“I Want To Play for the Bengals”- Cincinnati Bengals Finally Sign Elite Texans Defensive Tackle As Confirmed by Head Coach Zac Taylor

Until this moment, I had been concerned about how the Cincinnati Bengals had treated the free agency period. While people were concerned about the safety and running back positions, they were not a high enough priority to devote the first two days of free agency to. Regardless, they used valuable draft capital on safety Geno Stone and running back Zack Moss. Meanwhile, the squad continues to have absolutely no good choices for starting at either nose tackle or right tackle.

Cincinnati Bengals Land Defensive Superstar on the Line

Fortunately for Cincinnati, that alleviated some of my concerns on Wednesday night when they officially signed former Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. In 2023, Rankins played on the defensive line for the Houston Texans, recording six sacks, one forced fumble, and 37 tackles in 15 games. It is crucial to note that, while those figures may not appear to be flawless, the basics are far more vital for a defensive lineman than the statistics.
On Wednesday night, Rankins inked a two-year contract worth $26 million. After a terrific performance in Houston last year on a one-year contract worth slightly more than $9 million, Cincinnati felt the need to raise his compensation to almost $13 million. Rankins will most likely replace superstar nose tackle D.J. Reader, despite being around 30 pounds less than the big Clemson product.

This could be an example of firsthand scouting by the Bengals, as Rankins utterly blasted Cincinnati’s offensive line in a close game between the teams last November. Rankins finished the game with five tackles and three sacks against the Cincinnati squad, which appears to have won him the respect of Zac Taylor and the rest of the coaching staff.

Rankins concluded the season with a Pro Football Focus (PFF) overall score of 62.7 (51st in the NFL among defensive tackles), but he will be a strong pass rusher, with a 74.7 rushing the passer. It is fairly concerning when you consider that he weighs only 302 pounds and concluded last season with a poor run stopping PFF score of 39.1. If the team expects to run the tables in 2024 with Rankins and defensive tackle B.J. Hill, they will most likely need to find new tactics to stop the run.

Although they must to figure out how to play with two 3-technique tackles rather than a regular nose tackle, Rankins and Hill have the potential to be terrific if defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo decides to run more inside stunts. After three days in the free agency window, Cincinnati has finally signed a contract to address one of their most pressing requirements in the 2024 offseason.