CINCINNATI (WKRC) – There is no doubt that new Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden will be charged with finding a way to improve the pass rush from last season, and a key way that might happen is for Joseph Ossai to build on his strong finish from last season and for 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy to take a huge step forward.
The Bengals tied for 25th in sacks last season with 36, and 17.5 of those came from defensive end Trey Hendrickson. The entire rest of the defensive line combined for 17.0 sacks, including 5.0 by Ossai, which ranked second on the team.
The 5.0 by Ossai came over the final seven games of the season, including at least 0.5 sacks in six of those games. It may signify that things finally started to click for Ossai after battling injuries and getting inconsistent playing time, recording a scant 4.5 sacks in his first 40 career games.
Ossai likened his finish in 2024 to a basketball player who finally sees a shot go in the basket and then gets on a roll.
“A little bit of it was just confidence in myself and confidence in my teammates and being able to understand certain scenarios in the games we were playing (in terms of stunts and twists),” said Ossai, who was taken in the third round of the 2021 Draft and missed his entire rookie season due to a meniscus injury in his left knee. “Knowing what to do in those situations and just executing. A lot of times prior to that I was there, but I wasn’t coming with the production. When I got the first one I was able to keep going from there.”
Ossai was eligible for free agency this offseason, but chose to re-sign with the Bengals on a one-year, $6.5 million contract.
“It made the most sense,” said Ossai. “I love the organization. I know the organization. If I’m going to do a one year, I’d rather do it here with a team that has so much potential and a team that has a lot of upside, so to speak. To me it was kind of a no-brainer. I’m focusing on being in the best shape I can be to hit the ground running.”
That’s exactly what Murphy is doing as part of his multi-phase process to attack this offseason differently than did coming out of college and after his first NFL season. Something certainly had to change as Murphy didn’t record a single sack last season despite playing on 40 percent of the defensive snaps and recording 3.0 sacks as a rookie in 28 percent of the defensive snaps.
He changed his diet that has helped him go from 18 percent body fat and a playing weight of 280 pounds to 13 percent body fat and a current weight of 273.
“It’s helped a whole lot,” said Murphy. “My body feels better. I feel like I’m in a great position right now, body comp-wise. I went into this offseason with a plan of knowing what I wanted to do Monday through Saturday. I think it’s working right now and coming to fruition. Now it’s just really about sticking to it.”
While former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been blamed in some corners for Murphy’s sporadic playing time hindering his development his first two seasons, Murphy didn’t put the blame on Anarumo.
“I’m never a guy who points fingers; I put everything on myself,” said Murphy. “I look back on, ‘What are things I could have done better?'”
“Going into the offseason I had a plan and (the diet) is Step 1. This is something I could have done better these past two years, so I switched things up. Now I’m going into Phase 2 – OTAs – and see what I can do differently than the last two years that can put me in a better position.”
One of the things Murphy hopes unlocks his potential is new defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery.
“He has a great resume at all the spots he’s coached at,” said Murphy. “Everywhere he goes there is production. That’s the name of the game. Excited what he can do with me and all the D linemen. Like he says, we’ve got all the pieces we need. Every guy in our room can be that guy. It’s now about refining my game all around. Be in the office with Coach Montgomery and just talking with him about what he sees. I watch my tape all the time and write things down about what I can improve on, so I really want to get in the room with him and see from a coach’s perspective with his experience what he sees and wants me to do.”
While the Bengals can certainly hope that Ossai’s end of season production rolls over into this season and Murphy will finally unlock his potential, they also added defensive end Shemar Stewart in the first round of the draft.
In addition to his physical traits (he had the fifth-highest athleticism score among defensive ends at the NFL Scouting Combine) as an edge rusher, Stewart has also rushed from the interior, which is where he may move on obvious passing situations if Ossai and/or Murphy are having success at end. There is also the possibility of Ossai also moving inside on passing downs, which is something he has done in the past.
“I would recommend every D lineman plays all over the line,” said Ossai. “When you get inside and you don’t get a one-on-one, you just know you have to push the pocket. You understand collapsing the pocket does help those guys step up and get to the quarterback. It makes you appreciate the game a lot more. It makes you appreciate your teammates next to you. Personally I think it makes you be a better player. I think a lot of the guys in that room are able to rush all over the line. I think it’s going to be exciting when it comes time to making that third down package to mix and match and see who fits where and where certain guys are better to create a really a good rush package. I’m excited for it. I think it’s going to be dope.”