The Cincinnati Bengals just signed Trent Brown this offseason, and he's yet to play a single snap for the team, but is he already in danger of potentially losing his starting spot following the 2024 NFL Draft? He might be, at least according to Bleacher Report.
B/R listed eight starters whose jobs are in jeopardy following the draft and Brown made the cut. Here's the rationale:
"However, Brown has also had durability issues throughout much of his career—he's missed at least five games in four of the last five years dating back to his Pro Bowl season with the Raiders in 2019. The Bengals looked to add insurance against another Brown injury with the 18th overall pick, selecting a similarly massive offensive lineman in Georgia's Amarius Mims.
". . . Even if Trent Brown stays healthy, Mims is essentially a younger, more athletic version of the same player. If he has a strong camp, he'll be Cincinnati's Week 1 starter at right tackle."
Brown might not be happy to see this, but it shouldn't come as a major surprise, especially after the Bengals used their first round pick on offensive tackle Amarius Mims. The writing was already on the wall once that pick was made.
Plus Brown, 31, was never intended to be a long-term answer on the offensive line for the Bengals, as evidenced by the fact that they signed him to just a one-year deal. And who knows, maybe he will end up starting for Cincinnati this season while Mims gets acclimated to playing at the professional level.
Perhaps Brown could even serve as a mentor of sorts to Mims. After all, Brown has had a long, productive NFL career that has included a Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl victory. Given his experience, he's a valuable veteran to have on the roster, even if he does ultimately lose his starting spot.