Bengals plan on having Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap on a 'pitch count'
CINCINNATI — Eight-time Pro Bowler Geno Atkins played a career-high 816 snaps last season for the 2-14 Bengals. The coaching staff hopes to change that in 2020.
Cincinnati signed D.J. Reader to a four-year, $53 million deal in hopes of alleviating some of the pressure on Atkins and maximizing his abilities.
The same goes for Carlos Dunlap, who was on the field for 69 percent of the Bengals plays on defense in 2019 despite missing two games.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo says the team is going to monitor both players, in hopes of keeping them fresh for all 16 games.
"We’ll have a pitch count," Anarumo said in his first news conference since training camp started. "They’re both in great shape, as always. You don’t really see the effect with those guys early in the year. It’s later in the year where they just get worn out and beat up the older they get. I saw it with Cam Wake down in Miami. We’d start off the season and then by the end of the year they (snaps) take a toll on him the longer they go."
Atkins is 32-years-old and Dunlap is 31. They've been dominant in the trenches for the past decade.
The team hopes to be more efficient with how they both guys. It's why they drafted Khalid Kareem in the fifth-round. They hope he can give Dunlap a breather on the edge. The same goes for Atkins. It's a delicate balance because they want their best players on the field in critical moments.
Anarumo recalled a moment against the Raiders last season when both Atkins and Dunlap were one the sidelines during a big play. They hope to avoid that situation this season.
"You have to keep those guys’ rep count low just because of where [the position] they are," Anarumo said. "When the most impactful plays are about to happen, hopefully they’re in there."
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