The Cincinnati Bengals have quite a few potential reunion candidates in free agency, but none of them are more coveted than defensive tackle D.J. Reader.
When the Bengals ran to Super Bowl LVI and the AFC Championship Game the next year, Reader was the anchor in the trenches. A phenomenal run defender and underrated pass rusher. The pro's pro and leader Cincinnati's defense has lacked since he and Jessie Bates skipped town.
After a couple seasons with the Detroit Lions, it's possible Reader returns to the Queen City. However, one expert believes he's not worthy of a significant investment.
D.J. Reader named among most overrated free agents by ESPN’s Seth Walder
In a recent piece about the NFL's most underrated and overrated free agents, D.J. Reader was featured the latter category by ESPN's Seth Walder. Judge for yourself if Walder's rationale is sound here:
“Run stop win rate is not a fan of what he did last season, with a sixth-percentile score among interior defenders. I'll be the first to tell you there can be a fair amount of noise in our run-stopping metric, but [...] Reader's tackle rate against the run was only in the ninth percentile. Even if we compare only his play at nose tackle to others' play at the position, that number is still just in the 23rd percentile."
Has Reader lost his figurative fastball? I'm not so sure. It's not like the Lions had some world-beating defense this past season. They allowed the ninth-most yards per pass attempt, and their opponents had to pass often to keep up with Detroit's top-five offense.
Reader was also deployed in an A gap alignment at a far higher clip than he'd ever been in Cincinnati. This limited some of his efficacy in the Motor City.
Between what the Lions were asking him to do in their scheme and the typical high-scoring circumstances of many of their games, Reader wasn't in ideal position to succeed. Or at least produce and make an impact in the way he's accustomed to.
The good news is that if other free-agent suitors run with Walder's narrative about Reader's somewhat diminished production profile, that'll only drive his market down. Not that I don't want Reader to get paid. He's still one of the most underrated players in the entire NFL. I just want the Bengals to be able to afford him!
After all, Reader is one of the many additions I recommended in my 3,000-word mock offseason. Rolling with last year's "marquee" free-agent signee, T.J. Slaton, as the run-stopping nose tackle type is fine, but Reader is a far superior player and always has been.
I personally don't buy the narrative that Reader is damaged goods, declining, or is no longer an impactful run defender. He's well worth a one-year deal, and I don't say two years because in Cincinnati's case, the likes of Jalen Davis and Dalton Risner could only secure a commitment through the 2026 season. If Reader does come back for a second Bengals stint, that's all they're bound to offer him.