The Bengals could save some serious money by moving on from these names.
Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) tackles Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
CINCINNATI — NFL.com’s Matt Okada pointed out a few notable cut candidates for the Bengals this offseason, including Sam Hubbard, Sheldon Rankins, and Alex Cappa.
The two defenders may not be Bengals for much longer after disappointing 2024 seasons.
“The Bengals defense has been on a bit of a roller-coaster ride in recent years, but Sam Hubbard has been a consistent piece on the edge since he was drafted in 2018,” Okada noted. “Unfortunately, both he and the defense as a whole had awful seasons in 2024. Hubbard matched his career low with just two sacks and set a new career low with three tackles for loss. His 47.6 Pro Football Focus pass rush grade was dead last among 69 edge rushers with at least 500 defensive snaps. Letting him go would create $9.5 million in cap savings. Cincy needs to retool its defense, and this would be a good starting point.
“Another potential casualty of the 2024 Bengals’ defensive debacle could be Sheldon Rankins. He just signed a two-year deal with Cincy last offseason, but he missed 10 games and was not particularly good in the seven he played. He earned a 46.2 run defense grade and a 58.9 pass rush grade from PFF and totaled just 18 tackles and one sack/TFL/QB hit — which came against the league’s most easily sacked quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Cutting Rankins will save Cincinnati another $9.6 million against the cap as it seeks to fix that porous defense.”
According to PFF, Cappa finished last among all NFL guards in pressures (51), hurries (36), and sacks allowed (eight, tied with Houston’s Shaq Mason) during the 2024 season.
“Alex Cappa has been a mainstay on the Cincinnati offensive line for three straight years, starting all 50 regular-season games,” Okada wrote. “That said, he’s also allowed 15 sacks over that span, third-most by any guard in the league, and has a PFF pass-blocking grade of 55.2, which ranks 64th out of 79 guards with at least 600 snaps in that window. The Bengals can save $8 million against the cap by cutting Cappa, who’s entering a contract year. Despite his consistent availability, that’s a recipe for an early departure.”
Cincinnati can create $27.2 million in total extra cap space by releasing this trio.
