Who is the best free agent pass rusher target for Cincinnati?
By: Jake Rajala
The monster 2021 free agent signing Trey Hendrickson was the third-best pass rusher in the AFC last season, as he unleashed 14 sacks. Nonetheless, I believe there are a few FA faces that could still help the Bengals pass rush. I’m going to untwine three pass rushers available that could help the 11th best defense in sacks last season transform into a Top-5 defense in sacks next season.
Carlos Dunlap
“Hello Darkness, my old friend”
Carlos Dunlap is still a very good football player and he proved his ability last season via his 8.5 sacks. Dunlap has familiarity with Cincinnati and they are certainly a team that can help win a Super Bowl ring. He is also arguably the best pass rusher on the FA market after Clowney re-signed with the Browns. If he doesn’t ink a contract with the Seahawks, I would love to witness his return to Cincy.
Geno Atkins
It may seem like Geno Atkins fell off the face of the earth, but his former teammates have expressed their wishes for him to return. Jessie Bates reportedly texted Atkins, “You want to go play for us now” back in January. The second Bengal on this list could also wreak havoc inside while allowing Sam Hubbard to develop as the best DE2 on this team.
Justin Houston
Justin Houston might be 33 years old, but he has been a quality football player over the past three seasons (11 sacks in 2019, 8 sacks in 2020, and 4.5 sacks in 2021). It’s clear that Houston wants to ride off into the sunset on a championship-caliber team. If he doesn’t start over Hubbard, he would be an excellent rotational DE and veteran presence for the Bengals defense.
