Bengals’ bolstering of OL considered one of best moves of free agency
By Kristen Wong
The Cincinnati Bengals had one job heading into 2022 free agency, and they accomplished it. Their offensive line rebuild was recently graded as one of the best moves of the offseason.
Cincy wasted no time getting help for Joe Burrow in signing Alex Cappa last Monday and Ted Karras shortly after. After getting criticized all throughout the 2021 season for a shoddy offensive line, the Bengals stepped up and found crucial yet well-priced upgrades in the trenches, and their offseason activity did not go unnoticed.
Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon ranked the seven best acquisitions of the 2022 offseason so far and included Cincinnati’s ardent efforts to rebuild its O-line:
"It might be cheating to combine two moves, but mentioning only one of Alex Cappa or Ted Karras would seem incomplete.After star quarterback Joe Burrow got sacked a league-high 51 times during the regular season last year, the Cincinnati Bengals clearly needed to upgrade their offensive line this offseason. They’ve done exactly that in free agency."
Cincinnati Bengals did well this free agency to heavily boost offensive line
Many believe the Bengals’ work is not done at the offensive line and are hoping the team can lock down former Dallas tackle La’el Collins by the start of the 2022 season.
Still, Cappa and Karras are a start. Cappa’s signing will likely push current right guard Jackson Carman to the left side, but even if Cincinnati have to figure out the exact details of who plays where, having quality offensive linemen options on the roster offers a huge boost in pass protection and overall team confidence.
Joe Burrow and Co. will look to make a second Super Bowl run this year and Burrow’s success will hinge on how often he can stay upright. The interior defensive line has already gotten plenty of attention, and the team will no doubt do everything in its power to secure Collins or another tackle of similar caliber to prepare for the fierce AFC competition.
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The Bengals’ most important task of the 2022 offseason has nearly been finished. Now it’s time to see the results in action.