Bengals Russell Bodine signs with Buffalo Bills

The Cincinnati Bengals let Russell Bodine hit free agency and he ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills. Fans were ready for the move.

The Cincinnati Bengals have been surprisingly busy this last week between trades and signings in the free agency period. The team made clear that they wanted to bring center Russell Bodine back after the 2017 season but with the other moves they’ve already made including the trade for left tackle Cordy Glenn, it didn’t seem they were able to come to an agreement on terms.

Cincinnati has limited cap room left after their spending spree in the last week. The team stayed away from some of the top names in free agency but not without bringing in players that will be upgrades at their positions. With the Bengals not retaining Bodine, it would seem that they have their eye on a prospect to fill that position in 2018. There are a few that could be upgrades most likely in the upcoming draft in April.

That being said, there seemed to be no love lost as fans reacted to the news of Bodine signing with the Bills. After starting all 16 games in all four of his seasons with the Bengals, it was no secret that the team could easily upgrade at center. Bodine proved reliable not missing a single game but it’s time for head coach Marvin Lewis and the Bengals organization to find some real fixes along the offensive line.

There are a couple of prospects at center that could likely go in the first round. Guys like Ohio State center Billy Price or Iowa center James Daniels are both players that would be a nice pickup for the Bengals in the first or early second round if they make it there. With limited money and still needing to sign defensive tackle Geno Atkins and defensive end Carlos Dunlap, expect the team to find Bodine’s replacement in the draft with one of their eleven picks.