It didn’t take a football expert to reveal what the Cincinnati Bengals needed to upgrade for next season.
They already had a franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow, but did not have the right personnel to protect him, especially in key situations.
That problem made Burrow the most-sacked quarterback in the regular season.
There’s no sense having a talented quarterback if he doesn’t have time to execute plays.
That said, the Bengals splurged in building their offensive line.
First, they signed Alex Cappa from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a four-year, $35 million contract.
Then, they also acquired Ted Karras from the New England Patriots on a three-year, $18 million deal.
However, the Bengals are not yet done, as ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter reported.
Bengals gave former Cowboys’ OT La’el Collins a three-year, $30 million deal that, in reality, is more of a two-year, $20 million deal worth up to $22 millon, per sources. The third year was added to help prorate the deal and spread out Cincinnati’s cap charge.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2022
Schefter said, “Bengals gave former Cowboys’ OT La’el Collins a three-year, $30 million deal that, in reality, is more of a two-year, $20 million deal worth up to $22 million, per sources. The third year was added to help prorate the deal and spread out Cincinnati’s cap charge.”
The third year in Collins’ deal is crucial because he will only have an annual average value of $10 million instead of $15 million.
That $5 million difference could prove to be huge when re-signing other players in the next two seasons.
An Overhaul Of The Bengals Offensive Line
Cappa, Karras, and Collins will become starters for Cincinnati, together with Hakeem Adeniji and Jonah Williams.
Williams will remain at left tackle while Karras takes center.
Cappa and Collins will take left guard and right tackle, respectively.
There’s a possibility that Jackson Carman might also start over Adeniji.
The revamped offensive line should make the Bengals’ offense scarier because Burrow will have more time to target Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase.
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