Looking back at the 2021 Bengals, their offensive line play reminded me of an angsty teenager. Some flashes but altogether unreliable. Sometimes reckless to the point of peril and disaster. Quinton Spain was sometimes considered the dependable one. A brash comeback attempt from Trey Hopkins at center led to disappointment. Right guard was a revolving door of flailing youth prone to falling flat on their face. After Reiff went down RT wasn’t much better.
Within hours of the beginning of free agency the Bengals added Alex Cappa and Ted Kerras and i got the immediate feeling of moving up to the grown ups table at Thanksgiving. They weren’t names that popped off the screen while reading up on available free agents but the skill sets, the contracts, and the timing all seem to fit into place like lost puzzle pieces.
Solid. Consistent. Tough.
All were words used to describe the Bengals two newest O-line recruits. That’s what they need. They’re not trying to build a juggernaut offensive line. They’re trying to build one that’s reliable. Both contracts reportedly are for multiple years at reasonable rates for players under 30 years old.
I’ll keep crossing my fingers until the ink dries on the contracts later this week, but this should provide them with the stability that everyone craved, AND allow them the flexibility to keep building.
They still need a game plan at right tackle, a center or LG (wherever Karras doesn’t play) and a swing guard so that we’re not one sprained ankle from reopening the turnpike that leads from the opposing D-line right into Joe Burrow’s lap (I’m all for bringing Spain back for that role. Having a player of his caliber as plan B is the next step for this roster).
The assumption is Trey Hopkins will be let go, but could he be the plan at center until April when they might or might not draft somebody with one of their first couple picks?
Rounding out the offense, I assume they’ll do something at tight end now that Uzomah is off the board. O.j. Howard (update: snapped up by Buffalo), Hayden Hurst, and Tyler Conklin (update: the Jets swiped him too!) are all names that have been floated. Gerald Everett, Maxx Williams, and Robert Tonyan interest me a little less. Austin Hooper might be worth considering if he’s motivated into pursuing a revenge tour after getting cut by the Browns. There’s also a certain future hall of fame veteran with a little gas left in the tank who would likely make red zone life much easier for both Mixon and Burrow. After the Brady unretirement news the assumption is Rob Gronkowski is returning to Tampa, but so far there hasn’t been an indication confirming it. Maybe, just maybe, Gronkowski is considering whether he likes smoking cigars better than sipping kale smoothies?.. Probably he’d just rather wait to commit to Tampa until training camp or something and it’s not worth fantasizing.
On defense, we’re all curious about CB2. There are some options on the table, but most likely they settle for resigning Eli Apple and keep their eyes on the draft for competition. I’d lobby for an Apple upgrade, but if it means sacrificing contract dollars towards RT and a swing IOL, I’m out.
The other need percolating is DT depth but I think their current roster is versatile enough to let that ride. More pass rush (interior or edge) would be nice, but again anything that would be a significant upgrade jeopardizes tightening up remaining leaks on offense. I say let the kids on defense have their shot, keep ears to the ground for some cheap veteran depth, and adjust later if needed. On offense it’s adults only!
The league year officially started today. We’ll see what else Tobin and company have up their sleeves. I like their plan so far and I’ve got a feeling there’s more coming. Stay tuned!
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