Zac Taylor discusses Bengals’ plan for Cody Ford

It seems as though the Cincinnati Bengals will have plenty of competition at the right tackle position for the 2023 season.

The Bengals have asked Jonah Williams to move from left tackle to right tackle in the wake of signing Orlando Brown Jr. Williams has since requested a trade, but it’s unclear as to whether or not the team will send him elsewhere since Williams requested a trade.

They also have La’el Collins, the team’s right tackle who signed a three-year deal before the 2022 season. He suffered a season-ending knee injury and is rehabbing to come back at some point this season. The draft is also coming up, and depending on the way things fall and if the Bengals get any trade interest with Williams, they could be selecting a new right tackle as well.

Another name in the mix is Cody Ford, according to head coach Zac Taylor.

“He (Ford) will come compete at right tackle,” Taylor said during a recent meeting with media. “So his first spot for us will be right tackle, but he’s got the flexibility to play guard as well. So it’s good to have a lineman that can come in and compete at different positions for you.”

Ford played the majority of the season at guard in 2022 for the Buffalo Bills, but he did play 32 snaps at right tackle. He didn’t score well, per PFF, earning a 41.2 overall grade.

He’s not the only versatile lineman on the team. Both Jackson Carman and Hakeem Adeniji played both guard and tackle for the Bengals over the last couple of seasons. Carman played the majority of his rookie season at guard and then played left tackle when Williams was injured late in the season.

Adeniji played right guard in 2021 and then was the backup right tackle in 2023. Ford fits the same general mold as a versatile lineman who can play both inside and outside, which is something the Bengals are clearly looking for.

As things stand right now, the right tackle position is Williams’ to lose, but if he is traded during the draft, or if he struggles with the transition from left tackle to right, he could be replaced by Ford, Collins (if he’s healthy), another lineman on the roster, or possibly by a rookie selected in the upcoming draft.

Ford’s contract with the Bengals is for one year and $1.08 million.