Best Remaining Guard Options For the Bengals After Not Landing One Monday

Jay Morrison | Mar 11, 2025

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Dalton Risner (66) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals went into free agency with plenty of needs, but guard should have been at the top of the list.

The team cut Alex Cappa after three years as a starter, and the Bengals are re-evaluating how Cordell Volson fits after three years of struggling as a starter.

They re-signed Cody Ford, but he’s not the answer as a starter.

Many of the answers signed elsewhere Monday, and the best free agent guard disappeared this morning when Will Fries agreed to a five-year, $88 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

Who’s left?

Mekhi Becton, Eagles

The Bengals had him for a visit as a possible answer at tackle last year before letting him go and watching him sign with the Eagles, who converted him to guard with much success.

He’s the best remaining option at the position, and he could be the only one to command more than $10 million in average annual salary.

Will Becton be in the Fries or Aaron Banks (four years, $77 million) range?

Or will he be closer to the $10.3 cap hit the Bengals would have had with Cappa this season?

Kevin Zeitler, Lions

Familiarity has been a key tenet of what the Bengals have done so far by bringing back B.J. Hill, Mike Gesicki, Joseph Ossai, Tanner Hudson, Cody Ford, plus reuniting with Samaje Perine.

Even newcomer T.J. Slaton is a familiar face after playing for new Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery for three seasons in Green Bay.

Zeitler would follow the pattern. Cincinnati’s 2012 first-round pick has put together an impressive career since leaving the Bengals after the 2015 season.

He’s 35 but still playing well. Pro Football Focus graded Zeitler as the sixth best guard in the league last year, including fourth as a run blocker.

Teven Jenkins, Bears

Jenkins was available to the Bengals in 2021, but they traded back with New England and Chicago pounced. That left Cincinnati to settle for Jackson Carman in one of the franchise’s biggest draft whiffs of this century.

With 38 starts the last three seasons, Jenkins has been a solid performer. PFF ranked him 15th in pass blocking and 17th overall last season.

He has had a history of injuries, but they have all been short term – the final two games last year with an ankle, one game earlier in the season with a hip, four games in 2022 with hip and neck issues.

Jenkins should fetch $10-$12 million AAV.

Brandon Scherff, Jaguars

He will turn 34 in December, but Scherff’s age has not prevented him from starting at 51 games the last three seasons in Jacksonville.

He’s made 140 starts in his career, and he was PFF’s No. 10 pass-blocking guard in 2024.

A one-year, $6-$8 million contract and a chance to chase a ring with an elite Cincinnati offense could be enticing.

Will Hernandez, Cardinals

Another guard coming off a serious injury, Hernandez tore his ACL in Week 5 last year.

But he’s made 91 starts in seven seasons and will hit the Bengals in their sweet spot – the wallet.

Hernandez signed a two-year, $9 million deal in 2022.  He should be in that AAV range again this offseason.

In 2013 when Hernandez started all 17 games, he was PFF’s No. 13 guard in pass blocking. In 2022, he was No. 8.

Dalton Risner, Vikings

The Fries signing pretty much rules out a Risner return in Minnesota.

Risner signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Vikings last year and ranked eighth out of 66 guards with at least 500 snaps.

He missed the first seven games with a back injury suffered in training camp, and he played sparingly in his first two games back. But Risner started the final seven games, and he had started at least 15 games in his first five seasons in the league.

He’ll turn 30 in July.

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