The Cincinnati Bengals guaranteed Orlando Brown he could play his preferred position of left tackle and it played a role in the team’s ability to sign him.
Turns out they did the same thing with Cody Ford, who agreed to sign on Thursday.
Ford, who played right tackle as a rookie before moving around to different spots with two different teams, agreed to sign with the Bengals because line coach Frank Pollack and the team will give him a shot at his preferred spot of right tackle.
“Yes, I do feel like I’ve been playing out of position and they do, too,” Ford said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I’m excited to be playing tackle again.”
It’s an interesting thing to consider. The Bengals adding Brown means Jonah Williams likely moves to right tackle, a spot already occupied by La’el Collins. And while Collins is injured, it isn’t a guarantee the team just up and moves on from him.
But it’s a good problem to have for a team that needs a dramatic upgrade to its depth in the trenches. And if all else fails, Ford has that versatility to back up interior spots like guard, too.
