Three Veteran Defensive Tackles Cincinnati Bengals Could Sign in Free Agency

The Bengals are dealing with multiple injuries in their defensive line room.

Dec 10, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos defensive linesmen Mike Purcell (98) during pregame in a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yannick Peterhans-Imagn Images / Yannick Peterhans-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Bengals defensive tackles BJ Hill and Sheldon Rankins both suffered hamstring injuries in Cincinnati's Week 2 loss to the Chiefs.

Rookie nose tackle McKinnley Jackson is on injured reserve and Kris Jenkins is still recovering from thumb surgery.

Will the Bengals sign a defensive tackle after suffering a plethora of injuries in a key spot?

"That’s something that we’ve gotta talk about and continue to have a plan going forward. Which they have," head coach Zac Taylor said. "We’ve talked about that upstairs. We’ll see where the week takes us."

They could add someone, but it wouldn't be shocking if they give rookie Justin Rogers a look. They signed him to the practice squad after the Cowboys waived him during final cuts.

There aren't a ton of options available in free agency, but here are three guys they could target:

Mike Purcell

The 33-year-old appeared in 16 games and made 10 starts for the Broncos last season. He was released by the Patriots last month.

Purcell would be the oldest player on the Bengals' roster, but he's been durable, appearing in at least 13 games in each of the last three seasons, finishing with 103 tackles and five quarterback hits over that span.

Lawrence Guy

The problem with Purcell, Guy or virtually any of the available options at defensive tackle is their age.

Guy is 34 years old and his best days are behind him. He's played in 172 games since entering the league in 2012. He's posted sub-70 PFF grades each of the past three seasons (45.5 overall in 2023).

Carl Davis

Davis, 32, appeared in three games for the Cowboys last season. Dallas released him in August.

The veteran appeared in 36 contests for the Patriots from 2020-22 and has played in 75 career games. Davis could give the Bengals another proven option on the interior. The 6-5, 335 pound lineman has 68 career tackles and 2.5 sacks.

There aren't a ton of veteran options available, which makes the Bengals' job of finding defensive tackle help that much more challenging. Of the three options listed, Purcell makes the most sense.

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