CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals opened the NFL’s free agent signing period Monday by reportedly agreeing to sign two veterans — guard Alex Cappa to a four-year contract and center Ted Karras to a three-year contract.
“Multiple outlets reported a four-year, $40 million deal, for Cappa, which began the renovation of the Bengals offensive line with what looks to (be) their Opening Day right guard,” reported Geoff Hobson on bengals.com. “About 90 minutes later word surfaced they agreed to terms with another vet who could start at either left guard or center. Karras, who turns 29 Tuesday, has done both the last two seasons for the Patriots and Dolphins.”
Both had Pro Football Focus grades at guard last season worthy of the top 25, Hobson stated.
Cappa, a four-year veteran with a Super Bowl ring, played in and started every game for the Bucs in 2020 and 2021.
“Cappa, who reportedly once tried to play with a broken ankle, has been bandied about as just the kind of ‘glass-eater’, Bengals O-line coach Frank Pollack lobbied for at the NFL scouting combine earlier this month,” said Hobson.
Karras is a six-year veteran and two-time Super Bowl winner who started 13 of the Patriots’ 17 games last season, and has started 44 games the past three seasons in the NFL. He played in Miami in 2020 and returned to New England in 2021.
Hobson said the official word on signings won’t come down immediately as “NFL teams can’t announce deals with unrestricted free agents until Wednesday afternoon and it may be beyond that because the Bengals don’t announce them until the contract is signed.”
Hobson reported that there is also word that Bengals’ defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi agreed with the Bears on a mega, three-year, $40 million deal.
Also, NFL.com reported Monday that Bengals’ tight end C.J. Uzomah will sign with the New York Jets on a three-year deal worth $24 million.
However, there are reports that the Bengals have signed defensive tackle B.J. Hill to a long-term deal.
