While much of the focus for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason is about free agency and the NFL Draft, there will also be players who get cut or released.
Pro Football Focus recently revealed one player they think could get cut from each of the 32 teams. For the Bengals, it’s defensive tackle T.J. Slaton. Signed as a free agent last March, Slaton was ranked as just the 112th defensive tackle according to PFF, with a grade of just 44. That’s just not good enough.
Right now, Slaton is on the books
for $8.9 million. Cutting him would save the Bengals $6.4 million.
The Bengals need to address the interior of their defensive line this offseason. That much is known. Whether it be with a big splash in free agency or in the draft, they need to shore up the middle of their defensive front. They can’t keep getting gashed on the ground and not be able to generate any pass pressure up the middle.
Slaton was thought to provide that. He didn’t live up to expectations. Cutting him would enable the Bengals to devote that money to someone better and more capable of fixing their issues in the interior of their defensive line.
