The Bengals have made serious improvements on the defensive line this offseason. They first added Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen in free agency, before making a blockbuster trade for Dexter Lawrence.
Memories of Trey Hendrickson are long gone with this new look defensive front; however, all is not sorted for Al Golden just yet. The Bengals will make their final roster cut on August 30, and they will likely have to get rid of several defensive linemen.
The cut candidates will likely be T.J. Slaton, McKinnley Jackson, Jordan Jefferson, Landon Robinson and Howard Cross III. But who will make the 53-man list, and who will miss out?
Landon Robinson in danger of being cut
The Bengals drafted Navy tackle Robinson in the seventh round of the draft, but he is becoming more and more of an intriguing name. The 23-year-old has impressed in OTAs, however, he remains at risk of being cut.
In a recent interview with Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Robinson said that he isn't thinking about the cut and is just focusing on improving as best he can.
"Just keep working. You have all the tools that you need. Just keep working. Just keep going."Landon Robinson, Bengals.com
The Bengals could make a critical error if Landon Robinson gets waived
Despite being a seventh round pick, and despite being undersized for an interior lineman, there is a lot to like about Robinson. He makes up for his size with his strength, and is certainly good enough to make the grade for one of the 32 teams in the NFL.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein says that he has enough talent to succeed, so it is down to the Bengals to take the risk and keep him on the roster:
"Robinson might not possess ideal measurables, but don’t ignore his game tape. He’s typically quicker than opponents when activated in slanting, stemming fronts. While his sack production might not translate, he's disruptive when active. [...] Robinson has the talent to grab a roster spot as a 1-technique in the right scheme."
Who could the Bengals cut instead?
In terms of who Robinson will likely be battling against, it is understood that both T.J Slaton and McKinnley Jackson could be cut candidates, and they may have to both miss out in order for Robinson to make the roster.
However, we have seen what we have in Slaton, he is a 'fine' defensive tackle in the NFL, but isn't exactly a game changer, and now that the Bengals have Lawrence and Allen in the interior, the need for Slaton is limited.
Then, Jackson. He made seven appearances for the Bengals last season, and produced no solo tackles, no sacks, and no forced fumbles. We can afford to take the risk on Robinson.
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