The Bengals have signed free agent defensive end Anthony Zettel, the club announced today. He’ll take the roster spot of recently-released Samaje Perine.
Cincinnati is extremely banged up at the defensive end position, so the club can use plenty of help. Carlos Dunlap didn’t play in Week 6 and hasn’t practiced this week while battling a knee injury, while Carl Lawson — who did play against the Ravens on Sunday — has been held out of practice with a hamstring issue. Veteran Kerry Wynn, meanwhile, was recently placed on injured reserve after suffering a concussion in Week 2.
Zettel, 27, was a 2016 sixth-round pick of the Lions. He started all 16 games and posted 6.5 sacks in 2017, but was waived after the season despite that performance. Zettel spent the 2018 campaign with the Browns, playing on roughly 15% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps.