Geno Atkins was the 2-14 Cincinnati Bengals’ lone Pro Bowl representative last season despite having his fewest amount of sacks and pressures since 2014 and his least amount of tackles for loss since his rookie season. Bengals coaches acknowledge that Atkins is the linchpin on the team’s defensive line, but they concede he wore down during the season. To aid Atkins in the trenches, the Bengals signed one of the best defensive tackles in free agency – D.J. Reader.
Andrew Billings had a productive season playing alongside Atkins in 2019, yet he’s not a disruptive one-technique defensive tackle like Reader.