The Cincinnati Bengals made some significant upgrades to their offensive line unit this offseason but kept the unit relatively cheap.
The Cincinnati Bengals knew that addressing the offensive line was their top priority going into the 2018 offseason. Following such a disastrous production in 2017, it was time to make some changes. The first was to let go of longtime offensive line coordinator Paul Alexander. Cincinnati followed by bringing in former Dallas Cowboys offensive line coordinator Frank Pollack.
The left tackle position was the top priority, and the Bengals landed a solid trade to upgrade the position without losing too much significance. Trading for Cordy Glenn with the Buffalo Bills and trading first-round draft selection spots, Cincinnati got two offensive linemen with their first-round pick you could say. Drafting center Billy Price locked up the two most significant needs along the line.
Glenn has had some ankle and foot injuries the past two seasons that make some fans a bit questionable of the trade. When Glenn arrived in Cincinnati, he met with the media and said that his ankle is good to go. He has participated in all of the Bengals offseason workouts and looks ready to go for the season.
Buffalo Bills ➡ to the ➡ Cincinnati Bengals
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) March 15, 2018
The #Bengals trade for offensive tackle Cordy Glenn.
Hear what the newest member of the team had to say: pic.twitter.com/ZiyVcaRvjJ
Glenn’s high price tag mixed with his injury has fans worried as well. Looking to make $11,250,000 in 2018, Glenn will be the third highest paid player on the Bengals roster. While that might seem steep, there are eight left tackles in the league making more money in 2018. Glenn is a top ten left tackle, and while he has been injured recently, he is a significant upgrade over Cedric Ogbuehi.
Another part of the contract that makes this a good deal for the Bengals is if Glenn doesn’t perform as well as they would like for that kind of money, Cincinnati can walk away from his contract next offseason with zero dead cap money. Glenn is set to make $9,250,000 in 2019 and $9,500,000 in 2020. If Glenn turns out to be a great left tackle for the Bengals, they are getting a good deal when it comes to the contract. If he doesn’t pan out, the team can drop him next offseason with no penalty. It’s a very low-risk deal.
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Even with Glenn’s contract on the books, Cincinnati still ranks 23rd in offensive line spending throughout the NFL. Guys like Billy Price, Christian Westerman, Alex Redmond, Cedric Ogbuehi, Jake Fisher, and Trey Hopkins are all still playing under rookie contracts. The only starting players who have reached the second contract is Glenn and left guard Clint Boling. The Bengals are paying a 2018 CAP Hit of $30,222,340 to their offensive line. That’s a pretty good deal if this line can show some better production this season.