The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t made another splash along the offensive line despite there being some interesting names like Larry Warford out there in free agency.
Fred Johnson is a big reason the Bengals are happy to stand still there.
Offensive line coach Jim Turner singled out Johnson as one of the reasons the coaching staff remains encouraged with the current depth chart. He appeared on the “Bengals Booth Podcast” with Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham and said the following:
“Freddie didn’t play football until he was in high school…he wasn’t even a standout player at Florida, but when you’re around him, there’s a reason all those things happened. And Freddie is a work in progress when it comes to being ready to play. But as you can see, that work in progress, we put it to the test. I told Ben Martin, don’t coach him at all…I don’t want him to be uptight at all…this guy has the talent to do a lot…he’s a monster.
“…You ask him a question, this kid is smart as a whip. I’m telling you. I’ll install things…I might be talking to somebody else…I’ll say ‘Freddie, explain that to me’ and he’ll explain it to you right through it…there’s an intelligence there that is excellent…”
Johnson, a guy the Bengals pounced on quickly and claimed after Pittsburgh waived him and tried to sneak him on the practice squad, is a massive tackle with major upside.
Last year, Johnson was quickly promoted to backup left tackle, then later got some playing time while learning on the fly.
Johnson, paired with late-round pick Hakeem Adeniji, is a bright point for a coaching staff still looking for surefire starters.
