Bengals elevate Freedom Akinmoladun and Trayvon Henderson for Thursday night matchup with Browns
CLEVELAND, OH — The Bengals elevated defensive tackle Freedom Akinmoladun and safety Trayvon Henderson from the practice squad for tonight's game against the Browns.
They currently have 55 players on the roster. Both Akinmoladun and Henderson will revert back to the practice squad on Friday.
The moves make sense due to the injuries on defense. The Bengals will be without eight-time Pro Bowler Geno Atkins for a second-straight game because of a shoulder injury. Veteran defensive tackle Mike Daniels started in Atkins' place on Sunday against the Chargers, but he's also out with a groin injury.
The Bengals already promoted defensive lineman Amani Bledsoe from the practice squad earlier this week. Bringing up Akinmoladun is a no-brainer. He had a good training camp and would've likely made the 53-man roster, but the Bengals were able to bolster their defensive line depth by trading for Christian Covington.
Look for Covington and Andrew Brown to play a big role on the interior of the Bengals' defense on Thursday night.
Henderson is active because Shawn Williams (calf) is still out. The veteran safety injured his calf in training camp and hasn't fully recovered.
The Bengals' defense is going to be challenged on Thursday night. Look for the Browns to try to establish themselves on the ground against a defense that'll be without Atkins and Daniels.
Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are the best 1-2 running back combination in the league. Containing them will bode well for Cincinnati's chances, but it won't be easy.
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