D.J. Reader and Christian Covington recruiting former teammate J.J. Watt to Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have a big offseason ahead. And while much of the focus is on offense, the defense was actually a bigger weakness this past season, at least before Joe Burrow got hurt.

It just so happens that one of the top defenders to hit the market is All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt, who is now being recruited by several Bengals.

Earlier this week, wide receiver Tyler Boyd made his case for the former Houston Texans star to join the Bengals.

Now, defensive tackles D.J. Reader and Christian Covington are recruiting Watt to Cincinnati via Twitter.

Reader played four seasons in Houston from 2016-19 alongside Watt, while Covington was there from 2015-18. While it was nice to see Boyd reaching out to Watt, it’s more notable that Covington and Reader are since they’ve actually played with Watt, which is one of the few connections the Bengals have with the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The Bengals also have tight ends coach James Casey on staff. He was briefly teammates with Watt when he first came into the NFL, then coached in Houston for three years while Watt was still there.

It’s nice to see the guys trying, but for now, it looks more likely that Watt lands elsewhere. The Cleveland Browns have been getting a lot of buzz this week, while the Green Bay Packers are also making a push. The Pittsburgh Steelers are also a threat, partly due to them having both of Watt’s brothers. But their cap situation could take them out of the running.

Hopefully if Watt doesn’t land in Cincinnati, he winds up with someone in the NFC.