The Cincinnati Bengals couldn't quite fill all their needs this offseason before training camp began, but similar to last year, some late signings could prove to be absolutely golden. Dalton Risner was a late-August 2025 edition, yet he was thrust into duty in Week 1 and eventually locked down the right guard job.
Not saying that Blake Freeland joining the Bengals' practice squad is on that level whatsoever. Nevertheless, swing tackle was an obvious hole that nobody in the building seemed capable of filling in Cincinnati.
In addition to acquiring Freeland who didn't make the final cut with the Colts, Cincinnati claimed ex-Eagles offensive tackle Myles Hinton off waivers and put him on the active roster.
While I'll hold out hope for Hinton, it feels like Freeland might actually be the better candidate to beat out Jalen Rivers and/or Javon Foster for that swing tackle gig behind Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims.
Why Freeland signing with Bengals practice squad is so intriguing
Blake Freeland was pretty dominant at BYU in college. He started the 2020 campaign at right tackle and the last two years of his time with the Cougars at left tackle.
In that span, per PFF, Freeland gave up only one sack, and in his final collegiate season, he had a 90.7 pass blocking grade and a 87.3 run blocking grade. Those are extremely impressive marks, but to be fair, he did struggle when he was thrust into duty as an NFL rookie in nine starts (two at left tackle, seven at right tackle).
But Freeland is far removed from that rocky 2023 campaign, when he allowed 45 pressures on 426 pass blocking snaps. He was stuck behind stalwart Colts tackles Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith in 2024, and a fractured leg caused him to miss all of last season.
Part of Freeland's appeal as a prospect who went in the fourth round was his raw athleticism. He notched a 9.82 Relative Athletic Score, with his lighter weight (302 pounds) the only metric that really brought him down.
This is a stark contrast to Cincinnati's typical preference for massive tackles. Brown and Mims are 350 pounds. Hinton tips the scales at 342 pounds, according to Bengals.com. Freeland checks in at 6'8", 305.
I respect Gridiron Grading's evaluations a lot, and they are extremely bullish on Freeland:
Blake Freeland had a 1st Round grade on our board in 2023 with 90th percentile+ athleticism and production.
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) September 1, 2026
Hasn’t worked yet in the league for a number of reasons but he has traits through the roof and is still 25.
This is a fun add that we’d bet on sticking around. https://t.co/keCHLs4Vh4
Still only 25 years old, Freeland should make an effort to pack on weight. What I'm most excited about, however, is Freeland getting to work with Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters.
It shouldn't be overlooked how great of a job Peters did in 2025. He got the starting five to go from historically bad to exceptional in run blocking, and they jelled very well in pass protection.
Mims looked like a Pro Bowler down the stretch. Risner came into his own under Peters' watch. Rookie Dylan Fairchild was a stalwart left guard right out of the gates. If Freeland can bulk up a bit, get some better functional strength, and fine-tune his anchor, he could really push for the swing tackle gig.
Good on the Bengals for not sitting on their hands. I like that they added a different type of athlete to the mix in Freeland. Don't be surprised to see him make a push for the active roster soon.
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