If there’s one popular exercise at this time of year in the NFL calendar, it’s playing matchmaker in free agency between teams and players. That’s exactly what CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani recently did, as they took all 32 teams and named one free agent they should prioritize.
Bet you can’t guess what position group they settled on for the Cincinnati Bengals.
If you guessed offensive line, congratulations! Specifically, OG Brandon Scherff of the Washington Commanders.
Scherff is seen by many as the top free-agent offensive guard, or at least right up there with 49ers OG Laken Tomlinson.
As Dajani writes:
Scherff has played two straight years for Washington on the franchise tag and it’s time for him to find some security. The Bengals have a need for one of the best offensive guards in the game and the money to pay him.
Pro Football Focus ranks Scherff as the 18th-best free agent and is projecting his contract to be three years for $50 million ($16.67 million average per year) with $30 million guaranteed. That would make Scherff the highest-paid guard in terms of average annual value. Cleveland’s Joel Bitonio and Kansas City’s Joe Thuney both currently average $16 million per year.
The Bengals currently have almost $50 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap.