Cleveland Browns guard Kevin Zeitler will next play for the New York Giants.
The former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick was one of a flurry of moves on the market Friday before free agency’s opening next week. Cleveland gets back pass rusher Olivier Vernon in the trade.
A Bengals-Zeitler reunion would have made perfect sense for Cincinnati. The Browns probably didn’t want to move him within the AFC North, but the Bengals desperately need the help at right guard — a spot they haven’t been able to properly fill since letting Zeitler walk.
The Bengals didn’t want to pay Zeitler then and probably didn’t want to now, as he’s the third-highest paid guard in the league.
But for a team struggling so much up front after letting Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth get away, it’s hard not to ask “what if?” for these Bengals.
