Bengals waste no time in undrafted free agency attacking linebacker

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t draft a linebacker.

But they did find one in undrafted free agency.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jack Dingle will sign with the Bengals.

Dingle was one of the local prospects who worked out with the Bengals at a recent pro day at Paycor Stadium. He's a productive former three-year starter who might have a shot at making a competition of the depth chart over the summer.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following about Dingle:  "His overall production in the impact categories is relatively light and he’s below average in coverage. The size, athletic testing and play strength are all positives, but Dingle is lacking in snap-to-snap execution, production and three-down versatility."

Linebacker felt like one of the most obvious things the Bengals would address as early as the first round. Last year, Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter mightily struggled when thrown to the wolves as rookies.

The Bengals instead traded for Dexter Lawrence and are counting on that freeing up the linebackers as they take the next step as pros. Dingle joins the roster and will compete with the likes of Shaka Heyward and Joe Giles-Harris on the back end of the depth chart.