Are we comfortable with Ogbuehi and Smith as our starting tackles next year?

[*ochocincos*]

(12-06-2017, 12:54 PM)BengalChris Wrote: If you are ok with so-so play at their absolute best then you'll keep them.

If you want a good OL you'll replace them.

We won't even bother looking for a starting OT in free agency. The best you can hope for out of this front office is a draft pick, probably in the later rounds.

If you look at the upcoming FAs, the only FA OT to consider that would be a near-guaranteed upgrade will be Nate Solder, and that's assuming he somehow isn't re-signed or tagged by the Pats. That leaves the draft. And there aren't any definitive upgrades for both OT spots and if you do try to do both in the first two rounds you're sacrificing other positions to do so.

The way I look at it is Smith has been the best OT of the group and the OL has done well in the past with him in. So I'm looking to re-sign him to give insurance. I then look to take an OT in the first two rounds to compete with Ogbuehi for LT duties. If the selected OT is a clear upgrade, great. If not, he likely could take over for Smith at RT at some point. Or Smith could take over for Ogbuehi at LT and the new OT take over at RT as a rookie.

Then take interior OL in the third (and maybe fourth) round(s), as this should be a deep class there and the Bengals should be able to find some good players still.