5 NFL teams that should sign Geno Atkins for the 2021 season

Former All-Pro Geno Atkins has been cleared to play for the 2021 season, so which NFL teams would be quality landing spots for the defensive tackle?

With training camp just about a week away from beginning for the majority of NFL teams, it’s a rarity that a former All-Pro defender is still available on the free agency market. Yet, former Bengal  Geno Atkins fits that mold. The defensive tackle remains unsigned as we enter late July but it figures that his market is about to heat up.

On Monday, Atkins reportedly received a clean bill of health and has been cleared for football activities after missing eight games last season due to a shoulder injury. Subsequently, the 33-year-old is about to start taking team visits. Given his pedigree and experience, it wouldn’t be a shock if he wasn’t on the market for all that long after he starts meeting with teams.

So in what could be a mad dash to sign the free-agent defensive tackle, let’s take a look at five NFL teams that should definitely be interested in adding Geno Atkins to their front seven for the 2021 season.

These 5 NFL teams would be great landing spots for DT Geno Atkins

5. Green Bay Packers – Kenny Clark has routinely proven that he’s one of the more dominant nose tackles in the NFL but the Packers have struggled to find continuity and consistency from the rest of the defensive line. Guys like Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster, the projected starters at either 3-4 end spot, have not been good enough to be confident in for 17 games.

If Green Bay could make the money work, adding Atkins would be a tremendous asset for them and give the Pack one of the most formidable pass-rushes in the NFC. Clark, Atkins, Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary is enough to strike fear in most defensive lines and, as the Packers hope to get Aaron Rodgers back and make a Super Bowl run, the veteran would undeniably help the cause.

4. New Orleans Saints – With the news that David Onyemata will be suspended for the first six games of the 2021 season, the Saints defensive line is starting to look a bit problematic. It was already a thin position group and now they are without undoubtedly the best defensive tackle on the roster for the first third of the season.

Signing a player to replace a suspended player isn’t always the smartest choice but the Saints are in a unique position given that they already needed help at the position. Atkins would give New Orleans a big boost up front immediately and especially once Onyemata returns. The only hurdle to clear would be making the money work as the Saints are, as always, battling the cap.

3. Dallas Cowboys – Much of the focus regarding the Cowboys’ defensive woes has been put on the secondary and rightfully so. And a big reason why the defensive line isn’t mentioned as much is that there is a ton of upside in guys like second-year tackle Neville Gallimore and pass-rusher Randy Gregory. With that being said, though, the defensive tackle spot is less than certain.

As of now, some combination of Carlos Watkins, Trysten Hill and Gallimore would be the starters at the position. That’s not a particularly strong group, especially given the paltry returns from Hill to this point. In an offseason where Dallas has invested in veterans to give their defense a jolt in 2021, Atkins would by far deliver the biggest boost of anyone they could possibly bring into that position room.

2. Seattle Seahawks – It’s not being talked about enough that the Seahawks defense could be in a bad spot for the 2021 season. With big free agency losses, the only position group that fans can truly have confidence in is the linebacker group, headlined of course by Bobby Wagner. But the defensive line is a different story.

Poona Ford is a terrific player who deserves more attention but they are looking at guys like Al Woods and cast-off Robert Nkemdiche to try and pair with Ford. That’s not a good spot for a team that is trying to improve their ability to generate pressure. Atkins, on the other hand, would come in and deliver that penetration-type player from the interior and make a substantial impact on Seattle.

1. Cleveland Browns – Cleveland recognized the need to get better defensively this offseason and was aggressive in making that happen, signing Jadeveon Clowney, Troy Hill and John Johnson III, among others, before using their first-round pick on Greg Newsome II. And their defensive tackle rotation looks solid with veteran Malik Jackson incoming alongside Andrew Billings, Jordan Eliott, Tommy Togiai and maybe even guys like Malik McDowell or Marvin Wilson.

Having said that, there isn’t a bonafide, proven playmaker in that defensive tackle group. If they wanted to twist the knife for the Bengals, they could keep Geno Atkins in the AFC North while also completely solidifying the defensive front and, ultimately, affirming their spot as a legitimate contender in the 2021 season.