Cincinnati Bengals: Free Agents and trades to make the Bengals better
Ryan Schraeder is someone the Bengals should absolutely pursue. The former Atlanta Falcon served as their starting right tackle for several seasons before getting beat out by Ty Sambrailo. His play had begun to decline but he would be an upgrade over what the Bengals currently have.
Ryan Schraeder was our top-graded RT in 2015 and has played well this season, but can he keep Matt Ryan upright on the road tonight? pic.twitter.com/KwK4PVi2ak
— PFF (@PFF) September 26, 2016
His release wasn’t entirely his fault, however. He was likely a cap casualty as the Falcons prepare to compensate Julio Jones a record-breaking contract. Beyond that, the Falcons saw an opportunity to get younger at the position without much of a drop-off. These are factors Schraeder just can’t control.
At his peak, Pro Football Focus rated him as the NFL’s best right tackle in 2015. In addition, they ranked his contract to be the third-best among offensive lineman prior to him being released. Anytime you have the potential to upgrade such an important position, it’s worth attempting. Perhaps a change of scenery and Andy Dalton‘s quick release could help him return to his previous form.
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His play at the pinnacle of his career may have been better than any other lineman on the roster. If they can find a way to get him back to that level it would go a long way in shoring up the offensive line. Once Jonah Williams returns from injury, the Bengals could finally have a pair of legitimate tackles for the first time in many seasons.