When it comes to the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals, there is absolutely no question as to what the predominant need is, both in free agency and the draft. Quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked a league-high 70 times last season — Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill ranked second with 48 — and if Cincinnati had a competent offensive line in Super Bowl LVI, they might be the NFL champs right now.
It’s obviously something that has not gone unnoticed by general manager Duke Tobin and his staff. Because the Bengals came heavy right out of the gate in the legal tampering period, agreeing to terms with former Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa on a four-year, $40 million deal.
The suddenness of this move makes sense, because with all the issues that befell that line last season, right guard was the biggest problem. Hakeem Adeniji, a second-year sixth-round pick out of Kansas, allowed nine sacks and 37 total pressures in 2021, and he was specifically vulnerable in the Super Bowl, allowing three sacks and two hurries in that game alone. Adeniji also allowed three sacks in Cincinnati’s divisional round win over the Titans, and he just hasn’t proven to have what it takes to deal with the NFL’s better defensive tackles. Jeffery Simmons of the Titans specifically ate his lunch over and over. Far too often, Adeniji (No. 77) was just lost in space.
Cappa, a third-round pick out of Humboldt State in 2018, gives the Bengals what they need from a power and nastiness perspective. Even when asked to scrap against Aaron Donald, as he was here in Tampa Bay’s divisional round loss to the Rams, Cappa brings enough to at least hold his ground on an 11-yard Leonard Fournette run.
Cappa is decent, though not spectacular, in pass protection. He allowed five sacks and 35 total pressures in Tampa Bay’s extremely high-volume passing game (896 pass-blocking snaps), and while he’s well above-average when he’s dealing with defenders right in front of him, he can be bedeviled by stunts and quicker games. The sack he allowed to David Onyemata of the Saints in Week 15 shows that particular weakness.
In that same game, Cappa got housed by Cameron Jordan, who just went right by him with this filthy set of moves.
That said, the Bengals just got a lot better overall at the specifically weakest part of their general weakness for a decent comparative price. The wise assumption is that this team is nowhere near done redefining its offensive line.