sideline.
Afterward, Reader called Jenkins “just a guy” in a tweet. Jenkins, a two-time Pro Bowler, responded with his own tweet which featured the hashtag “backpockets,” likely in reference to the fact that Reader ended up on the ground.
Packers LG Elgton Jenkins was in the middle of two fights and was removed from Wednesday’s joint practice with the Bengals.
Green Bay Packers left guard Elgton Jenkins was removed from Wednesday’s joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals after two different on-field fights, including one in which Jenkins struck Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader.
According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jenkins was in the middle of both altercations. The left guard fought with a Bengals linebacker, believed to be Germaine Pratt, following a play, but he wasn’t the instigator. Soon after, he quarreled with Reader. After taking a swing at the massive Bengals nose tackle, Jenkins was escorted out of practice.
The Packers and Bengals were on the field for over two hours together. The practice included 1-on-1 live periods featuring offensive and defensive linemen, which might have flared tensions before 11-on-11 sessions.
Fights are always the worry when it comes to joint practices. Emotions run high, competitors get wound up and a physical altercation takes away from the on-field work.
The end of practice didn’t mean the end of the curfuffle.
Afterwards, Reader tweeted out this in reference to Jenkins, a two-time Pro Bowler:
The Packers and Bengals will be back on the field together on Friday night for the preseason opener. Will Jenkins and Reader get more snaps on the field together? It’s to be determined, but both are veterans who could be rested/protected during the preseason.
Here’s more of Reader’s take on the fights:
Packers Wire will have more on this story as it develops.
The Cincinnati Bengals have created a defense without “stars,” but with all kinds of performers. Laurie Fitzpatrick looks at how it was created.
The Cincinnati Bengals are currently on a nine-game win streak. The offense is rolling, and the defense, despite barely coming away with a victory against the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round, still got the job done. Throughout the season their defense is allowing 227 points per game (23rd), but they also have an impressive 50% scoring percentage in the red zone; and over their last three games, opponents are only scoring 33.3% of the time.
The Bengals defensive line gets to the quarterback quickly, and their defensive backs disrupt at the catch point. They allow the least number of seconds per play in the league, 27.5, and they lead the league in opponent incompletions per game, with 14.2; per teamrankings.
The defense as a whole is closing out games.
Jessie Bates III’s interception against the Cleveland Browns in Week 14, Vonn Bell’s forced fumble against the New England Patriots in Week 16 and then Sam Hubbard’s fumble recovery and 98-yard touchdown win in the wild-card game. Just three examples of the defense stepping up.
The Bengals are sitting at a +6 turnover differential. That is what keeps them in games and makes them an extension of their offense. With Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase on the offensive side of the ball, the defense tends to get overshadowed, but in the end, we all know that defense wins games, and that defense has won games for the Bengals.
Now, it’s on to Buffalo for the divisional round. Let’s see how this defense might be able to upset Josh Allen and his friends.
As is the case on a weekly basis, there was plenty of buzz about former Clemson standouts in Week 11 of the NFL season. Check out what they’re saying about some former Tigers in the league: . @teehiggins5 is putting on a show tonight in Pittsburgh‼️ …
As is the case on a weekly basis, there was plenty of buzz about former Clemson standouts in Week 11 of the NFL season.
Check out what they’re saying about some former Tigers in the league:
.@teehiggins5 is putting on a show tonight in Pittsburgh‼️
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
Good news for an NFL Tiger who has been working his way back from an injury. On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals designated defensive tackle DJ Reader for return from the Reserve/Injured list, clearing him to return to practice. The former Clemson …
Good news for an NFL Tiger who has been working his way back from an injury.
The former Clemson standout has been on the Reserve/Injured list since Sept. 29 with a knee injury. Monday began a 21-day period during which the Bengals can move Reader to the 53-man roster and he is eligible to be activated to the roster at any time during that period.
A seventh-year pro, Reader has played in three games this season, recording 10 total tackles (one for loss), three quarterback hits and a fumble recovery.
Reader started the Super Bowl for the Bengals this past February and registered a sack in the third quarter, the second postseason sack of his career. During the 2021 regular season, he was credited with 43 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and seven quarterback hits. In the playoffs, he added 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and four quarterback hits.
The Bengals will play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
This former Tiger is expected to miss six weeks with a left knee injury.
A former Clemson defender has been placed on the NFL injured reserve.
Current Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader was placed on IR on Thursday after leaving the Bengal’s Week 3 win over the New York Jets with a left knee injury.
Reader will have to miss at least four weeks while under the injured reserve designation, but is expected to be out for six weeks with an MCL injury, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
In his time at Clemson (2012-15), Reader recorded 145 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks and 24 quarterback pressures over the course of 1,087 snaps and 46 games. At the time, the North Carolina native was the second Tiger (first was Kyle Parker in 2009-2010) to play both football and baseball at Clemson since 1994-95.
After four seasons with the Tigers, Reader was drafted in the fifth round (No. 166 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
#Bengals DT D.J. Reader, placed on IR today, has an MCL injury that the team hopes he can return from in around six weeks, per sources. Bengals felt Reader — who has full intentions of resuming play in 2022 — was playing at a Pro Bowl level before injury.