Scouring Waiver Wire Options For Bengals’ Tackle Depth
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
When the Cincinnati Bengals released their official 53-man roster on Tuesday, the biggest winner was the entire 2024 Draft class. All ten of the players selected by the Bengals have made the active roster.
53 🙏🏾
— Josh Newton (@BumpnRunFig) August 27, 2024
THANK YOU GOD LETS WORK #WHO DEY
— daijahn anthony (@daijahn5) August 27, 2024
While a successful youth movement is noteworthy, it’s important to remember that the Bengals are still all-in for the 2024 season. Joe Burrow is entering the last year of his cheap rookie deal before his extension kicks in. At that point, Burrow’s cap hit will eclipse the dreaded 12% mark, and Tee Higgins (and maybe Trey Hendrickson) will become a cap casualty. The future might be bright, but the Bengals need to maximize their current roster.
One problem that threatens to hold back Burrow’s squad is that it is dangerously thin at the offensive tackle position. Amarius Mims was not placed on injured reserve and therefore can return before Week 5, but his immediate availability is in question. As a result, the Bengals only have three fully healthy tackles on the active roster: Orlando Brown Jr., Trent Brown, and Jaxson Kirkland. Trent Brown has an injury history of his own, which only increases concerns surrounding the position.
The Bengals have a reputation as a second-chance destination for formerly highly-touted offensive linemen, including Cody Ford and Max Scharping. It’s very possible the Bengals will look for a similar player now that the league-wide roster cuts have flooded the market. So let’s look at a few players who fit the profile.
Dalton Wagner
Wagner is the kind of offensive tackle that the Bengals would drool over. He’s huge (6-foot-8, 320 pounds), and was a team captain at Arkansas. However, he missed his entire rookie campaign in 2023 with the Las Vegas Raiders and got released Tuesday.
Impressed by the way Dalton Wagner (RT, #78) handles inside pressure; one of the best tackles in the class in that department. pic.twitter.com/whMOj7IYRP
— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) March 19, 2023
However, he’s just two years removed from his final season at Arkansas, he was included on the Second-Team All-SEC squad after allowing only two sacks in 11 games (both of which were against Alabama). This preseason saw him struggle with run blocking, but he was an adequate pass blocker with a nice 69.0 PFF grade, surrendering just two pressures and one sack. He has versatility and experience at both left and right tackle, making him an ideal player Cincinnati could give a second chance in a depth role while Mims gets healthy.
Matt Kaskey
The Los Angeles Rams released Kaskey on Sunday despite a strong showing in their preseason finale. Or heck, the preseason as a whole. Kaskey got through August without giving up a single sack, pressure, or hurry.
Highest-graded Rams in the preseason finale:
🥇 AJ Arcuri – 93.7
🥈 Matt Kaskey – 81.6
🥉 Nikola Kalinic – 75.8
🏅 Cameron McCutcheon – 74.0
🏅 Miller Forristall – 71.5 pic.twitter.com/kxzYujvmSJ— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) August 25, 2024
Kaskey had bounced around the league between the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, and the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions since the Rams first signed him as an undrafted free agent back in 2019. He’s yet another player who boasts the size the Bengals covet, at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds. Kaskey has also been effective in a small sample size when called upon. Over 196 career NFL snaps, he has yet to allow a single sack or hit, and has only given up four hurries.
It is extremely likely Kaskey will find another job. Given both his strong preseason and versatility (he can play both left and right tackle), it’s very possible the Bengals target the massive tackle.
Alex Leatherwood
Leatherwood is a familiar name to a lot of Bengals fans. Ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, he was a popular name fans had their eye on before Cincinnati used their fifth overall pick on Ja’Marr Chase. The draft heads were shocked when Leatherwood fell to the 17th pick, where the Raiders scooped him up. Turns out, the Bengals were right and the draft experts were wrong.
Unfortunately for Leatherwood, his career has far from lived up to his status as a former first-round pick. The Raiders released him after just one year of extremely poor play, including a dreadful PFF run-blocking grade of 29.0. He has since had stints with the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns, before being released by the Chargers during roster cutdowns.
But who’s to say he can’t help provide a safety net in Cincinnati? Leatherwood likely won’t receive much playing time, even if the Bengals acquire him, but he does have a fair amount of experience on the right side of the offensive line. Being a former high draft pick helps get you multiple chances to make it work in the NFL (unless you’re Isaiah Wilson), so there is a world where the Bengals look to the former Outland Trophy winner to boost their depth.
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