The Bengals have released OT/G Cody Ford.
This move is somewhat surprising, but also not surprising. Entering the offseason, Ford was thought to be close to a roster lock. Not necessarily because he is that good, but because he has shown capable of playing 4 out of the 5 offensive line positions at a somewhat passable level.
Since the start of training camp, however, things started trending in the wrong direction. He was getting beat too often in camp, and then had a couple of poor preseason performances to go with it. Still, I think many thought that his status that came with him from previous seasons would have been enough to keep him around, even if he drops on the depth chart. But maybe his pay cut earlier in offseason should have been a bigger hint. Ultimately, the Bengals decided that it was best to move on.
Ford first joined the Bengals in 2023 and had been one of the primary backups across most of the line. Now, the swing tackle position is a big question mark, if it wasn’t already.
There are a couple of younger players with potential, but the o-line depth across the board has dealt with some issues during the preseason. Especially at OT.
The Bengals may look to the free agent market. Their former 1st round pick, Jonah Williams, remains unsigned. Of course, there was some bad blood there in the past. If the two sides can get past it, perhaps a deal can get done.
Additionally, the Bengals may look to the trade market. They have plenty of DT depth, and Kris Jenkins has done some work to repair his value in the first two preseason games. He could be a trade option. McKinnley Jackson would have less value, but as a former 3rd round pick who has flashed at times, perhaps someone might take a flyer. In any event, the Bengals will have to do something to address the position.
