Bengals have agreed to terms with free agent G Ted Karras on a 3 year/$18M contract.
Not long after signing Alex Cappa to address the RG spot, the Bengals do the same for LG, adding Karras.
Karras started last year as a backup, but has plenty of starting experience over the last few years. He started 13 games at LG last year for the Patriots when David Andrews was out. He graded out as one of the better G’s in the league.
The 29 year old is also quite versatile. Karras, before this past year, had seen a lot of time at centre. The Bengals front office values positional versatility on their OL, so this likely played a big role in the team targeting him.
The Bengals seem to be getting great value out of this contract, as the cap hit stays under $6M until the third year of the deal. Teams seemingly didn’t quite value him as highly as some of the other free agents at the position. That said, his play in the past has been far better than this contract would suggest and he has the potential to greatly outperform it.
With this move, the guard spots are solidified. It remains to be seen if 2021 2nd round pick Jackson Carman will work as a depth G, or if he’ll get some work as a tackle, which is where he played in college.
The signing may signal an end to Quinton Spain’s time in Cincinnati. He was one of the better members of a bad OL last year. I don’t think anybody would have minded having him back. However, with his spot now filled, that door may be shut.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)
