The Cincinnati Bengals came out of left field this offseason to steal one of free agency’s bigger prizes on the defensive side of the ball with D.J. Reader.
Reader comes over and joins a Geno Atkins-led defensive line and provides an immediate, tangible upgrade that should have a positive ripple effect on the entire defense.
Just look at how Reader’s former teammate J.J. Watt continues to talk about the loss, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle:
“It’s no secret I love D.J. He’s one of my best friends, he’s a great guy. I’m certainly going to miss him both in the D-line room, on the field, and off the field just as a friend, having him up there in Cincinnati. But I also at the same time, I can’t be mad at him. There’s a whole bunch of reasons that he’s in Cincinnati now.”
And rest assured Watt would know a thing or two about elite defensive line play.
This isn’t the first time a member of the Texans has waxed poetic about the loss of Reader, either — Houston head coach Bill O’Brien wasn’t too happy about it.
Reader, just 25 years old, is one of the NFL’s better interior disruptors in the prime of his career. His play didn’t need past teammates and coaches regretting the loss as it speaks for itself.
But it sure doesn’t hurt to hear names like Watt and O’Brien confirm what we’ve seemed to know all along — the Bengals got a good one for the front seven.
