A former Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher could assist a division rival with its weakening pass rush.
The Cincinnati Bengals need an edge rusher and have the option to look for Trey Hendrickson's replacement as contract negotiations do not appear to be fruitful.
One possibility is former Steelers edge rusher Preston Smith.
According to Pro Football Network's Mark Stolte, he predicts the Bengals will go that route and sign the free agent.
"Preston Smith fits the Bengals. He typically plays shaded on the outside of the offensive tackle and is a stout run defender. In my opinion, he is a better player than Joseph Ossai and would be a clear upgrade to the Bengals defensive line," Stolte said,
Smith was only reasonably productive last season as he had 4.5 sacks and 18 quarterback pressures through 17 games. He was obtained by the Steelers from the Green Bay Packers at the trade deadline and struggled to gain his own identity on the defensive line.
Despite his off 2024 season, Smith did post three straight campaigns of over eight sacks from 2021 to 2023. He would on paper be a nice add for new defensive coordinator Al Golden's Bengals.
He would not solve all of their pass rushing issues, but could provide a some locker room presence and stable leadership across the line.
Per overthecap.com, the Bengals still have approximately $23 million in cap room to sign Smith. Let's call this a rumor for now, but …
He could sign a cap-friendly deal to give the Bengals some veteran presence on the defensive line.
