What they’re saying about the Bengals’ trade for LT Cordy Glenn

The Cincinnati Bengals’ trade for left tackle Cordy Glenn has fans excited about the future of the team’s offensive line. After back-to-back down years for the team and offensive line, Glenn coupled with new offensive line coach Frank Pollack offer a reason for fans to be optimistic.

But what did the national media and those outside of Cincinnati think of the trade? Let’s take a look around the internet at reactions to the news of the Bengals adding Glenn (and his big salary) to the roster.

Buffalo Rumblings:

The reason Glenn is on the outs is due to his health. After playing in 16 games in three consecutive seasons, Glenn missed five games in 2016 and 10 in 2017 with and ankle/foot injury. For that very large contract, the Bills wanted more in return. Rookie Dion Dawkins played well in relief of Glenn, or else this conversation wouldn’t have even been possible.

NFL Network:

Pro Football Focus:

NFL.com:

Glenn is on his way to a team desperate for offensive line help. After losing tackle Andrew Whitworth and guard Kevin Zeitler, Cincinnati saw a significant drop-off in line play, finishing T-29th in rushing at 3.6 yards per carry and 31st in total rushing yards (1,366) while surrendering 40 sacks. After the potential of this draft’s tackle class sustained a significant blow due to underwhelming NFL Scouting Combine performances, and thanks to a thin free-agent market at the position, Cincinnati is instead dealing for an experienced tackle who will start immediately.

The book on Glenn varies, depending on who you talk to. The tackle was limited to six games in 2017 due to multiple injuries and hasn’t played a full season since 2015, but when healthy, has been an effective blocker. Second-year tackle Dion Dawkins, a second-round pick out of Temple in 2017, looks to be in line to replace Glenn. Dawkins appeared in 16 games in 2017, starting 11 in place of Glenn.

Walter Football:

This trade means so much for both teams, and there’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get right to it...

Cordy Glenn is a great talent. He’s an excellent left tackle when healthy. Unfortunately, the “when healthy” stipulation is significant, as Glenn has missed 17 games in the past two seasons with various injuries, including foot problems. It’s never great to hear that a big man has issues with his feet, as recovering from this sort of problem can be difficult for them. The good news is that Glenn is still just 28, so he’s young enough to get healthy for 2018.

Buffalo didn’t really have much use for Glenn, despite his talents. Dion Dawkins played well at left tackle as a rookie last year, so the Bills had an asset they could use in a trade. And they certainly did, as moving up from No. 21 to 12 is very crucial. It’s an indication that it’s the first of two or three trades to get the Bills into position to move up for a quarterback.

The Bills are now armed with the Nos. 12 and 22 overall selections, as well as 53, 56 and 65. If you add all of these up in the NFL Trade Value Chart, you get 2,955 points, just 45 shy of 3,000, which is what No. 1 overall is worth! The Bills could theoretically trade Nos. 12, 22 and 65 to get close to 2,200, which is what No. 3 is worth. The Colts might be very interested in trading down, as they have tons of needs. Thus, I have to think is a great trade for the Bills, as they shipped off an irrelevant player for them for a chance to get their franchise signal-caller.

Meanwhile, the Bengals have to be happy to get a much-needed upgrade on the offensive line. I just think they gave up a bit too much. The difference between Nos. 12 and 21 is 400 points, which is what the No. 50 overall selection is worth, and that seems like a bit too steep for such an injured blocker. Still, if Glenn is 100-percent healthy next year, Cincinnati won’t be upset that it made this deal.

Grade for Bengals - B; Grade for Bills - A

Buffalo Fanatics:

Pro Football Weekly

Glenn will help the Bengals’ biggest need on the offensive line, which was bad last season. The team already added Bobby Hart, who played tackle for the New York Giants, but that was more of a low-risk move. If Glenn is healthy, he could be the anchor at left tackle the Bengals need....

Prior to the arrival of Bills GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, Glenn signed a five-year, $60 million extension in 2016. But he was slowed by foot and ankle injuries and limited to five games last season. McDermott said at the NFL scouting combine that Glenn was rehabbing and making good progress.

My thoughts...

Overall, I see this as a win-win for the Bengals and Bills. Of course there is a chance that Glenn could remain injured or get injured again. But, that’s a risk with any player in the NFL and sometimes, you need to take a risk to win. When healthy, Glenn has been a top 10 left tackle and with Pollack in Cincinnati, there’s hope that the team’s new left tackle hasn’t even hit his ceiling. The Bengals must not have felt confident in the free agent tackles available (or landing Nate Solder, the best of the bunch) nor the top of the draft class to contribute immediately. Glenn should be able to come in and start come Week 1 and the Bengals desperately needed an upgrade over Ogbuehi. He is a MAJOR upgrade and this should be a great move for the Bengals and a sign that the team is looking to win in 2018.