Film Breakdown: Ryan Jensen is the Glass-Eater Frank Pollack is Searching For

The Pro Bowler would be a significant upgrade in the trenches

Mike Santagata | Mar 4, 2022

Ryan Jensen is a Pro Bowl center that could be hitting the free agent market because Tampa Bay seems to be going into a hard reset as a franchise. He won a championship with the Buccaneers and is considered one of the best centers in the NFL. He plays with a physicality that the Bengals' offensive line is lacking. There are rumors that the Bengals are interested in him and it’s easy to see why.

What He Does Well

He is physical and loves to enforce his will on the field. He is what Frank Pollack would call a “glass-eater” alpha male. He wants to put the defense on the ground on every snap. Whether it is pass protection or in the run game, Jensen will dominate his opponent physically.

Ryan Jensen also has to lead the league in putting defenders into the ground. Absolute tone setter. pic.twitter.com/pdPrDuiYAN
— mike (@bengals_sans) February 17, 2022

He does a fantastic job of handling defenders one on one in pass protection. This is another area that the Bengals have been missing from their center position. He is able to block some of the league’s best defensive tackles after snapping the ball and it is very impressive. There are not many centers in the league that can snap and set Javon Hargrave like Jensen does on the play below.

A lot of discussion yesterday about Ryan Jensen's pass protection, so I figured I would make a cut-up of what I see. This dude can handle anyone one on one. Trey is a fine starting center, but I don't see him having the ability to snap and set Javon Hargrave repeatedly like this. pic.twitter.com/IeTpHkvjyd
— mike (@bengals_sans) February 17, 2022

His ability to back block and pull is phenomenal. He does a tremendous job in the power run game to open up holes for his running back or to lead through the hole and take on linebackers.

One knock against Jensen for Cincy is that I think he should go to a team with a more diverse run game. His ability to back block 3Ts, pull and kick, or pull and wrap would be wasted here. He's still good on zones and double teams, but he's at his best doing this. pic.twitter.com/INmPhsBu9w
— mike (@bengals_sans) February 17, 2022

Despite the uber aggressive playstyle, Jensen is not very penalty prone. He was only called for four penalties this season and over the past few years that seems to be the average. He will finish guys and put them into the dirt, but he does so within the rules of the game and will not cost his team yardage.

Areas of Concern

He can sometimes be too aggressive and not be in position to give help when his guard expects it. He loves to cave in defenders and find work when he is not blocking anyone, but every once in a while it comes back to bite him.

pic.twitter.com/TI9rvPsJbz
— Wally the dog (@pff_wally) March 4, 2022

Similar to Terron Armstead, he is going to cost quite a bit of money. Due to playing center, it should not be $20 million per year, but it will be above $10 million. If the Bengals are serious about signing the pro bowler, they may need to do something unconventional and make Jensen one of the highest paid centers in the league.
His shotgun snap placement is one of the worst in the league. He does not often launch the ball above the quarterback’s head, but once or twice a game the quarterback will have to adjust to catch his snap. This hasn’t improved over the first seven years of his career, so if he is signed it will most likely still be pretty bad.

Overall Thoughts

Jensen is a tone setter at the pivot spot. He will try to exert his will on the defense on every snap. He is everything that the Bengals' offensive line is currently lacking.

In pass protection, he is a force. His ability to cave in defenders when he finds work is awesome. He does not play a passive game in any aspect and that includes pass protection. He will take a defender’s head off if they are not prepared for him. He also does a great job of blocking one on one. One of the hardest things to do as a center is to be able to snap and set talented guys, but Jensen has shown that he has no issue doing just that. The only issue is that he can be too aggressive and that opens himself up to lose to some stunts or to not give help to a guard that may be expecting it.

In the run game, he dominates the defense. He loves to put defenders onto their back and also has good initial quickness to back block 3 techniques. This should translate decently well to a wide zone running game. To go with this, he is fantastic when he pulls and wraps or kicks. This could add a dimension to the Bengals' run game that they did not have last year. I don’t think he is bad on combination blocks, but they are not the best thing that he does so he could be limited by the Bengals' scheme should they choose not to add in some power, counter, and other plays where he could pull or back block.

Scheme Fit

Really he is more of a power run game center, but I don't see him as a bad fit for the Bengals' scheme. He can certainly run and play in wide zone, but it would be limiting one of the things that he does at an elite level to not let him back block or pull.

For the passing game, I think he is a sneaky good fit because of his ability to handle defenders one-on-one. The Bengals like to leave their offensive line in empty without help which lends itself to opportunities where the center will be one on one. This is an area where Jensen excels. The only issue is that he is not fantastic against stunts so you have to watch for some of those.

Make sure you bookmark All Bengals for the latest NFL news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

You May Also Like:

Bengals Open to Taking Big Swing on Free Agent Lineman

Position Switch? Frank Pollack Discusses Possibility of Moving Jonah Williams

Frank Pollack Explains What He's Looking For in Free Agent Offensive Linemen

'Pacman' Jones Says Bengals Are Closing in on Veteran Offensive Lineman

NFL Draft Analyst Believes Bengals Could Land Top O-Lineman at No. 31

PFF Projects Bengals to Sign Top Offensive Lineman in Free Agency

Important Dates That Every Bengals Fan Should Have on Their Calendar

Analyst Believes Bengals Can Upgrade O-Line in Middle Rounds of Draft

Logan Wilson Underwent Successful Shoulder Surgery

Recent Signing Could Make it Tougher for Bengals to Retain C.J. Uzomah