Bengals will have ample options at key positional need
Cincinnati’s biggest free agency need is expected to be full of available players.
We're officially one week out from NFL free agency, and the Cincinnati Bengals will be eyeing one particular position.
Before the NFL Draft kicks off next month, the Bengals need some kind of an answer at offensive tackle, specifically right tackle. Incumbent starter La'el Collins' recovery from a torn ACL he suffered in December may take him out of the equation when the season begins, and Collins had a rough 2022 before his season-ending injury.
The club needs clarity at the position to avoid hoping for a tackle prospect to fall 28 spots in the Draft.
Thankfully, the tackle free agent class will be full to the brim after the deadline for the franchise tag passed.
Of the six players who were tagged around the league, none of them were offensive tackles, or any offensive linemen in general. Three of them were running backs—in this economy!
Not only did a grand total of zero o-linemen get tagged this week, there have been no extensions announced for any notable pass protector around the league as of late.
Whatever free agent lineman you want the Bengals to sign, he's still available.
This, of course, does not mean the Bengals are going to be major players in the market. The odds of them reeling in Orlando Brown, Jawaan Taylor, or Mike McGlinchey are slim to none. Guaranteed money, first-year cash, and the usual reasons all apply here, along with the idea of loyalty as well.
It's truly an unknown whether or not Collins will be on the 2023 roster, but it's difficult imagining the team cutting ties with one of their prized free agent acquisitions from last offseason, especially right now. Collins likely can't even pass a physical at this point in time, so releasing him as soon as possible wouldn't even be financially wise.
Allowing Collins to recover properly and come back at some point in the season is the most likely course of action for the team. In the meantime, there needs to be a contingency to hold down the fort.
While the likes of Brown, Taylor, and McGlinchey will receive lucrative deals in the coming days, the rest of the tackle market will fall below that tier. Having all of them available is so important because the mid-tier options—Isaiah Wynn, Jermaine Eluemunor, Cameron Fleming—can't command high-priced deals with the best players out on the market as well. A limited selection may've changed this reality.
This is the group the Bengals will be looking at; affordable edge protectors who can come in for the short term and allow Collins to heal up, or just hold the spot down for an upcoming draft pick to take over for in a year's time.
It's a significant box the Bengals need to check this month. The rest of the league did its best to help them out.
