The Cincinnati Bengals felt the sting of losing DJ Reader to the Detroit Lions in free agency, a blow that turned out to be much harder than expected. The team’s defensive interior has struggled to stop opponents, and much of that can be traced back to Sheldon Rankins, who was signed to fill the gap left by Reader’s departure.
Rankins joined the Bengals on a two-year, $24.5 million deal, but Cincinnati could save nearly $10 million by cutting the 30-year-old defensive tackle. Bleacher Report highlighted him as one of the potential offseason cuts, noting the Bengals’ disappointing season and his underperformance.
“Cincinnati lost DJ Reader in free agency and replaced him with Sheldon Rankins, but the 30-year-old hasn’t been able to hold up at the point of attack like Reader did, which has impacted the defensive line,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine explained.
Rankins, a 6-foot-2 tackle who came over from the Houston Texans, has played in just seven games this season, totaling 18 tackles, one sack, and one tackle for a loss—far below his numbers last year with Houston, where he had six tackles and nine tackles for loss. The Bengals expected more from Rankins, and so far, he hasn’t delivered. It wouldn’t be surprising if they move on from him in the near future.
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