The offensive line for Cincinnati Bengals got a little deeper on Thursday with the team signing Cody Ford in free agency.
With the new starting five secured in the wake of the signing of Orlando Brown, the Bengals now have the resources to step back and better shape the depth outlook.
As a whole, the signing of Ford isn’t a shocker at all.
Ford is a former second-round pick from the 2019 draft the team seemed to like at the time. Fast forward to now, he has a ton of notable experience at both guard spots and right tackle.
In Cincinnati, the Bengals announced him as an offensive tackle, but he might make more sense at guard. Either way, the coaches love the positional versatility he provides in a similar way to Jackon Carman.
That said, Ford has had big struggles over the last few years with two different teams, including a 41.2 overall PFF grade last year over 350 snaps.
Overall, though, there’s nothing wrong with adding more competition and Ford’s physical traits had him drafted in the top 50 for a reason. The Bengals will need a backup right tackle behind Jonah Williams if they cut La’el Collins and otherwise need competition for names like Max Scharping.
Ford does that, plus has the Oklahoma connection with Brown. The team should be desperately trying to avoid the depth disaster it suffered last year when the injury bug struck, so Ford might not be the last one they sign before potentially drafting more, either.
