It's roster cut SZN in the NFL, and the Cincinnati Bengals have several roster weaknesses where they can really take advantage with upgrades from outside the building.
With training camp and the preseason having just wrapped up, I wouldn't recommend chasing down potential starters at this late juncture on the waiver wire. However, it's a golden opportunity to build depth and take fliers on developmental players.
The Bengals are sitting in the middle of the pack on the waiver claim hierarchy, but if they get a crack at this just-waived Minnesota Vikings undrafted free agent, they should absolutely pounce.
Vikings waive intriguing offensive tackle Logan Brown
Aren't the Vikings just the gift that keeps on giving to the Bengals? When the two teams face off in Week 3, Minnesota will be without stud wide receiver Jordan Addison.
There's also the possibility that ex-Viking Dalton Risner could eventually sign in Cincinnati to start at right guard. Risner is a rare veteran exception who I'd make to my general rule that starters shouldn't be scooped up this late in the lead up to Week 1.
As if that all weren't enough to aid the Bengals' efforts, thanks to the Vikings' enviable depth and drafting ability, they're having to part ways with some promising prospects. That includes former Wisconsin and Kansas offensive tackle Logan Brown, per ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
Brown is a former 5-star recruit and was 247Sports' No. 1 tackle in the nation coming out of high school. Alas, injuries plagued his years at Wisconsin, before he was dismissed from the program for fighting at practice. He finally started for the Jayhawks this past season, earning PFF grades of 78.0 in pass blocking and 82.2 in run blocking.
Kansas OT Logan Brown is a player Iām becoming a big fan of.
ā NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 15, 2025
Former consensus 5š whose profile I compare to Trey Smith (potential move to G).
The size, athletic tools, and production metrics are there, but injuries and inconsistency derailed his college career. Extreme upside. pic.twitter.com/RQhII1Zmum
The only real issue is that Brown doesn't have a lot of snaps under his belt. In the 609 he played in 2024, though, he yielded zero sacks and only six hurries on 293 pass blocking snaps. His profile isn't dissimilar to the Bengals' current right tackle, Amarius Mims. He didn't play much at Georgia and was beset by injuries, but Mims looks like a high-floor starter entering Year 2.
Now I'm not going to sit here and pretend I've taken some deep dive on Vikings preseason all-22 film. All I'm saying is, Brown let up a mere three pressures on 76 pass blocking snaps. That ain't bad at all. He played right tackle in Weeks 1 and 3, and left tackle in Week 2. There's that swing tackle versatility we're looking for in Cincy! If he's a guard someday, as some suggest, so what? That's cool, too!
Look, I'm not one of those people who fawns over every fringe backup due to hit the waiver wire. I'm just surprised the Vikings didn't give Brown a little more run to grow in their program. Maybe it's a red flag that he didn't make the cut. I would still take a crack at him.
The Bengals really don't have a good swing tackle candidate right now. Cody Ford is more of a guard, and rookie Jalen Rivers is coming into his own at right guard. Not sure Rivers is capable of starting as a tackle at any point in his NFL career, but he could be a fine starter on the interior.
Given Cincinnati's reluctance to pay big money to a 30-year-old Trey Hendrickson, I'm not convinced that left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. will get a handsome payday when he's due to his free agency in 2027 ahead of his age-31 season.
Understanding that Brown hitting the open market is years down the road, the Bengals nevertheless have zero viable contingency plan. Brown could hold out and ask for more money as soon as next offseason. I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest. If he goes down hurt, there's no one behind him I have any faith in.
Logan Brown at least offers a higher ceiling than the likes of Devin Cochran, Andrew Coker, and whomever else has a shot at sticking on the Bengals' 53. Again, I'm not a big dart board throw guy for UDFAs who may not stick anywhere but a practice squad for a few years, but Brown has a different feel to him. I'd love for him to get a shot in Cincinnati.