Bengals: Austin Reiter would provide stability to offensive line
The Cincinnati Bengals are still looking to beef up their offensive line and the latest name to potentially be added to the mix is center Austin Reiter. According to Tom Pelissero, the Bengals are having Reiter in for a visit on Monday.
The Bengals hopefully have learned their lesson from a season ago when their offensive line’s poor performance cost Joe Burrow the final six games of his promising rookie season. They might have passed on Penei Sewell in the first round of the draft but they took Jackson Carman in round two and added D’Ante Smith and Trey Hill on Days 2 and 3.
The Bengals also signed Riley Reiff to play right tackle. This is an underrated move by the organization and if they add Reiter, it’ll be another nice depth piece for this team.
The #Bengals are bringing in former #Chiefs center Austin Reiter for a visit Monday, per source. Reiter started for KC the past two seasons, including both Super Bowls. Another move coming to fortify Joe Burrow’s offensive line?
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 23, 2021
Reiter was a seventh-round pick by Washington in the 2015 NFL Draft but never played a snap for them. He appeared in 17 games for the Browns in 2016 and 2017 before landing with the Chiefs in 2018 and making a name for himself there.
Over his three seasons with the Chiefs, Reiter transformed from a depth piece to a starting center, a position he held in Kansas City in 2019 and 2020. He won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in the 2019 season and the fact that he’s still a free agent is a bit surprising.
The Bengals are wise to bring Austin Reiter in for a visit.
This move could indicate that Trey Hopkins might not be ready to play in Week 1 of the regular season after tearing his ACL in January. If Hopkins can’t go, the Bengals are forced to roll with first-round bust Billy Price and no one wants to see that.
If the Bengals are serious about wanting their offensive line to improve, they can’t put Price out there as a starter. He’s proven he isn’t capable of handling starting duties.
Reiter, on the other hand, would be the perfect option to have should Hopkins not be ready to roll. He’s a proven starter and won a Super Bowl as a starting center.
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The Bengals have the money to continue adding to their offensive line and Reiter would be a wonderful signing for them, especially this close to training camp. This is a smart move by the Bengals and hopefully, his meeting with the team goes well and a deal can get done next week.