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Former Bengals defensive tackle Pat Sims was an impressive beast. When Sims was healthy and playing, the Bengals held opposing rushing offenses to nearly a full-yard average (per carry) less than when he was out, while the team also won 14 of the 20 games he played over the last two years. Sims left Cincinnati for the Oakland Raiders last week.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis hates it, but says that Cincinnati can afford it.
"We can afford to allow a Pat Sims to move on, man, it's time," Lewis told Bengals.com and the Cincinnati Enquirer"We've got two guys we drafted last year (second-rounder Devon Still and third-rounder Brandon Thompson) and I'm really feeling good about letting those guys get in there and have an opportunity to play. We still have the draft coming up this year and we'll get some more young guys and that's the good thing."
Thompson, who benched 225 pounds 35 times during the 2012 NFL Combine, played three games and generated three tackles last year. Before Pat Sims returned from an injury at midseason, Devon Still played eight games and generated a shared sack, forced fumble and 14 tackles -- five against the Denver Broncos.