Bengals may be able to reunite with Howard Cross III's former Notre Dame teammate

The Cincinnati Bengals announced their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, and one of the relative surprises was the inclusion of rookie UDFA defensive tackle Howard Cross III. Cross received an invitation to Bengals training camp thanks in large part to his ties to new Cincinnati defensive coordinator Al Golden, who just served in the same role for Notre Dame the prior three seasons. In Golden's system, Cross exploded as a stud pass-rusher during that span, logging 10 sacks and 61 quarterback pressures, per PFF. Since he landed in Cincinnati, all Cross has done is inch his way up the depth chart, showing off the grit that it takes to be an undersized-yet-productive interior pass-rusher. That skill is something the Bengals' defense has sorely lacked of late, which is why the team is giving Cross a chance to carry on. Given that the draft hasn't necessarily been kind to the Bengals, and that they unearthed a gem from South Bend thanks to Golden's involvement, why shouldn't Duke Tobin and Co. go back to that luc