The Cincinnati Bengals seem most likely to hit free agency for help on the interior offensive line in front of Joe Burrow this offseason.
That trend of somewhat throwing in the towel on developing rookies and going big on free agents that have already proven themselves started with Alex Cappa and Ted Karras, then looped in tackle Orlando Brown Jr., too.
With the former two names struggling last year, the Bengals could do the same. Right on cue, ESPN’s Matt Bowen has projected Pittsburgh Steelers guard James Daniels as a “best fit” for the team:
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 48 times last season, and the Bengals must upgrade at guard. Daniels tore his Achilles in Week 4, but he provides run-blocking upside when healthy. From Weeks 1 to 4, Daniels’ run block win rate of 82.7% ranked second among guards behind the Colts’ Quenton Nelson.
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Back in 2018, Daniels was one of those guys Bengals fans really liked as a possible pick, but the team opted for Billy Price in the first round and Daniels fell to the second.
Since he’s coming back from an injury, Daniels projects to get a prove-it deal at best on the open market. That puts him as a possible value buy for a Bengals team that probably wouldn’t mind upgrading at least two of the interior spots right away.