FanPost

Domata Peko not as safe as we all assume?

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports



Many have argued that DT Domata Peko's roster spot shouldn't be a given: not just because of the potential cap savings gain by releasing him but also for his play in general. Hobson and most beat writers have shot down any speculation along these lines but yesterday's ESPN blog by Coley Harvey finally began to show some cracks in this firmly held assumption. He wrote:

At tackle, Geno Atkins isn't going anywhere. Neither is backup Brandon Thompson or veteran Domata Peko (for now). The staff likes Peko's locker-room presence, but the talent around him means he could be in for a battle this summer to prove he still belongs on the field. Likely competing for the fourth and potentially final tackle position are Still [and] Sims.

If the Bengals draft a DT in the first round (or even in the second), you really have to wonder whether Peko survives. They already look set to keep 5 DE's (if they feel strongly about Clarke's future) so there can only be room for 4 DT's: Atkins, draft pick, Thompson, Sims/Still/Peko. If any of those two guys show enough in camp, it's hard to imagine the team keeping Peko around. Over the last four years, DT total snaps have been around 1800. When healthy, Atkins averages 760 snaps. Thompson is currently a 300-snap player but could take on more like he did in '13 when Atkins was on IR (went up to almost 400). Sims played nearly 500 and 700 snaps respectively in Oakland the last two years so if he makes the squad you can assume he can cover 500 snaps. That leaves 200 snaps for a rookie DT which is likely well within the "Marvin limit".

The whole concept of "locker-room presence" is overstated especially when you have other players who provide that same presence. This isn't the Palmer-Johnson Bengals that were always on the verge of self-destruction so I think this is one insurance policy they can cancel if it comes down to it.

And to recap the cap savings, assuming this decision takes place at the end of camp cutting Peko would save $3.5M. Replacing him with Sims or Still costs $740-$665k so the net saved is $2.8M.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan, which is as important as the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors.