Since their Super Bowl LVI loss, the Cincinnati Bengals have been looking to solidify a consistent group of offensive linemen to protect star quarterback Joe Burrow. After several seasons of inconsistent offensive line play, the time to invest and make a run is now. After this offseason, it’s apparent that’s the direction the Bengals are going.
Arguably the most crucial spot to lock down talent along the offensive line is at the tackle positions. With Orlando Brown Jr. under contract through 2026, the Bengals needed to add another stud opposite him to maintain consistency on both sides. So what did they do? The Bengals added one of the biggest linemen in the league, Trent Brown, on a one-year, $4.75 million deal. Now joining his fourth team in his 10th season, Brown is a fantastic and inexpensive solution to solidifying the right tackle position. But the Bengals weren’t done after signing Brown.
Joining the “biggest linemen in the league” club is Bengals first-round selection Amarius Mims. Mims, despite playing a minute amount of snaps in his college career, is undeniably one of the most impressive athletes the position has seen in recent years. He will be asked to absorb and learn as much as he can while sitting behind two veteran tackles. The common belief by many, including myself, was that Mims would be best suited in an environment where he could sit and develop for a season before being asked to become a franchise tackle. Cincinnati is the ideal situation for him as well as the team.
Double-dipping at the tackle position in both free agency and the draft shows an intentional investment in one of football’s most important positions. The Bengals surely do not want a repeat of the shortcomings that kept them from winning Super Bowl LVI.
Locking down the interior positions this coming fall will be Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, and Cordell Volson. These three have been staples of reliability for the Bengals the past two seasons—especially Karras and Cappa, who have both been playing the best football of their careers. Volson, who has logged more than 2,000 snaps in his first two seasons with the Bengals, is a guy to watch out for, as I expect him to leave no doubt as a staple of this line for years to come.
This is a starting offensive line that will have more than a $38 million cap hit for this fiscal year, including Cordell Volson’s rookie contract. That’s a staggering statistic that unarguably shows an intent to bolster the trenches and protect Burrow.
As for the second group, Jackson Carman and Cody Ford seem to be penciled in for the 53-man roster. Carman and Ford have each seen significant action in their careers and are both positionally versatile enough to play inside and out. Carman is an especially intriguing player, especially with this being a contract year for the 2021 second-round pick. Former Georgia Bulldog Trey Hill will battle it out with 2024 seventh-round pick Matt Lee from Miami for the second-team center position. I’d expect Lee to earn the job and get the nod as the younger, more exciting player.
Solid and reliable offensive linemen are not always easy to come by in the NFL but are crucial to the success of an offense. The Bengals have acquired, drafted, and paid for an offensive line that is strong enough to compete for a Super Bowl.
