The Cincinnati Bengals are bringing Austin Reiter in for a visit on Monday. The free-agent center spent the past three years with the Kansas City Chiefs and started 32 games with them during his three years there. He started at center during both of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl appearances.
With the Bengals hosting Reiter next week, it’s clear that they’re not 100% content with the unit they’re currently looking at. Reiter being brought in for a visit might mean that Trey Hopkins isn’t going to be ready to start when the Vikings come to town in Week 1 and that’d mean Billy Price is getting the start. Yikes.
Reiter is definitely an upgrade over Price but the Bengals shouldn’t stop with just having him in for a visit. They need to keep adding offensive linemen to make this unit as strong as possible and giving Joe Burrow the best possible offensive line.
Let’s take a look at six other offensive linemen the Bengals should heavily consider signing before training camp gets underway in a matter of days.
Offensive Linemen for Bengals to Sign – No. 6: Rick Wagner
While Rick Wagner is one of the best offensive tackles available in free agency, he did contemplate retirement when the Packers released him earlier this offseason.
That being said, if Wagner is willing to continue playing, the Bengals should give him a call. He was signed to the Packers to compete for the right tackle job in Green Bay but Billy Turner won the job. Wagner still got in on the action, however, starting nine games and appearing in all 16 last season.
While right tackle is Riley Reiff’s job, Wagner is a depth piece who has proved valuable and did so as recently as last year. He’d be a wonderful option to sign and have in the Bengals’ back pocket in case Jonah Williams gets injured, forcing Reiff to move back to his preferred position of left tackle and therefore, the right side of the line being vacant.
This move wouldn’t have Bengals fans jumping for joy but it’s hard to be upset over a depth signing and Wagner would be just that.
Offensive Linemen for Bengals to Sign – No. 5: Kelechi Osemele
Kelechi Osemele would have been a much higher entry on here had he not gotten injured early on in the 2020 season. Had that not occurred, however, he’d probably already be signed by a team.
Osemele is a former second-round pick by division rival Baltimore and played right tackle for them as a rookie before shifting over to the left guard position. That’s where Osemele has stayed ever since and he’s played the position wonderfully.
After leaving Baltimore, Osemele spent three years with the Raiders, one year with the Jets, and had a short-stint with Kansas City in 2020 before getting injured. The injuries are certainly a concern, as Osemele has started just eight games over the past two seasons and that’s a risk the Bengals would have to decide if they want to take or not.
Left guard is a position that doesn’t have a starter set in stone and Osemele would give the Bengals a legitimate starter there. That’s assuming he can stay healthy.
The injuries are concerning but the Bengals should be giving Osemele’s agent a call. He’d be a game-changer on this offensive line.
Offensive Linemen for Bengals to Sign – No. 4: Russell Okung
Sticking with offensive linemen who have been injury-prone in recent years, Russell Okung is still on the free-agent market, likely due to how often he’s been injured. I previously touched on how Okung was worth looking into and still stand by that sentiment.
"The reason Okung is still available to sign is that he’s struggled to stay healthy. This is a valid reason as to why teams should be hesitant to sign him, but look at what happens when he is healthy — He’s one of the best in the league at what he does."
Okung is a former first-round pick who has been around the league for over a decade now. He spent the first six years of his career with the Seahawks before spending a short stint with the Broncos, three years with the Chargers, and one year with the Panthers.
Okung has started just 13 games over the past two seasons and that’s definitely a risk when it comes to signing him. If he’s healthy, he’s a solid option at left tackle and that’s certainly a position the Bengals could use another decent option at, as Jonah Williams is another injury-prone player, starting just 10 games in two seasons.
What do the Bengals have to lose in signing Okung? He’s not going to be the Week 1 starter so having him as a depth piece is a great option moving forward. This would be a wonderful late-offseason move for Cincinnati.
Offensive Linemen for Bengals to Sign – No. 3: David DeCastro
This might not be a popular name considering David DeCastro played for division rival Pittsburgh for nine years and has been frequently considered as a “dirty player” by Bengals fans. Signing the enemy might not go over well with fans but DeCastro is a proven talent at the guard position and the Bengals need depth at guard.
DeCastro was released by the Steelers in June and the Bengals were immediately considered to be a potential landing spot for the long-time Steeler. Here’s something I said about DeCastro shortly after he was released:
"If DeCastro is healthy and wants to continue playing, then sure, the Bengals should consider bringing him in. He’d be an upgrade at right guard and maybe in that situation, Carman can play left guard instead so that he’s still getting some work in as a rookie."
DeCastro was released due to injuries and that’s why I was skeptical of bringing him in. He also voiced around that time that he was contemplating retirement, making the situation even trickier.
All of this being said, DeCastro would give the Bengals a sure thing at right guard if he’s healthy and able to go. It’s seemed to be a foregone conclusion that rookie Jackson Carman would play right guard, but as I mentioned above, it’s possible the Bengals could play him at left guard or they could also opt to let him serve in a backup role, giving him more time to learn.
Bengals fans don’t like DeCastro but there’s no doubt that a healthy David DeCastro would make this Bengals offensive line better.
Offensive Linemen for Bengals to Sign – No. 2: Mitchell Schwartz
The Bengals are already planning on chatting with one former Chief, so why not add another one? Mitchell Schwartz spent the past five years as the right tackle of the Kansas City Chiefs and the first four years of his Chiefs tenure couldn’t have gone better.
Heck, Schwartz’s career was one for the record books up until this past year, as he didn’t miss a single start until the 2020 season, which was his ninth NFL season. The guy was as durable as they come but a back injury took him out from Week 6 on and the Chiefs cut ties with him despite how rock solid he was prior to that.
Last month, I discussed that it was worth a shot for the Bengals to sign Schwartz and nothing has swayed me from that stance. In that article, I wrote:
"The Bengals could sign Schwartz to a multi-year deal, let Reiff be the starter at right tackle, and then, hopefully, if healthy in 2022, Schwartz could be the guy there moving forward. This is certainly a risk, as Schwartz might not be the same player he was in Kansas City but it’s worth a shot."
This is an option but furthermore, if Jonah Williams gets injured once again, Reiff could shift back to his preferred position of left tackle and that could allow Schwartz to slide in at right tackle.
Maybe Schwartz isn’t the same lockdown right tackle he once was, but why not take a flier on him? He was banged up last year but before that, he was one of the best in the league at his position. The Bengals don’t have to throw him into action right away but not even talking to him would be foolish. He could be a force for this team and for a fraction of the cost.
Offensive Linemen for Bengals to Sign – No. 1: Nick Easton
I haven’t discussed Nick Easton much as an option for the Bengals but he’s certainly one of the best fits for them in free agency. Easton, a former UDFA out of Harvard, played center and left guard for the Vikings before exclusively playing left guard for the Saints when called upon.
Easton appeared in 22 games in two seasons for New Orleans and was a true reliable depth piece for their o-line. Bengals fans have to be envious of how good the Saints’ offensive line has been in recent years and Easton helped make that happen.
The 29-year-old Harvard product is still available to sign in free agency and could give the Bengals plenty of options if brought in. He’s played both left guard and center, which are two questionable positions for Cincinnati.
If the Bengals don’t agree to terms with Reiter, Easton could be a potential option at center should Trey Hopkins not be healthy enough to start in Week 1. Easton provides a better option than Billy Price, who would currently get the nod if Hopkins can’t start the season opener.
Nick Easton might not be as well-known as some of these options but he’s the best option for the Bengals, other than Austin Reiter, of course.