Blockbuster Trade Could Signal the End for Bengals Linemen

Coming of his first season in Cincinnati.

Aug 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. (90) and defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr. (98) walk off the field at halftime against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

After making a huge trade for Dexter Lawrence in exchange for the 10th overall pick in this years draft, the Bengals could be moving on from defensive linemen TJ Slaton sooner rather then later.

Slaton and Lawrence both primarily play at the nose tackle position on the defensive line, and the gap in level of play between the two is large.

While Slaton provided solid at best play last season, he still graded out as a below-average player on the defensive line with a grade of only 44.0 per PFF, with a 57.9 pass rush grade, and 41.1 grade in run defense.

It could easily be argued that the PFF grades do not reflect Slaton's impact as he still managed 3 sacks last season and 19 pressures, but the same argument can be made with Lawrence as even with only half a sack last season, he still garnered 34 pressures and was a consistent force against both the run and pass game in while nursing an elbow injury..

What could seal Slaton's fate for his time in the Queen City is the fact that the Bengals would save over $6 million if they were to move on from Slaton.

Could TJ Slaton Be Cut Or Traded?

Dec 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr. (98) celebrates after sacking Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) in the third quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

It is entirely possible that after the Bengals traded away their first round pick for Lawrence, they could look to move Slaton in a trade to gain value in the later rounds of the draft, as the defensive tackle class for this draft is especially thin later on.

This could work in the Bengals' favor as they could clear Slaton's salary from the books, while getting possibly a fifth or sixth round pick if another team is desperate for a big-bodied Nose Tackle on the defensive line.

Coming off his most productive pass-rushing season, it is logical to think that Slaton could have some value late in the draft as a trade piece.

If the Bengals end up releasing Slaton then the loss may not sting much, as Lawrence immediately comes in and becomes one of the most talented players on the roster.

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