The offseason overhaul has officially begun for the Cincinnati Bengals, as the team recently released veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.

Cincinnati signed Rankins to a two-year, $24.5 million deal in free agency last offseason with the hope that he would help to bolster the defensive line, but his 2024 campaign was extremely underwhelming, as evidenced by the fact that the team parted ways with him after a single season.

For Rankins, the production — and availability — simply wasn’t there. The former first round pick was limited to just seven total games in a Bengals uniform. He missed three games early on with a hamstring injury, and then an illness sidelined him for the final seven games of the season. He was ultimately placed on the on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list, which effectively ended his season.

For a team that needs as much cap space as possible, releasing Rankins was a no-brainer for the Bengals

Ten games on the sideline compared to just seven on the field isn’t an ideal ratio for a player expected to be a key contributor. Plus, Rankins wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire when he was out on the field. He recorded just 10 total tackles, which was the second-lowest total of his entire career, and a career-low one sack. That’s certainly not the type of production that the Bengals were hoping for when they signed him.

Releasing Rankins solely based on performance makes sense, but the more important, and logical, reason that the move was made was financial. The Bengals will save $9.6 million against the salary cap by parting ways with Rankins. That money can be allocated elsewhere, and frankly, it will be better spent anywhere else.

The Bengals will need every dollar of extra cap space that they can get this offseason in order to facilitate new deals star players Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson. All of those guys are seeking long-term contracts. Generating nearly $10 million in space by moving on from Rankins should certainly help them when it comes to paying those guys, which is the organizational priority this offseason.

Cincinnati likely isn’t done either. The team will almost assuredly look to create further cap space by making more cuts in the near future. Guys like Alex Cappa and Sam Hubbard are both potential cut candidates2024.

When it comes to parting ways with Rankins, Cincinnati’s reason was as obvious as it was intelligent. We have no problem calling out the Bengals’ front office when a questionable decision is made, so we also have to be willing to acknowledge a wise one.