Earlier this offseason, former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Javon Hargrave signed the largest contract ever for a nose tackle. A short time later, he was outdone by the deal the Cincinnati Bengals gave to D.J. Reader, coming over from the Houston Texans. Of course, both of them are actually moving into a 4-3 system.
And for Reader at least, one of the principle goals of his offseason has been to drop weight. He told the Bengals’ website that he has shed something like 20 pounds this offseason, now coming in at around 320 pounds. That’s still heavy enough to play a ‘nose tackle’ role, but this will allow him to play on his feet better.