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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 …

Winners and Losers: Preseason Week 1

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While it was only preseason, man was it great to have football back. We saw an encouraging performance from the Bengals starters in their 30-27 victory over the Chicago Bears. Here are a few of the winners and losers from the first game of the year.

John Ross – Wide Receiver
Winner

I am listing Ross as a winner, despite him falling down on a route resulting in a pick six early in the game. Ross did not play a perfect game, however he had flashes that showed why the Bengals picked him 9th overall in 2017. Ross’s one catch for the night was a short route where he caught the ball about four to five yards from the line of scrimmage, right in front of the defender. Most wide receivers would have fought for an extra yard or two and been tackled, but this is where Ross is different. Ross juked out the defender and turned on the jets, accelerating for 20 yards and nearly scoring. It was the type of play that showed just how dangerous he can be in the open field. Ross also remained in the game and got a lot of targets even after his mistake. It was a good sign that Marvin Lewis left him in rather than benching him for the mistake. Ross got a few red zone targets later in the night, one in which he went up in the air to snag the ball and nearly drug both toes in the back of the endzone. Some will say both feet were down, but regardless he showed just enough to flash his monster upside.

Matt Barkley – Quarterback
Loser

Going into Thursday night Barkley was the second quarterback on the Bengals depth chart, but if he continues with performances like he did against the Bears, Barkley could find himself as a free agent. Barkley showed next to nothing in his time against the Bears, completing just five passes for 64 yards. He was able to lead a few drives resulting in field goals, but gave Bengals fans no confidence if something were to happen to Dalton. Barkley will need to seriously step up his game to avoid being passed up by Jeff Driskel, who played very well.

Geno Atkins – Defensive End
Winner

Geno was his usual disruptive self against Chicago, contributing to the first team defense that held Mitchell Trubisky to only four yards passing. Early on in the game versus the Bears first string offense, Geno bulldozed an offensive lineman to the ground getting right to Trubisky for the sack. It was a reminder that Geno is still one of the league’s most elite defensive tackles. A few plays later Geno rushed into the backfield drawing an offensive holding penalty after the Bears line was forced to hold him to keep him from recording his second sack of the night. A five yard penalty is as good as a sack for the defense. Geno showed us that even if you don’t let him get to the quarterback, he can still be a defensive nightmare. Geno should once again be one the key players on this Bengals defense.

Malik Jefferson – Linebacker
Loser

It is not a huge red flag as this was Jefferson’s first NFL game ever, but Jefferson didn’t flash much. Outside of his one tackle we saw Jefferson miss a tackle on a run to the outside that led to the Bears getting a big gain. As if him being a liability on the ground wasn’t enough we also saw him struggle in pass coverage, getting beat several times. It is likely Jefferson was not ready for the speed of the NFL and will be able to better prepare for their week 2 Preseason matchup, but for someone who was taken in the third round Jefferson must improve. With Vontaze Burfict out for the first few games, Malik has a huge opportunity to showcase what he can do with an expected increase of snaps. Jefferson is still raw and developing his instincts, expect him to improve in week 2.

The Cincinnati Bengals Offense
Winner

After an embarrassing 2017 filled with bad line play and no creativity, we saw a new look Bengals offense against the Bears. With a full offseason of Bill Lazor, young wideouts like Ross, Boyd, and Malone, and a new line, this Bengals offense gave fans hope. The Bengals came out firing and moved the ball very effectively. We saw AJ Green lined up in the slot against linebackers, Joe Mixon lined up wide running wide receiver routes, and we also saw Tyler Boyd shine from the slot. Bill Lazor will not be short on weapons this year, and while it was only one game it appears he knows how to utilize them. We saw one blunder by the first team offense, John Ross’s slip, but was otherwise lights out and appeared to be clicking well. Bill and his new offense bring excitement the Bengals have been missing.

Follow me on Twitter @Pierson242FF, be sure to tweet at me for any Bengals related questions or comments. Who Dey!

Which 3 Cincinnati Bengals Players Cannot Get Injured in 2018?

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How would The Godfather have turned out if the understudies had taken over for Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan? Answer: Unwatchable.

That’s a good word to associate with the Cincinnati Bengals if they lose these players to season-ending injuries in 2018. The stars can get the job done, but if the backups have to replace them at some point, we’ll be flipping to other channels, hoping they made Godfather IV: Corleones on Patrol and we somehow missed it in the theater.

Cincinnati Bengals Players We Pray Aren’t Lost to Injury This Year

Andy Dalton: We’ll start here because this one is the biggest and most obvious. Simply put, if we lose Dalton, we lose the season. When AJ McCarron was the backup, we might not have been so quick to make that statement. But unprovens and semi-provens are lining the bench with Matt Barkley, Jeff Driskel, and Logan Woodside (and we’ll likely lose one in the cut).

Barkley has the most experience, though he’s on his sixth stop in the NFL. Yes, he can play quarterback, but how much confidence does that thought instill in you, or the Cincinnati Bengals offense? It’s like telling your fellow 747 passengers not to worry – if the crew gets food poisoning, you’ll take over because you’ve beaten Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation on your Xbox One.

Driskel is in his third year in the league, but has been injured most of his college and pro careers. Rookie Woodside is 6’2”, 213 pounds and enjoys movies, Chinese food, and long walks on the beach at sunset.

One or more of them could very well turn out to be a quality player. But not in 2018.

AJ Green
Even though Green plays at a position with some depth, we fear an injury to him because ….. well, he’s AJ Green. Losing him would mean “Time to step up, newbies!” instead of “Oh no, what are we going to do now?!” (read: QB) – and neither of those options is good for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tyler Boyd is a third-year guy who has 76 career catches for 828 yards. He would definitely assume an even larger role in the offense if Green was out. Let’s just hope he has a ride to the game.

John Ross is healthy and turning heads in camp. Cody Core is a third-year guy with good size (6’3”) who played in 13 games last year (though he did not record a reception). Josh Malone was having a good training camp but must rest his recently-tweaked hamstring. They can all pitch in to cover the potential loss of Green ……. we hope.

Geno Atkins
You probably know how we feel about a Geno-Atkins-less defensive line. The concern is the same as for the QB and WR positions: Young players behind them on the depth chart.

Atkins is a six-time Pro Bowl selection. Backup Ryan Glasgow is a second-year, fourth-round draft pick with 23 career tackles. That gap should tell you something.

Backup-backup Chris Baker is a journeyman who is on his fifth team in 10 years. Backup-backup-backup Chris Okoye is big on size (6’6”, 320), but small on college and experience (Ferris State, rookie).

Cincinnati Bengals – Keep Atkins and Dunlap After 2018

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Dear Cincinnati Bengals ownership,

We don’t mean the ones from Cleveland when we say this: If you don’t re-sign Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap after this year, then you can eat browns and die.

Sincerely, the fans

This could be among your thoughts this offseason. With 2018 being the contract year for these two solid defensive line players, you’d have to think (well, pray) that Mike Brown and the Cincy bigwigs will bring their checkbook and pay Dunlap and Atkins some coin to keep them around for a few more seasons.

Why the Cincinnati Bengals Must Keep Dunlap and Atkins After 2018

Atkins is a six-time Pro Bowler, including the last four years straight. Dunlap has started every game since 2013. Barring injury, he should pass Eddie Edwards’ all-time franchise sack total of 83.5 (official and unofficial) within the next two years. You don’t want to lose those kinds of players – especially when the backups are unproven.

Ryan Glasgow tallied only 23 stops in his 2017 rookie campaign. Sam Hubbard, the third-round draft pick out of Ohio State, is still learning how to carry Dunlap’s laundry. They could develop into fine football players, but they aren’t ready yet.

If that weren’t enough, we’ve already seen how losing two quality guys can affect line play. The Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line lost Andrew Whitworth (Los Angeles Rams) and Kevin Zeitler (Cleveland Browns) after the 2016 season. You could cliff-dive off the drop in production.

From ‘16 to ‘17, the team went from 13th in the NFL in rushing (110.6 yards per game) to 31st (85.4). That put more pressure on the passing game (which you never want to be forced into), and with a lack of playmakers, the results were predictable. The Cincinnati Bengals offense couldn’t move if they hired a fleet of U-Haul vans.

Now translate that to the defense. With Dunlap and Atkins leading the way, the Bengals were tied for 11th in the league with 41 sacks. Yes, the defense ranked near the bottom in rushing yards allowed, but the point is, how much worse do those numbers get if the two best big bodies blow town? If we lose these guys, opposing running backs will be five yards downfield before Vontaze Burfict can get suspended.

That’s our two cents. So Mike Brown, make us proud. Re-sign Dunlap and don’t go on an Atkins diet. We’ve been two to three wins away from the playoff conversation over the last couple of years. The continued presence of these two could mean making it … or waiting for the next Dunlap and Atkins to come along.