The Cincinnati Bengals have moved on from starting center Trey Hopkins.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed the news on Friday while introducing new free agents Alex Cappa and Ted Karras.
The move creates roughly $6 million in cap space for the Bengals and was a predictable domino once the team signed Karras to play center and Cappa to man the right guard position. He was right behind cornerback Trae Waynes as far as upcoming releases go.
An amazing undrafted story, Hopkins powered through multiple serious injuries and different positions before finding a home as the starting center. He came back early from a serious knee injury to play 15 games last season, but gets swept up here in the line overhaul, largely because of his big salary.
Should Hopkins not find a home elsewhere, there’s an angle where the team might have him back as immediate depth.
As far as cap space goes, Hopkins’ cap savings essentially matches the Karras contract, making it a wash. Joe Burrow and Co., as of this writing, are trying to recruit La’el Collins.
