The Bengals may be beginning the process of moving away from their all-time sack leader. For the first time since the 2012 season, Carlos Dunlap did not start. Cincinnati used younger defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Carl Lawson as its first-stringers in Baltimore, playing Dunlap on a season-low 46% of the defensive snaps. Dunlap, who signed an extension to stay in Cincinnati in 2018, said the Bengals did not inform him directly about a demotion ahead of the game but merely listed his new non-starter status on an updated depth chart.
“That’s crazy, right? I mean, you would think common decency would be something like that,” Dunlap said (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) of the coaching staff not discussing his new role beforehand. “I mean, it’s not like I’m injured or anything. I’m not nursing anything. I’ve been blessed. Eleven years in the game. But I understand business, and evidently, this is the business they want to do.”
Dunlap now looms as a 2021 cap casualty. The Bengals would save $11.25MM by cutting him next year, and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic (subscription required) expects a release to commence. He could be a trade chip this year, with the rebuilding Bengals sitting last in a stacked division. Dunlap, 31, is due more than $5MM in remaining 2020 base salary. Dunlap’s 82.5 sacks are seven more than anyone else has accumulated in Bengals history, but Pro Football Focus rates both Lawson and Hubbard above him through five games.
Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- Dunlap will not be the only longtime Bengal out of the picture next year. The team spending $18MM-plus to tag A.J. Green has not worked out, and John Ross has been a healthy scratch the past three weeks. Perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins made his season debut last week, but Dehner notes in the same piece the $9.6MM the team could save by moving on him puts that on the table. Atkins’ 75.5 sacks are second in Bengals history, holding that spot by more than 25 sacks. A fellow 11th-year vet, Atkins signed an extension along with Dunlap in 2018. Two years remain on his deal, whereas 2021 would be a Dunlap contract year.
- On the subject of big-picture separations, the Steelers will have a decision to make fairly soon. They appear to have unearthed their latest Day 2 wide receiver success story, with Chase Claypool dominating the Eagles in a four-touchdown performance. With Claypool signed through 2023 and both Diontae Johnson and James Washington signed beyond this season, JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s future with the team could be cloudy. The Steelers should be expected to let the former Pro Bowler walk in free agency, per Ed Bouchette of The Athletic. Art Rooney II was vague on this subject this offseason. Ahead of the curve at identifying receiver talent, the Steelers have only signed Hines Ward and Antonio Brown to notable extensions in the Ben Roethlisberger era. Smith-Schuster is averaging just 9.0 yards per catch this season (21/188). That said, his 1,400-yard 2018 season would make the 23-year-old slot receiver a hot commodity on the 2021 market.
- Although injured reserve stays only require three-week absences this season, the Bengals are not planning on having one of their starting O-linemen back soon. Guard Xavier Su’a-Filo is not expected to return until after Cincinnati’s Week 9 bye. Zac Taylor said the veteran blocker may be out beyond that point, per Dehner (on Twitter). The Bengals signed Su’a-Filo this offseason and used him as a Week 1 starter but placed him on IR because of an injured ankle soon after.
- Prior to the Ravens promoting center Trystan Colon-Castillo, multiple teams expressed interest in poaching him from Baltimore’s practice squad, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets. The Ravens signed the University of Missouri product as a UDFA this year; they made him a game-day inactive in Week 5.
Classic Bengal move(s), trade a year too late.
More proof that the NFL is a “what have you done for us lately?” league.
Yes, that’s the entire point of professional sports. Congratulations for figuring it out.
I feel pretty stupid because I thought the entire point of professional sports was to distract us from figuring out things that were actually important.
Every single time the Steelers draft a wide receiver the exact same things happen…
The national writers look at mock drafts and call the pick a reach. Their drafts are given C or B- grades by the hot takers.
The local fans and media spend a few days complaining and asking “why did they pick this guy they didn’t need because they already have X, Y and Z?”
The player becomes a star (or serviceable in the case of Washington).
Mel Kiper literally had Claypool going one pick higher than he did in the actual draft. You can just enjoy Claypool being awesome without having an axe to grind about it.
A) Who listens to Mel Kiper?
B) I never said the lazy writers or dimwit fans were right.
Why anyone would second guess Colbert and his scouts on a mid round receiver I have no idea?
He’s the single most famous national draft writer. Plenty of other people had Claypool going in roughly that range. You can find someone second guessing any pick, but the consensus would not have had Claypool as a reach at the time.
I Googled “2020 steelers draft grades” This is from the first site returned…
“Round 2: Notre Dame WR Chase Claypool
This pick was a bit of a surprise to me. The Steelers going wide receiver was not, but the fact that it was Claypool over Denzel Mims is something a bit unexpected. On tape, Claypool feels like more of a third-round talent than a middle of the second-round talent as a whole.
However, even if it was a slight reach based on true talent, Claypool’s fit…”
This is from the second site…
“Biggest Reach: Chase Claypool
A strong combine performance really boosted Claypool’s stock compared to what his tape showed. At the NFL Combine, Claypool showcased as an enticing height/weight/speed prospect that never showed up on tape. He routinely struggled to separate downfield and struggled when faced with press coverage.
Claypool is a huge target with a large catch radius. He’ll make the tough grabs in contested situations and will be a deadly red-zone weapon. He also blocks well on the perimeter, adding more value in the run game.
The Steelers plan will likely be to use Claypool outside at X so they can move JuJu Smith-Schuster into the slot more often. For my money, Claypool is better off as a big-slot target, where he can use his size over the middle more effectively, so this move is puzzling to me. There were better outside receivers on the board for the Steelers to take. Thus, this is deemed the biggest reach of the Steelers’ 2020 NFL Draft.”
No, you’re right about what the pundits said about Claypool. It is annoying how some knock the Steelers picks, but then those picks turn out to be awesome. And Mel Kiper is amusing at best. I doubt most teams listen to a word he says.
Which brings me back to my original point: Why stay mad at random people you googled instead of just enjoying that your team made what appears to be a really good and really fun pick?
Who is angry? I’m just laughing at them.
My favorite draft guru has always been Mike Mayock. When he was on NFL Network the one surefire way to piss him off was to ask him for draft grades right after a draft. There are many reasons why it’s dumb to grade so soon and people who see draft grades the week after a draft and then get mad when they are off should know better.
Mayock is awful
It is annoying. I will never forget the F that Seattle got in 2012 when they drafted both Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner.
(Sadly however, Seattle’s earned some F’s in recent drafts)
JuJu will definitely be somewhere else next season
Where is Le’Veon blurb?? Hire me please…(not kidding)
Right here, Le’Veon Bell released. happy now?
You too could be a professional aggregator!
I’m delighted my man, thank you. Came here to check for TradeRumors insight on the headline (that you so conveniently provided), yet we are still waiting…
Still no post about Bell being released??
Common decency and professionalism is the mark of a team of a team headed upward. You certainly do not “owe” it to a longtime starter to start him, but you do owe it to him to tell him when you’re benching him while healthy. The way you treat players is something other players notice, so don’t bend over backward, but do be professional.