Frank Pollack and co. scouted recently-signed Max Scharping years prior

When it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals and depth at offensive line, there is no amount that can be too much.

Cincinnati needed to improve their line this offseason after Joe Burrow was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL last season. Signing three starter-quality free agents and drafting the other projected starter of the five-man unit, the Bengals took that assignment seriously. They continue that trend following the final cut day, in which teams had to trim their roster to 53 players.

In one of their three signings following that, the Bengals brought in Max Scharping, a guard that could rival Cordell Volson and Jackson Carman for the starting spot on the left side of the line.

Frank Pollack and Derek Frazier, two coaches on the offensive line with the former leading the group, had scouted Scharping during their time with the Jets. Pollack spent between 2019 and 2020 with the Jets before re-joining Cincinnati in an expanded role.

“Pollack and the assistant line coach he brought over during the offseason, Derek Frazier, scouted guard Max Scharping for the Jets during the 2019 draft with Frazier going to the workout at Northern Illinois. So when the Bengals claimed the second-rounder from the Texans and his 33 starts, it wasn’t blindly,” Geoff Hobson, a senior writer for Bengals.com wrote.

Scharping was taken in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans and didn’t make the cut this season. He spent three seasons in Houston, playing in 48 games and starting 33.

He didn’t play in more than 65% of snaps in any season following his first in the league. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound lineman should add solid depth to the Bengals unit, especially if an often-injured group struggles to stay on the court.