Bengals rumoured to be big player in free agency center market

Another report linking Bradley Bozeman and Ryan Jensen to Cincinnati.
#Bengalsrumored #seriousplayers #freeagent
A possible plan for the Bengals offensive line is revealed as the free hand draws closer.

Rumor has it that Trey Hopkins’ days in Cincinnati are numbered. The 29-year-old center has one year left on his contract and is expected to earn a salary cap of more than $7 million this year.

Hopkins had a rough season, recovering for much of the year after tearing his cruciate ligament at the end of the 2020 season. Despite his improvement this season, teams don’t seem to value him at his current price and are looking for a long-term replacement.

Hopkins’ removal not only saved the club $6 million in cap space, it also opened the door for them to pursue the center market freely. According to ProFootballNetwork insider Aaron Wilson, the Bengals are among the teams expected to have a “strong interest” in the likes of Ryan Jensen and Bradley Bozeman:

League sources describe it as a “strong market” for elite free-agent centers, specifically Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl blocker Ryan Jensen and Baltimore Ravens’ Bradley Bozeman, both of whom are expected to Get huge contracts. The Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and other teams may have serious interest in the centers, according to league sources who were not authorized to speak publicly.

The report corroborates what Wilson wrote last month about the Bengals’ interest in Bozeman and Adam Jones, who claimed that Jensen was “almost a deal” for the Bengals. There’s smoke, and that’s it.

What would a Bozeman or Jensen deal look like? The top center contract belongs to the Detroit Lions’ Frank Ragno, who earns $13.5 million a year. Corey Linsley, the last top center paid in free agency, brings in $12.5 million a year from the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bozeman and Jensen probably won’t exceed that number, but between $11 million and $13 million a year is a reasonable expectation that the next center will get paid.

The Bengals’ other recent contracts have surpassed that number, but never without an offensive linebacker. Even Andrew Whitworth didn’t cross the $10 million AAV threshold when he was in Cincinnati. It would be an unprecedented trade, but now is the perfect time for them to buck the trend.

Legal manipulation of NFL free agency begins March 14. All the news will become clearer as we get closer to next week.

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