By now, much has been said about how the Cincinnati Bengals upgraded their offensive line massively in free agency.
With new starters La’el Collins (right tackle), Ted Karras (center) and Alex Cappa (right guard), the Bengals upgraded three of their four spots of need. Left guard, at least as of this writing, could go to 2021 second-rounder Jackson Carman.
But how much did the Bengals upgrade the line? Here’s a look at the Pro Football Focus season-long grades for the starters from the Super Bowl run:
- LT Jonah Williams: 77.1
- LG Quinton Spain: 72.3
- C Trey Hopkins: 51.4
- RG: Hakeem Adeniji: 48.3 (Jackson Carman 56.3)
- RT: Isaiah Prince: 58.0 (Riley Reiff 67.3)
Now a look at the upgraded projected offensive line and their grades from last season:
- LT Jonah Williams: 77.1
- LG Jackson Carman: 56.3 (or another veteran/rookie)
- C Ted Karras: 72.8
- RG: Alex Cappa: 74.2
- RT: La’el Collins: 82.0
There could still be some movement here. Karras has actually graded better as a left guard lately, so if the team were to add an upgrade at center in free agency or the draft, he’d slot over and this could look even better. They could also add a veteran guard from the market or draft an early-round rookie they like to play left guard, too.
Either way, it’s nice to see some of the numbers behind the hype of the team’s big spending in free agency. Upgrading three spots on a line that was one of the most obvious weak points in the NFL and surely earns the team an A grade for free agency.
