Bengals: Jonah Williams willing to play right tackle
The Cincinnati Bengals took a huge step in solidifying their offensive line when they signed left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year deal. This caused an issue for the Bengals' normal starting left tackle Jonah Williams. He didn't have any desire to switch to the right side, and questionable communication tactics caused some funny […]
The Cincinnati Bengals took a huge step in solidifying their offensive line when they signed left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year deal.
This caused an issue for the Bengals' normal starting left tackle Jonah Williams. He didn't have any desire to switch to the right side, and questionable communication tactics caused some funny feelings on Williams’s part towards Cincinnati which led to a trade request.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently discussed some of the top questions around the league after the NFL Draft and added this nugget about the situation between Williams and the Bengals.
“A number of factors played into Williams’s trade request, with the position switch (from left tackle to right) being one and the lack of communication from the team on that switch before signing Brown to a big free-agent deal," Breer said. "For what it’s worth, I do think Williams is in a little better place with the team now than he was a month ago, and I think the Bengals will get a good year out of him, assuming no one comes in and throws big capital at Cincinnati (which could happen if there’s an injury with another team) to get him.”
Williams is coming off of a season that wasn't his best. He allowed 12 sacks and 43 pressures according to Pro Football Focus. So, the idea of switching to a new position after struggling at his regular spot had to be frustrating for Williams.
Before Williams begins his journey at a new position, he has to finish rehabbing from knee surgery. The word is that Williams is close to being ready for football drills and he's expected to be ready for training camp, playing right tackle.
Right tackle La'el Collins is working his way back from a torn ACL and MCL, so having Williams on board is a big win for the Bengals as the offseason activities pick up. Williams will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, so he's certainly looking to play well and cash out around this time next year.
