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Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins both land extensions!

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The two veteran leaders of what appears to be the next up and coming elite defensive line, both get pay days.

One of the most elite pass rushing duos in the league both land big extensions with the Bengals today. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins both sign extensions. Dunlap’s deal was a 3 year $45 million deal while Geno received a 4 year deal worth over $65 million. Geno’s deal will see him paid an average of $16.3 million per year, the highest yearly average signed by a non-QB over the age of 30 in NFL history. It is a very promising sign to see the Bengals wisely invest the cap space they have been accumulating the past few seasons.

Geno Atkins

Geno currently has the second most sacks (61) in team history and is well on his way to becoming the all time leader in sacks for the Bengals. He also ranks top five in team history for forced fumbles. Geno has been a dominant force for Cincinnati, being named to six pro bowls and three All-Pro designations. Geno was one of the most important players the Bengals needed to get resigned and they made sure he did.

Carlos Dunlap

Minutes after the news of Geno’s extension broke, we got the news that Dunlap was also extended by the Bengals. Like Geno, Dunlap is one of the best pass rushers the Bengals have had in team history. Since joining the Bengals he has totaled 64.5 career sacks, which is the most in team history and just a couple more than Geno. His 16 forced fumbles is most in team history and also leads all defensive lineman with 42 passes defended in Bengals history. Dunlap was just as important as Geno this offseason and the Bengals handled the situation perfectly. The teams top two sack leaders in club history are here to stay.

Going Forward

Resigning two of your teams best defensive lineman in team history on the same day is huge, especially considering what they have to work with. The Bengals now have Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, Jordan Willis, Carl Lawson, and Sam Hubbard signed through 2021. This is massive for the Bengals, especially when you consider just how dominant this defensive line has been through the first three weeks of preseason. They are in line to have one of the league’s top pass rushes throughout the next 3-5 seasons. They have the potential to lead the league in sacks as a team in 2018 and beyond.

It is also worth noting the Bengals still have a significant amount of cap space to spend on other notable players who are or will be in line for extensions, most importantly Darqueze Dennard. The Bengals appear to be handling things differently this offseason, which should leave Bengals fans happy looking into the future.

Cincinnati Bengals Resign Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap

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Breathe easier Bengals fans – we landed the beef.

Let’s clear that up before one of you reports this site to your nearest censor or parenting group: The Cincinnati Bengals signed defensive tackle Geno Atkins to a $65.3 million extension that keeps the 6-time Pro Bowler in the Nasty Nati through 2022.

This news makes us happier than when a Cleveland fan starts trash talking before the Battle of Ohio. Atkins is perhaps the most vital defensive cog on the team. He logged 9 sacks in 2017 (third in the league among defensive tackles) and 10 TFLs (sixth among DTs).

Combined with the developing Andrew Billings (1.5 sacks against the Buffalo Bills in week 3 of the preseason), the Cincinnati Bengals now have the most important pieces in place to take away their opponents’ inside running game.


That was the cake. Now here’s the icing.

Defensive end Carlos Dunlap has also inked a new extension – 3 years, $45 million. Dunlap has 2 Pro Bowls to his credit and has started 79 of 80 regular-season games in the past 5 years. He has tremendous versatility, which he’s proven by logging 13.5 sacks one year (2015) and defending 15 passes the next (2016) in addition to being a solid run defender.

Last month we wrote about why we felt it was so important for the Bengals to keep both Atkins and Dunlap after 2018. We’ll be glad to see these two guys in tiger stripes for the next few years. Opponents, though, probably won’t feel the same way …

Free Agency Update: Bengals Sign Minter, and More

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The Cincinnati Bengals made a big free agency move yesterday with the signing of LB Kevin Minter from Arizona.

Minter signed a 1-year deal worth $4.5 million. His arrival to the Bengals will take some of the sting out of losing Karlos Dansby to the Cardinals on his own 1-year deal and should help upgrade the LB position.

The 26-year-old Minter was taken in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has played in Arizona for the past four years and started every game over the past two seasons. He played over 93% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2016, so he’s durable. During the past two seasons he has logged 175 tackles and four sacks (a career-high 3.5 last season).

Other Bengal free agency news last week

  • The Cincinnati Bengals inked offensive tackle Andre Smith to a 1-year contract on Tuesday. Does the name sound familiar? It should. Smith was drafted by the Bengals out of Alabama in the first round in 2009 and will be heading into his 9th season. He spent last year with the Minnesota Vikings but only started four games before injuring a tricep. Soon after that, he was placed on injured reserve and didn’t play for the rest of the season.
  • Guard/center TJ Johnson agreed to a 2-year deal on Friday. Johnson is a third-year man out of South Carolina and was chosen in the 7th round of the 2015 draft.
  • Finally, two players who are no longer on the Bengals’ roster include wide receiver James Wright (released) and running back Rex Burkhead (signed with the New England Patriots). Since losing Burkhead leaves the team thin at that position look for them to take advantage of a talent-rich draft that includes names like Florida State’s Dalvin Cook, LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, and Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara.

Bengals Free Agency News – Winston Back In The Nati, Peko to Denver

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Well after a tough first day of Free Agency this past Thursday most Bengals fans are slowly stepping back from the ledge…slowly, very slowly. It seemed like the 2017 season was already over in the eyes of most Bengals fans after losing both OT Andrew Whitworth (to the Rams) and G Kevin Zeitler (to the Browns) in the same day.

On Friday the Bengals added a solid player and much needed depth to the offensive line by re-signing veteran OT Eric Winston to 1 year deal. Winston is the president of the NFL Players Association and started 2 games for the Bengals last season, he also has had experience playing Guard in the past so he also adds value in that way.

Long time DT Domata Peko is also headed out of Cincy as he signed a 2 year deal with the Denver Broncos on Saturday. Peko was an excellent teammate and a great guy in the community, it will be a bit weird seeing his long lion-like hair in another teams uniform. It looked like Peko had lost a bit of a step the past few seasons and the Bengals have good young depth coming up at defensive tackle with guys like Marcus Hardison, Andrew Billings and DeShawn Williams in addition to veterans Pat Sims and Brandon Thompson.

Bengals Free Agency News – Dre In, Whit and Zeit Out

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Well – good news and bad news in free agency so far.

Bad news first – the Cincinnati Bengals lost their two best offensive lineman to other teams on Thursday. Andrew Whitworth inked a 3-year, $36 million deal with the LA Rams.

Kevin Zeitler went even bigger (with a smaller team). KZ will spend the next 5 years with the Cleveland Browns, and get 60 million bucks for it. It’s kinda sad that the Bengals didn’t even make an offer for him. But it’s also not surprising – the Cincy brass traditionally doesn’t place a lot of value on offensive guards.

Given this departure of talent, it’s a good thing that quarterback Andy Dalton is under contract. Otherwise, he might blow town now that the two best players are gone from a line that allowed 41 sacks last season.

So, will the Bengals try to snag some bodies from the free agency field to replace the Whitworth-Zeitler protection agency? Or will they look to the draft to get some big uglies? Some names to remember include Minnesota Vikings (and former Bengal) OT Andre Smith, LSU  C/G Ethan Pocic, and Western Kentucky’s OT/G Forrest Lamp. Keep an eye out for them.

Now, The Good News

Dre Kirkpatrick signed a 5-year, $52.5 million contract Thursday. His presence is almost as big a gain to the secondary as Zeitler and Whitworth are a loss to the O-line. He provides stability to the defensive backfield and was a big reason why the Cincinnati Bengals tied for fourth in the NFL last year with 17 interceptions. Many wonder how or if this move will impact the future of CB Adam Jones, who has had off-the-field trouble.


Overall, this didn’t feel like a good day for Cincinnati. Losing Whitworth and Zeitel hurts no matter who the team signs to replace them. Getting Kirkpatrick is good and there are still plenty of quality players out there to be signed or drafted. But it still feels like a step back. And for a team that entered 2016 with playoff expectations and finished 6-9-1, any step back can be bad. Real bad.

Will the Bengals have back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 2007-08? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.