Bengals release preseason standout Raymond Johnson III during final cuts
The Cincinnati Bengals are in the process of trimming their roster down to an initial 53 players, and that has led to a tough decision to release edge defender Raymond Johnson III. Per NFL insider Aaron Wilson, Johnson was one of the Bengals' cuts Tuesday morning. Johnson was a relatively unknown player entering his second […]
The Cincinnati Bengals are in the process of trimming their roster down to an initial 53 players, and that has led to a tough decision to release edge defender Raymond Johnson III.
Per NFL insider Aaron Wilson, Johnson was one of the Bengals' cuts Tuesday morning.
Johnson was a relatively unknown player entering his second training camp in Cincinnati last month. He spent the entire 2022 season on the practice squad and was brought back at the beginning of the offseason.
Once the preseason began, no one showed out more than Johnson in a Bengals jersey. He asserted himself as the best player on Cincinnati's second-string defense, and as Wilson points out, earned a high defense grade from Pro Football Focus this month. He racked up a total of eight pressures, including two sacks and two quarterback hits, as well as six run stops.
Johnson flashed in each of his three preseason games, but his release was more about something he couldn't control. The Bengals have ample depth at edge defender, even with Joseph Ossai reportedly suffering a high ankle sprain. Even if Johnson made the initial 53, the odds of him being active on game days were slim.
Cincinnati will now wait to see if Johnson clears waivers so they can add him back to the practice squad, but with how well he performed under the lights, there's a decent chance one of the 31 other clubs snags him.
Bengals 2023 roster cut tracker
Your one-stop shop for all the Bengals’ roster cuts and transactions before the 53-man roster is announced.
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