Bengals' biggest remaining need in free agency still has viable options if they don't land their top target
Arguably the biggest current need for the Cincinnati Bengals is on track to be the last one the team fills in free agency.Cincinnati's offense would have to start Cordell Volson and Cody Ford at both guard spots if a game were to be played today. The Bengals have held onto Volson and extended Ford's contract […]
Arguably the biggest current need for the Cincinnati Bengals is on track to be the last one the team fills in free agency.
Cincinnati's offense would have to start Cordell Volson and Cody Ford at both guard spots if a game were to be played today. The Bengals have held onto Volson and extended Ford's contract for the purpose of having them compete against each other along with a potential NFL Draft pick. The amount of cap space the front office has left to work with indicates there's still a move to be made before the standard hoarding begins for the remainder of the offseason.
That move will be for a starting guard, the question is which one will it be? Here are the options at play.
Interest in Teven Jenkins, but another team schedules a visit
The best guard the Bengals are interested in adding is Teven Jenkins. The former second-round pick of the Chicago Bears will be joining a new team shortly, and the list looks to be down to two teams.
Jenkins is mulling his options at the moment, and they consist of the Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks. The latter of the two clubs has scheduled Jenkins to come in for a visit on Monday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Seahawks, like the Bengals, are in a dire need for a starting guard. 2024 sixth-round selection Sataoa Laumea, who had PFF's lowest pass blocking grade out of 77 guards last year, is penciled in at left guard for Seattle's new-look offense with Sam Darnold now at quarterback.
Jenkins and his representation know his services are needed in both places, but which spot would he rather be in? Seattle moved on from its quarterback and top two wide receivers in the last week before landing a freshly-released Cooper Kupp. There's upside to a retooling there, but it's no sure thing. Cincinnati has one of the best QBs in the game in Joe Burrow and an offense that is bringing back all the important components to try and replicate the game's best passing attack from last year.
You could make the argument that Jenkins would prefer the Bengals' situation, and perhaps the Bengals know this. A visit to the Pacific Northwest could be a leverage move by the 27-year old to get the Bengals to budge before he gets on the plane. The Bengals very, very, rarely succumb to such pressure, even when they often end up hurting more in comparison when losing the player.
I think Jenkins will sign with the Seahawks if his medical passes their eyes during his visit. If he walks out without a deal, the Bengals are back in the game. Assuming Jenkins moves to Seattle, the Bengals have no choice but to look for seal the deal with a contingency, or two.
Where a pivot from Jenkins should lead Cincinnati
Three names, in perhaps no concrete order, come to mind for the Bengals to sign if it's not Jenkins.
Brandon Scherff, Dalton Risner, Will Hernandez
Maybe that is the order, though.
Starting with Scherff, he's been the epitome of reliability since being drafted back in 2015 (man that makes me feel old). He's not the same road-grader he used to be coming out as a tackle from Iowa, but he's still extremely stout in pass protection. Nothing matters more for a guard in the offense Cincinnati runs.
Risner gets the job done in similar ways but has never managed to get anyone to pay him similarly. His deals have always expired and he's eventually inked new ones in May of last year and in September of 2023. Why he doesn't obtain immediate markets is beyond me, but he's worth the low prices that unusual follow him and his $4,990,882 in career earnings as a vested veteran.
Hernandez has slight durability concerns, not to the extent of Jenkins, but is actually coming off of a season-ending knee injury from October. Barring any setbacks, 11 months should be enough time for most knee injuries to heal enough to play. Like Scherff and Risner, pass protection is Hernandez's game and his current status could net the Bengals a discount if he choses to sign somewhere soon.
A case could be made for any of the three. If Scherff is the best of the bunch, he's also the oldest at 33 for most of this upcoming season. Risner has played well for little money but is an enigma. Hernandez appears trustworthy and should be affordable while not 100%.
Cincinnati can justify signing any of the three. The consensus says they should sign two of them, even. I doubt that happens after communicating to Cody Ford he'll have a chance to start. An incoming rookie might be the best chance to prevent that.
Signing one is the minimum, and it should be one of the three.
New contracts for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are on the horizon, apparently for real this time. Once those are on the books, there should be no excuse to not fill the most glaring hole on the depth chart. Not even restarting negotiations with Trey Hendrickson should hold it off longer than it should.
Jenkins' decision will arrive when it arrives. The Bengals better be moving with him, or moving on without him quickly.
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