The Cincinnati Bengals are upgrading their offensive line. The team is signing veteran tackle Trent Brown to a one-year contract, according to NFL Media. Brown, who turns 31 next month, spent the past three seasons with the New England Patriots after having previously played three years with the San Francisco 49ers, one in New England, and then two with the Raiders earlier in his career.
Brown has experience playing on both the left and right side of the offensive line; he played left tackle for New England in both 2022 and 2023, but has had six different seasons where he played on the right side significantly more often than the left. In all, he has split his time between the two spots almost equally, playing 3,149 snaps as a right tackle and 3,097 as a left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus.
He should be expected to flip back over to right tackle given that Orlando Brown -- whom the Bengals signed away from the Chiefs last offseason -- played the left side for Cincinnati last year. But if Orlando Brown has to miss time, Trent could likely go back over to the left in a pinch.
At 6-foot-8, 370 pounds, Trent Brown gives the Bengals two massive bookend tackles (Orlando Brown is listed at 6-8, 345 pounds). The Bengals also have significant size on the interior of the line, with Cordell Volson (6-6, 315), Ted Karras (6-4, 310) and Alex Cappa (6-6, 310).
Putting a group of mammoth players in front of Joe Burrow to help keep the pass rush away from him should have benefits, especially given that Burrow has suffered multiple injuries in the past. It'll also help clear the way for the Zack Moss and Chase Brown-led run game, which could take on more of a power element, if the Browns on each side of the line are leading the way.
