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6 Bengals veterans who won’t be on Zac Taylor’s roster next year
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- 6 Bengals veterans who won’t be on Zac Taylor’s roster next year
The Cincinnati Bengals head for an offseason of change with some obvious big shifts coming for the defensive side of the ball.
Roster turnover is a staple of every offseason, of course, so expect lots of changes in free agency and the draft.
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Right now, though, here's a quick rundown of veteran players, free agents or otherwise, who probably won't be on the Bengals roster next season.
CB Cam Taylor-Britt
The Taylor-Britt experiment concluded in 2025. He got benched, then suffered a serious injury. Around all of that, he had multiple off-field issues allegedly involving reckless driving.
TE Noah Fant
Now 29 years old, Fant was a hyped signing for the Bengals who wound up disappointing. He caught just 34 passes over 15 games and scored three times, but multiple big fumbles stick out.
RELATED: Bengals sound ready to leave comfort zone, do contract extension early
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TJ Slaton
Given the need on the interior of the defensive line, it would be a mild shock to see the Bengals cut veteran help. But Slaton's a classic dead-money example of a Bengals cut. Letting him go would clear up $6.4 million in space . If the plan is this area as early as Round 1, it only makes sense.
LB Oren Burks
Burks was quietly the Bengals' worst free-agent signing last offseason. He played just 340 snaps to a 30.2 PFF grade and they would save $2.3 million if they cut him. They need depth that can rotate into the base defense is necessary.
DE Joseph Ossai
Ossai is probably going to find a nice deal in free agency. He's 26 and still productive, but the Bengals already have a lot invested in first-rounders Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart .
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DE Trey Hendrickson
The Bengals would probably be very smart to apply a franchise tag to the All-Pro defender who just led the NFL in sacks during his last fully healthy season. The last time they let an All-Pro walk ( Jessie Bates ) didn't exactly go so well. But the front office isn't known for its well-rounded decision-making all the time. And in its defense, the team could decide to spread that tag cap hit across all levels of the defense.
RELATED: Bengals cap space outlook changes with NFL salary cap update
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: 6 Bengals veterans who won't be on Zac Taylor's roster next year
