Grade the move: Bengals sign OT Trent Brown to 1-year deal

A high-risk, high-reward move that could see the Bengals OL better protect Joe Burrow in 2024.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive tackle spot got absolutely massive with the signing of Trent Brown on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-8, 360-pound behemoth has spent the last couple of seasons with the New England Patriots and arguably played some of the best football in his career. The Bengals hope he can continue that streak in Cincinnati and keep Joe Burrow upright and in the game for the 2024 season.

Brown was signed to replace Jonah Williams, the Bengals’ first-round pick from 2019, who signed a two-year, $30 million deal with the Cardinals. The amount for Brown’s contract is not known yet, but it should come in well below the $15 million average salary for Jonah Williams.

With that, in several aspects, Brown has outplayed Williams the last couple of years, thriving on an island in New England which is a perfect fit for the Bengals drop-back passing attack. The big questions with Brown are age and injury history. Across his career, he has missed a good amount of time due to injury, and the Bengals will need to bank on him staying healthy.

Also, as it is only a one-year deal, this leaves the Bengals options at No. 18 open. Since it is only a one-year deal and he has struggled with injury, the Bengals could still take an OT at 18. However, since they have someone on a one-year deal, they have the option to take true BPA at pick 18.

So how do you feel about the signing?

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