With a combination of injuries and questionable play at right guard raising concerns in Cincinnati, the Bengals are bringing in veteran guard Dalton Risner in for a visit on Tuesday, per Jordan Schultz.
The former second-round pick of the Broncos has had a quiet free agency, despite the expectation that he would have significant interest on the open market. Risner was a four-year starter in Denver from 2020-2023, getting the immediate nod as a rookie and anchoring one of the better lines in the league during that span. He signed with the Vikings shortly after the season began and started from Week 7 on, though Minnesota signed former Colts G Will Fries to replace him this offseason.
The Bengals Need More Help on the Interior Offensive Line
Steph Chambers/GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 12: Dalton Risner #66 of the Denver Broncos looks on before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on September 12, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
While the offensive line is a question mark in Cincinnati, LT Orlando Brown Jr., RT Amarius Mims, and C Ted Karras have those spots locked down. But both guard spots were issues coming into training camp. Rookie third-round pick Dylan Fairchild quickly earned himself the nod at left guard, but it’s a revolving door at right guard, in both senses of the phrase.
Since camp began, it’s been free agent signee Lucas Patrick competing with last year’s swing tackle, Cody Ford, for the starting right guard spot. Ford has experience at both guard and tackle, having started at both in his career, though he mostly played on the interior in Buffalo and Arizona. Cordell Volson, last season’s starter, has barely factored into the competition at all — and now his injury likely means he’s out of it.
The issue is, neither Patrick nor Ford played particularly well last year. Patrick ranked 37th in PFF grade amongst qualifying guards with the Bears last year, earning a 64.6 overall grade. That’s in the same range as borderline starters and high-level backups, not ideal for the guy you brought in to hopefully fix the issue. Ford was even worse, with a 50.6 grade last year at tackle. By comparison, Risner had a 68.1 PFF grade with the Vikings, ranking 22nd among qualifying guards. He’d be a much more stable starter.
Lot of Pressure on Joe Burrow and the Bengals Offense to Perform This Year
After making a Super Bowl appearance QB Joe Burrow’s second season and playing in the AFC Championship game the year after that, it’s been back-to-back disappointing seasons for the Bengals. They missed the playoffs both years and are wasting the prime years of a very talented offensive core.
Slow starts are the main culprit, as the Bengals rack up too many losses in September to remain competitive down the stretch. They’ve started 0-2 for three straight seasons, 0-3 last year, and it’s killing them. They can’t afford to rely on a patchwork offensive line while they try and right the ship. Burrow’s protection has been shaky every since he arrived in Cincinnati, but if they can fix it, it’d be a big boost. Signing Risner would provide a substantial upgrade over the options currently on the roster.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bengals to Bring in Veteran Guard for Free Agent Visit: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.