CINCINNATI – Trent Brown represented the last chance the Cincinnati Bengals had to sign an impact player at one of their two biggest positions of need, which is why the team made sure the veteran offensive tackle didn’t leave his visit without a deal.
Brown flew to Cincinnati on Monday morning, met with the coaches and staff earlier today, and has agreed to a one-year contract.
Bengals Sign Tackle Trent Brown to One-Year Deal
The Bengals had Mekhi Becton in for a visit Thursday, but they let him leave without any intention of signing him.
Brown is six years older than Becton, but he has experience playing left and right tackle, whereas Becton balked at playing on the right side and went so far as to blame an injury on his New York Jets coaches’ decision to put him there.
How much Brown plays in Cincinnati in 2024 will depend on what the Bengals do in the draft. But the expectation is that they will still be looking for their RT of the future when they pick at No. 18.
"This has been a year like no other."
A lot's been said and written about Trent Brown over the last two months, and most of it is unflattering. I spoke with him to get his side of the story. https://t.co/ssfx920z8v
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) January 9, 2024
If the rookie comes in and is slow to develop — as has been the case with many offensive linemen Cincinnati has drafted — Brown can be the bridge tackle until the rookie is ready.
And while taking a tackle at No. 18 still seems the most likely option for the Bengals, adding Brown gives them some flexibility to go in a different direction if a player at a different position unexpectedly drops.
It also gives Cincinnati’s front office an option to employ one of their trusted draft day moves — the trade back.
If there are multiple tackles Cincinnati likes available at 18, you could see the team move back a few spots to obtain an extra pick while still feeling comfortable about getting one of their top tackle targets.
Brown always felt like an option, but the Bengals like to let the market come to them, which is what happened. More than a week after the unofficial start of free agency, Brown was still available. And once he rolled into Paycor Stadium, the Cincinnati front office made sure he wasn’t leaving without a deal.
Trent Brown found himself in 1-on-1 situations on 88.3% of his pass blocking snaps last season, the highest rate among left tackles (min. 300 pass blocking snaps).
Brown allowed pressure on just 7.1% of those snaps, the 2nd-lowest rate among left tackles.#RuleTheJungle https://t.co/p26F38233Q pic.twitter.com/aEoA50GCFi
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 19, 2024
If Brown ends up starting, the Bengals will have bookend tackles who are 6-foot-8 with Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown.
The former New England Patriot, Las Vegas Raider, and San Francisco 49er has 93 career starts and one Pro Bowl. The Raiders made him the highest-paid tackle in the NFL in 2019 when they gave him a four-year, $66 million contract.
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Brown will make considerably less for the Bengals, but his value could be immeasurable.
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