FanPost

How can the Bengals' Offensive Line be salvaged?

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It's that time of year again... free agency. After losing many key starters last year, more have been lost this year. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has signed a big deal with the Los Angeles Rams, and guard Kevin Zeitler has signed a monster five year deal with the Cleveland Browns, making him the highest paid guard in football. Zeitler and Whitworth were the only bright spots on a disappointing offensive line last year, and it looks like things might get worse in 2017, unless the offensive line is salvaged.

A good offensive line in 2017 starts with the two tackles, Cedric Ogbuehi and Jack Fisher. Ogbuehi, a first round pick, and Fisher, a second round pick, have not lived up to expectations early on in their careers, although Fisher hasn't been given much of a opportunity. Ogbuehi, on the other hand, was a starter for much of last year, and was dreadful in every one of his games. For Ogbuehi, the key to a bounce back season is a good offseason. If he is able to get in a full offseason of weight lifting, and get stronger, things should look better for him. Fisher, is still somewhat of an unknown, but wasn't great in his limited action either. Like Ogbuehi, he also needs to have a good offseason to bounce back. While the hope is that these two young tackles can take over, some insurance is also need. Former Bengal Andre Smith could likely be signed to a cheap contract, and would be an upgrade over the older Eric Winston.

Center was also a weakness on the offensive line last year, as Russell Bodine was still mediocre at best. The solution to this is to draft a good center. The best option in this year's draft is Ethan Pocic from LSU, who in my opinion, is worthy of a second round pick. He is a bit tall for the position, but would be an instant upgrade because of his stellar pass protection and run blocking. Another option is Pat Elflein, from Ohio State, and is projected to go somewhere between the third or fourth round. Like Pocic, Elflein would be an instant upgrade over Bodine, who has struggled in every year as the starter since being drafted.

With Clint Boling still here as the left guard, right guard is the spot that is up for grabs. If the Bengals are able to draft a new starting center, it opens up more options for that vacant spot. Russell Bodine would be able to try his hand at guard, which is a much simpler position than center. Also, fellow center T.J. Johnson would be in the mix, after turning in a good performance at guard against the Ravens in week 17. The favourite for this spot right now is Christian Westerman, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. After a year in the system, the hope is that Westerman is ready to make the jump into the starting lineup, which would be huge for him, and this team. Also in the mix are Trey Hopkins, who has been with the Bengals for the last few years, and Alex Redmund, who spent all of 2016 on the practice squad.

Hopefully the Bengals are able to fix the offensive line, as a good one is a crucial part of having a good football team, and being a contender.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan, which is as important as the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors.