Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap told reporters that his knee felt good Saturday after running. Joe Reedy tweets that Dunlap has an outside shot of playing the preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium. But if he doesn't go, Dunlap is shooting for the regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns on September 11.
Dunlap suffered a strained knee earlier during training camp that's kept him out for the entire preseason.
There's belly-who about whether Dunlap should be starting for the Cincinnati Bengals. Considering that this day and age in the NFL with rotations and change-of-pace players, starting isn't that big of a deal. In Dunlap's case, who is only a second-year player that's still developing, the defense is better served keeping him fresh for passing downs, where he posted an impressive 9.5 quarterback sacks during his rookie season.
And really. Why mess with a good thing?