Bengals Roster: Realistic expectations for Alex Cappa in 2023

In the 2022 off-season, the Cincinnati Bengals were determined to fix their offensive line once and for all. The first move that they -- or anybody, really -- made in free agency was signing Alex Cappa to a four-year deal worth $35 million.

Before signing with Cincinnati, Cappa was a third-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2018 and didn't miss a single game in 2020 or 2021. He had a respectable first year in the Stripes, starting all 16 regular season games and finishing the season with a PFF grade of 67.6.

Unfortunately, Cappa was injured in the final game of the regular season and missed the entire playoff run. The good news is that he's back in action and ready to return to play right guard for the Bengals.

What should Bengals fans expect from Alex Cappa in 2023?

Cappa is winning the right guard job and that's not up for discussion. Sure, he could get injured or something unforeseen could occur but as long as Cappa is healthy and around, he's winning that job.

According to PFF, Cappa allowed three sacks and was only penalized twice in 1,086 snaps. Once he and the rest of the new-look o-line started to gel, you could see the improvement. Unfortunately, all of those injuries struck within weeks of each other and Cappa's injury meant that Max Scharping had to take over at right guard.

Cappa has been able to consistently stay healthy throughout his career hough so let's just hope that former Buc reverts back to his 2020 and 2021 form when it comes to avoiding injuries. If he's out on the field, Cappa is a great right guard to have and let's keep our fingers crossed that this offensive line continues to grow and improve.