[jwplayer QIDx8I61]
The Las Vegas Raiders are one of those teams looking to make roster moves ahead of free agency to deal with the realities of a reduced salary cap this year.
Feel free to add them to the list of teams the Cincinnati Bengals should watch closely.
For example, the Raiders are expected to release right guard Gabe Jackson. Not too shocking, as Jackson has struggled as of late and the move would free up $9.6 million in cap space.
The Raiders have also apparently had offensive tackle Trent Brown in trade talks. Also not shocking — Brown is a $14 million cap hit and has missed 16 games over two seasons in Las Vegas.
This is important because the Bengals need so much help in the offensive trenches. Jackson was an obvious target for the team in the past and there seemed to be an interest there. He’ll turn 30 years old this year and actually still posts strong marks in pass protection, so he’d be an obvious upgrade on the right side of the line.
Brown is a much bigger risk. Only 27, he was extremely overpaid on the market two offseasons ago to the tune of four years and $66 million. He only got in 11 games in 2019 and just five in 2020 while battling injuries and COVID complications. Still, he grades pretty well too and could still play on the right side, provided the Bengals are comfortable throwing a late-round pick in a trade and acquiring a contract with nearly $30 million still on it (none of it guaranteed, though).
Call the situation in Las Vegas just one other example of the Bengals being able to greatly benefit from other teams struggling to meet the cap this year. It’s like the Saints taking trade calls on a good player. Or Washington cutting Alex Smith. Or the Texans cutting a starting lineman.
It should go without saying, but now is the time to spend big and rebuild the roster.
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