Instant analysis after Bengals agree to sign Alex Cappa in free agency

The Cincinnati Bengals were one of the first teams out the door with a notable agreement to sign a free agent during Monday’s legal tampering window with guard Alex Cappa.

Cappa isn’t a Brandon Scherff in the name department by any means.

But he is a starting right guard who comes in and is drastically better than anything else the team started at the position last year. Or the year before. Or…onlookers get the idea.

Cappa is a third-round product from the 2018 draft who has started every game for the Buccaneers over the last two seasons. He’s notably improved each year, which is a big deal for the Bengals — he hails from Humboldt State, so they’re 100 percent banking on the 27-year-old only continuing to get better.

Which isn’t to say Cappa was bad last year. He had a 74.2 PFF grade over 1,182 snaps, allowing just five sacks (he allowed zero in 2020). His marks in pass blocking and run blocking were career highs. He’s strong enough to dominate one-on-one blocks, which will make pass protection easier and he’s a mauler in the running game.

Now, is jumping on Cappa a way to save a bit of cash compared to paying someone like Scherff? Of course. But what matters is the front office sniped a major upgrade at one of the four spots that need an overhaul, both in terms of productivity and sheer attendance.

The Cappa move allows them to get creative, too. If coaches think second-rounder Jackson Carman is better suited on the left side, he’ll get a chance to start over there. A developmental guy with huge upside like D’Ante Smith can stay in the competition at right tackle.

This also frees up the draft and the rest of free agency a bit as they look to upgrade center, if not left guard and right tackle.

If nothing else, Cappa doesn’t hurt cap space too much and he’s not only a reliable player, he’s still got some eyebrow-raising upside on a ceiling he has yet to reach. It’s a great way to start free agency, to say the least.

Notable media:

#Bengals fans, Alex Cappa is a solid starting RG who has improved every year in NFL. Don’t know how high the ceiling is bc he lacks great tools/athleticism. But great technique is his calling card.

He also played through a broken arm and tried to stay in a game with a broken leg

— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) March 14, 2022

Alex Cappa 2021 PFF grade: 71.9 (9th of 35 RG)
Hakeem Adeniji 2021 PFF grade: 43.0 (35th of 35 RG)

big upgrade for the Bengals https://t.co/v4temssF5m

— Anthony Treash (@PFF_Anthony) March 14, 2022

Alex Cappa (RG, #65) may be the odd-man-out as the Buccaneers bring back Tom Brady’s crew.

Certainly one of the more proven options on the FA guard market.

Cappa turned 27 y/o in January and had a 97.7% pass block efficiency in 2021. #Bengals pic.twitter.com/WpwwMOFgBK

— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) March 14, 2022