Tag: Orlando Brown Jr.

How Sports Illustrated grades Bengals free agency so far

Here’s how one major outlet grades Cincinnati’s trip to free agency.

With free agency well underway and many big names signed, the Cincinnati Bengals have made some big moves, most notably OT Orlando Brown Jr., safety Nick Scott and TE Irv Smith Jr.

Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated has given the Bengals a free agency grade of an A minus. They are one of only three teams he gave this high of a grade.

Here’s what Manzano said about the Bengals grade:

The surprise signing of Brown was enough to make the Bengals winners in free agency. Brown’s presence will allow Joe Burrow time to push the ball downfield to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Cincinnati lost both its starting safeties in Bates and Bell, but added a savvy veteran in Scott.

There is still a lot of offseason to go, but the Bengals have done about as well as they could have so far. Like Manzano said, signing Brown was very big for them, so the offseason will be thought of as a success regardless, but there are still areas they could improve.

The next step will be attacking more needs in the draft that is creeping up quickly, now less than a month away.

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Bengals OT Jonah Williams was ‘blindsided’ by Orlando Brown signing

The Bengals didn’t reach out to Jonah Williams before making the move.

The situation between offensive tackle Jonah Williams and the Cincinnati Bengals now has a little more context to it thanks to a new report.

According to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Bengals didn’t reach out to Williams before signing Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency with the intention of the new arrival taking his spot on the line:

The Bengals didn’t communicate with Jonah before they were planning to sign Orlando Brown. He was blindsided. The team didn’t tell him ahead of time they were thinking of moving him to RT, a source close to the situation tells me.

This is a good example of the NFL being a harsh business despite it making plenty of sense. Teams aren’t obligated to inform a player they are making an addition at their position.

And specifically in this situation, the Bengals didn’t even consider Brown, thinking he was out of their price range. It was actually Brown’s camp that reached out to the Bengals first and a deal came together fast.

The Bengals intend for Williams to make the shift to right tackle and compete to start there on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract that makes him north of a $12 million cap hit next season.

While head coach Zac Taylor has stressed his desire to have Williams at right tackle in 2023, reports have said the trade market for him has heated up.

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PFF details what Bengals are getting in Orlando Brown Jr.

What PFF’s numbers and analysis say about Orlando Brown’s arrival.

The Cincinnati Bengals made a big splash in free agency by signing OT Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year, $64.1 million deal on March 16.

This move came after multiple seasons of struggling to protect Joe Burrow, which was highlighted most recently in the 23-20 AFC Championship loss against Brown’s former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, when Burrow was sacked five times.

Here’s what Dalton Wasserman at PFF thinks of the move for Brown:

Brown gives the Bengals a proven pass protector with playoff experience who just won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs. He has never earned a pass-blocking grade below 74.4 in any of his five seasons in the NFL, and his 76.8 grade in 2022 was far superior to the mark put up by Bengals left tackle Jonah Williams (62.8).

Brown allowed just four sacks across 893 pass-blocking snaps in 2022 and was at his best down the stretch. From Week 11 through the Super Bowl, his 79.0 overall grade and 85.5 pass-blocking grade were top-12 marks among players at the position.

Also highlighted by Wasserman is that this move importantly gives the Bengals much more freedom in the draft, allowing them to look at different positions early on if that’s what they want to target.

Wasserman said that by PFF’s rankings, Burrow is the best QB in the league in terms of passing from a clean pocket since he was drafted with a 96.0 grade. Brown will help Burrow have the opportunity to do so more often.

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Around the North: Bengals OT Jonah Williams requests trade after signing of Orlando Brown Jr.

The Bengals shopped for a new left tackle, leaving their current one less than pleased.

As the Cleveland Browns get better in free agency, division rivals are looking to do the same. And one way the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to improve is by bolstering their protection around quarterback Joe Burrow. This is why they went out and signed left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a big deal. However, their current left tackle and former first round pick Jonah Williams is less than impressed with the move.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport, Williams has now requested a trade from the Bengals after the team actively pursued his replacement. Can the Bengals salvage things with Williams and ask him to kick inside to guard or will he want to retain his tackle market entering the last year of his contract?

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Former Ravens OT Orlando Brown Jr. shares thoughts on QB Lamar Jackson

Former Ravens tackle Orlando Brown Jr. gave his opinion on Lamar Jackson

While the Baltimore Ravens have been quiet so far in free agency the team has been one of the most talked about franchises of the offseason, and for good reason. The circumstances surrounding their negotiations with quarterback Lamar Jackson remain mired in mystery, and as time passes, it seems that an extension for the MVP signal caller will continue to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future.

Former Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. made his feelings on the matter known in an ESPN interview on Thursday. He told the crew on “Get Up” that he believes Jackson deserves a fully guaranteed contract, saying that his status, his ability his leadership and his qualities off of the field make him qualified for fully-guaranteed money.

“His status, his ability, the things that he’s shown as a leader, his qualities off the field, I don’t know if there’s anybody more deserving right now,” Brown said. “I personally believe he definitely deserves a fully-guaranteed deal.”

Brown just signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals that provided generous guarantees and seems to think that Jackson deserves every bit as much, if not more than he got. Negotiations with Jackson are ongoing, and with no end in sight, Ravens fans will have to wait to see just how much money Baltimore will be willing to shell out to keep their franchise quarterback under center for years to come.

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Chiefs free agent LT Orlando Brown Jr. finalizing four-year contract with Bengals

Former #Chiefs LT Orlando Brown Jr. has officially found a new team in the AFC conference.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ left tackle of the past two seasons has found a new home in free agency.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, former Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. will sign with the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s currently finalizing a four-year contract worth over $64 million with a signing bonus of $31 million, which is the largest ever for an offensive lineman.

That’s still quite a bit less than the six-year extension worth up to $139 million that the Chiefs reportedly offered Brown Jr. a year ago. It seems that he might have overplayed his hand in negotiations with Kansas City, just a bit.

Brown, 26, was a former trade acquisition by Kansas City via the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the 2021 NFL season. He wanted an opportunity to play the left tackle position and the Chiefs gave him just that with 39 starts (incl. postseason) over the past two years. In his first full season starting at left tackle, Brown allowed six sacks, 45 pressures and seven penalties on the year (via PFF). In his second season, he totaled four sacks, 58 pressures and seven penalties again (via PFF).

Now, he’ll go to an AFC rival in free agency, with an opportunity to play against the team that drafted him twice a year. He’ll also get an opportunity to play against Kansas City during the regular season and potentially during the playoffs.

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The 20 best remaining players after Day 2 of NFL free agency

It’s Day 3 of free agency. A franchise LT and safety are somehow STILL available.

Fun fact: The NFL’s negotiation window might begin on Monday, with most free-agent players locked in immediately. But the new league year doesn’t actually start until today!

It’s wild to think about after seeing all these underrated trades and handsome contracts fly around, right? (Also, it’s funny knowing most of these moves aren’t 100 percent official and can technically fall through at any time.)

However, despite most of the free agent field being combed through this year, many franchise players and stars remain available. To be quite honest with you: I don’t know why. But I’ve never professed to know precisely how an NFL GM thinks.

As Day 3 of free agency rolls on, here’s an overview of the 20 top unsigned players left. (Note: I’ve said before they’ll likely not last much longer on the open market. But nothing seems assured anymore.)

9 winners (Cowboys!) and losers (yikes, Josh McDaniels) from Day 2 of NFL free agency

The Cowboys’ defense got a LOT better. Meanwhile, Josh McDaniels should work on his people skills.

After the initial launch period of free agency, Day 2 could have been quieter. (Keyword: could.)

Two understated trades brought potentially valuable veterans to Dallas and Indianapolis. In Las Vegas, Josh McDaniels started to piece together the Patriots of the Mojave Desert. But his day had an awkward overall taste to it.

Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson pointedly defended his contract negotiating honor in public. Oh, and Aaron Rodgers kept doing … whatever it was that he’s doing. Not that we’re still waiting for developments here. No way.

Not us. Not ever! However, we can’t speak for various pro football personalities.

As we head into the official start of the league year later today, here are the biggest winners and losers from NFL free agency Day 2.

Star LT Orlando Brown Jr. remains unsigned in NFL free agency for this weird reported reason

Brown is one of the NFL’s best linemen, but it’s not so simple.

The arguably top player available during this year’s NFL free agency is Orlando Brown Jr. That’s because he’s a legitimate franchise tackle who is only 26 years old.

But as money flies around in Chicago and Denver, and intriguing trades are made by Dallas and by New York; Brown Jr. remains unsigned almost two days into free agency.

What gives?

Why hasn’t a player as good as Brown Jr. been inked to a deal yet? It, quite frankly, shouldn’t be taking this long to sign a player as excellent as him. Ah, but there is an explanation, albeit a peculiar one.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Brown Jr. is still on the open market because of a hold-up with his position designation. Brown Jr. believes he’s a left tackle. The position typically receives the highest compensation amongst offensive linemen. Part of the reason Brown Jr. was once traded to the Kansas City Chiefs was because of his left-tackle conviction.

But the majority of the NFL seems to believe Brown Jr. is actually a right tackle. They still get a lot of money, but less than their left-sided peers.

It’s unclear whether Schefter’s report about Brown Jr.’s situation is accurate.

If that were the case, it’d be pretty silly for squads not to bring in an elite (and young!) talent like him simply because he wants left tackle money. In 2023, the distinction between both sides of an offensive front is largely irrelevant. Or at least it should be.

For what it’s worth, here are the top-five contracts, by fully guaranteed money, for both left and right tackles. (Data is courtesy of Over The Cap.)

Left tackle:

  1. Ronnie Stanley — $64.1 million
  2. Trent Williams — $40 million
  3. Laremy Tunsil — $40 million
  4. Cam Robinson — $33 million
  5. Andrew Thomas — $32.3 million

Right tackle:

  1. Ryan Ramczyk — $43.01 million
  2. Taylor Moton — $43 million
  3. Jawaan Taylor — $40 million
  4. Mike McGlinchey — $35 million
  5. Braden Smith — $32 million

Woof, OK. If this left-right separation is indeed the hold-up in Brown Jr. finding a new home, then it appears he has a point in staying patient. That contract gap is stark.

Time will only tell whether he or a team budges on their bargaining position first.

The 20 best remaining players after Day 1 of NFL free agency

Most of the big fish are gone, but a lot of stars and quality starters are just waiting to be snatched up.

I know it’s tough to process while in the moment, with new agreements seemingly flying around every other minute, but not every player is signed on the first day of NFL free agency.

In fact, if we took an honest look at the proceedings, many worthwhile stars, solid contributors, and depth guys are still sitting on the board after a whirlwind first day. Even if teams like the Chicago Bears were among the bigger initial winners, and even if squads like the San Francisco 49ers continue to get richer defensively, there’s still a lot of time left before the free-agent dust settles.

Let’s take a quick look at the 20 best players remaining in 2023 NFL free agency (by my estimation) as we head into Day 2. Remember: most of these guys aren’t likened to last much longer on the open market.