13 hours Ago By Dharya Sharma
The Cincinnati Bengals made their first roster cut of the 2025 offseason on Friday, as the team moved on from defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who signed a two-year, $24.5 million deal with the team last offseason. Rankins appeared in just seven games last season due to injury and didn't make much of an impact even when he was on the field.
Cincinnati saved $9.6 million in cap space by parting ways with the veteran defender and now has $61.9 million in cap room, per Over the Cap.
Releasing Rankins was a move that was expected, but there are a few more moves the Bengals should make to clear cap space ahead of a pivotal free agency period. Bengals cut candidates By cutting guard Alex Cappa, linebacker Germaine Pratt, and defensive end Sam Hubbard, Cincinnati would save $23.3 million in cap space.
All three players have been starters for the Bengals over the last few seasons but can easily be replaced if the team decides to move on. Cappa had an abysmal 2024 campaign, as the 30-year-old allowed eight sacks and 51 quarterback pressures and was one of the worst pass-blocking guards in football, per Pro Football Focus. Cincinnati would save $8 million by cutting the veteran guard and incur a $2.
2 million dead cap charge. Pratt requested a trade on Feb.12 with one year left on his contract.
The Bengals would save $5.8 million by moving on and eat $2.2 million in dead money.
If director of player personnel Duke Tobin can't find a trade partner for Pratt, releasing him is also an option. Cutting Hubbard would be a tough decision, as the Cincinnati native is a fan favorite and has been with the organization since 2018. However, the 29-year-old posted just two sacks in 2024, and the Bengals would save $9.
5 million by releasing him with a $2 million dead cap expense. If Cincinnati cuts those three players, the franchise would be set up with around $85 million in cap space. With All-Pros Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson up for extensions and star wide receiver Tee Higgins set to hit unrestricted free agency, the Bengals need as much money as possible to keep their core together.
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