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The Giants are expected to sign a former Bengals starter
The Cincinnati Bengals are all-in this offseason. Despite losing Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati had a clear focus on revamping their defense after allowing the third-most points in the NFL last season. After pulling off a trade for a three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman, Dexter Lawrence, who is still in the prime of his career, the Bengals have opened up a championship window for themselves.
With the team having the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, and being among the top 10 teams in available cap space, Cincinnati had a chance to turn the team around. However, after the team’s moderate spending in free agency, a blockbuster trade seemed improbable, let alone one that saw the team give up their best draft asset since the 2021 NFL Draft.
Now, the New York Giants, who traded Lawrence to Cincinnati, have made a move that many expected the Bengals to make in free agency.
Giants Expected to Sign Former Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Lineman
Following the Giants trading Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals, New York created a hole in their defensive line, which they are expected to fill by signing former Bengals player D.J. Reader.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reported that the Giants are expected to sign Reader after the NFL Draft, in order to not affect their compensatory formula. He also reported that the original expectation for the Giants was to pair Lawrence alongside Reader.
D.J. Reader was an integral part of the Bengals’ defense that helped them make two deep playoff runs. In four seasons with the Bengals, Reader started 44 regular season games and seven playoff games. Following the 2023 season, Reader left as a free agent and signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Detroit Lions. In total, Reader has earned over $78 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac. The length and sum of his contract with the Giants has yet to be reported.
Possibilities of a Reunion
Reader remained a steady force with the Lions, and the Bengals were urged to pursue the veteran entering free agency. Following the Lawrence trade, the possibility of a reunion became slim to none, as the team also signed former Pro Bowl interior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen in free agency.
Previously, Fox Sports writer Greg Auman urged Cincinnati to go after Reader as he wrote: “The Bengals could use his presence up front after finishing dead last against the run and bottom three in points and yards allowed in 2025. In his prime with the Bengals, he was graded as a top-10 defensive lineman, and he’s not that anymore, but could still be a match in the $6 million range.”
Instead, they filled those same needs with a two-time second-team All-Pro. Regarding the impact of Lawrence, Bengals on SI’s Zach Pressnell wrote:
“Landing Lawrence is a massive move for the Bengals. He’s going to be a game wrecker in the middle of their defense. This defense desperately needed an impact player at defensive tackle. Jonathan Allen was a solid addition, but Lawrence is the kind of player who takes a bad defense and helps turn it into a good one.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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