The Cincinnati Bengals entered the offseason knowing that their offensive line was in need of some massive upgrades.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 70 times last season (19 times in the playoffs). If Burrow would've been better protected in the playoffs, the Bengals are probably Super Bowl champions right now.

That's why Cincinnati moved quickly to upgrade their offensive when free agency started, signing guard Alex Cappa and guard/center Ted Karras to multi-year deals.

The Bengals didn't stop there. After the Dallas Cowboys released La'el Collins, the Bengals worked hard to convince the talented offensive tackle to come to Cincinnati.

Collins was viewed as a great fit for the Bengals before he was released by the Cowboys.

So why didn't Cincinnati trade a late-round draft pick to Dallas for Collins, instead of opting to pursue him in free agency when they could've easily lost him to another franchise?

It's because the Bengals had some inside information on Collins.

One of the reasons that other teams didn't attempt to trade for Collins is because of some of his off-field issues. Collins was suspended the first five games of the 2021 season after allegedly trying to bribe a drug test collector.

Cincinnati, however, wasn't concerned about his off-field issues. They were confident that other teams would pass on Collins then they could strongly pursue him.

This is because Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack coached Collins in Dallas from 2015 to 2017. And Pollack knows the real version of Collins, not that version that's been portrayed in the national media.

From The Athletic:

The truth was, concern did exist around the league about Collins’ background and whatever issues that led Dallas to cut loose one of the game’s best right tackles.

The Bengals had no such concerns. They had Pollack. His knowledge of Collins through three years together from 2015-17 was the key ingredient on both ends. The Bengals relied heavily on his endorsement. Collins viewed it as the perfect fit again playing for a coach he said was the best he’d been around. Pollack loved every bit of the 28-year-old’s personality and play style in his quest for glass-eaters.

The Bengals' patience and confidence paid off in a big way. They saved a valuable draft pick (even late-round picks are very valuable) and they got their guy.

I'm not sure how this offseason could have gone any better for the Bengals. The offensive line has gone from a weakness to a strength. And that might be all Burrow needs to bring a Super Bowl championship to Cincinnati.

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