Five free agents the Bengals should consider signing to stop the bleeding

Bengals free-agent options: Damon Harrison

It’s hard to blame anybody for the state of Cincinnati’s defensive tackle position. Before the season even began, they lost three players on the depth chart. Josh Tupou opted out, Ryan Glasgow failed his physical, and Renell Wren came down with a season-ending injury.

Now, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is missing two of his top players at the position, again due to injury, in Geno Atkins and Mike Daniels. This resulted in a horrific performance against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football.

The Atkins situation feels eerily similar to A.J. Green’s from a year ago. Officially, the all-pro defensive tackle is “day-to-day” but it’s anybody’s guess when he’ll actually suit up again. Daniels has suffered numerous injuries himself over the past couple of years and although he still plays at a high level, his availability cannot be trusted.

That’s where Damon Harrison comes in. He could be the shot in the arm the Bengals’ run defense needs. He’s a run-stopping specialist, coming in at 353 pounds and standing at 6’3. Per Pro Football Focus, he put together elite seasons with a 90+ grade from 2015-2018.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bengals, along with a couple of other teams have already shown interest in Harrison. Cincinnati should do everything in their power to pull off this signing and give the defense a better chance of supporting Joe Burrow.