Bengals: Alex Cappa’s toughness knows no bounds

Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack wanted glass eaters, and new signing Alex Cappa definitely fits the bill.

The Bengals got down the business during the initial tampering period of free agency and immediately secured an upgrade in their offensive line: Tampa Bay Buccaneers right guard Alex Cappa.

NFL teams can’t officially announce deals with unrestricted free agents until Wednesday, but all reports indicate that Cincy have Cappa in the bag. Cappa reportedly received a call from Tom Brady trying to convince him to stay, but the Bengals had already gotten to him at that point.

And this is the kind of player the Bengals now have:

Alex Cappa will be a franchise cornerstone piece for the Cincinnati Bengals

The 27-year-old guard secured a four-year, $40 million dollar deal and possesses the skills and mentality to compete at the highest level.

Cappa has 46 starts in four seasons for the Bucs, playing in every single game during Tampa Bay’s 2020 championship season. He ultimately missed the Super Bowl that year after suffering a grave injury against Washington, but his reliability, production, and mental toughness should not be underestimated.

According to PFF, Cappa didn’t allow a sack in 2020; he allowed five last year, but in the past seasons he graded in the top-20 of all guards.

We’d imagine Cappa had to make a tough choice in deciding to play for Joe Burrow instead of Tom Brady, but ultimately Cincy’s abundant cap space gave the team a slight edge in nabbing its guard of the future. Cappa provides a consistent starting-caliber option on the right side, which means the Bengals may have to switch around a few members of the offensive line. For a player like Cappa, though, it’s 100 percent worth it.

Besides, how many other players do you know have tried to play on a broken leg? Now that’s loyalty.