The Cincinnati Bengals enter free agency with a need along the offensive line and the Tennessee Titans might have just thrown the team an assist.
Tennessee gave veteran center Ben Jones the option to retire or get cut and Jones chose the open market, meaning he’ll be there when free agency opens next week.
Jones, 33, suffered multiple concussions last season and only appeared in 12 games, his first stretch of significant time missed.
But the other side of the coin with Jones is that even while failing to reach the 700-snap mark last year, he graded well as a pass protector and run blocker and ultimately finished with a 72.6 PFF grade.
Jones is one of many interesting line options for the Bengals in free agency, though his combination of age and experience might suggest a desire to sign with a contender.
If that’s the case, Jones might be a viable option as a left guard upgrade over Cordell Volson, with the sophomore guard becoming something of a top-tier backup for at least one year.
It’s just one option for the Bengals to consider, though quite an intriguing one given the limited amount of spending they want to do while also managing to upgrade the depth of the line.
