5 ways the Bengals can build upon an already-strong offseason

3. Bring in competition at left guard

When free agency began, the offensive line was clearly the biggest need on the Bengals’ roster. With the additions of La’el Collins, Alex Cappa, and Ted Karras, suddenly the Bengals have what looks like a solid offensive line. However, there is still one question mark: the left guard position.

As it stands, second-year players Jackson Carman and D’Ante Smith look poised to fight for the spot. While these two both have potential and one of them could turn out to be a solid player, the Bengals can’t afford to wait and see.

Protecting Joe Burrow is as crucial as anything and they need to be sure they get this right. Competition must be brought in to go up against Carman and Spain for the starting left guard spot.

There are multiple ways to go about this. The easiest, and most likely, is to bring back Quinton Spain. The veteran guard was one of the few bright spots on the Bengals’ offensive line for the majority of the season before having a poor postseason. However, Spain put enough solid snaps on tape for the Bengals to feel good adding him to the competition.

If their relationship with Spain is done, they could spend a draft pick on a guard, but it feels safer to bring back the veteran than leave it up to three young guys unless the Bengals are willing to spend their first-round pick on a guard.