Cleveland Browns; Tony Grossi’s 2021 offseason grades for AFC North
Grossi’s grade: C
The scare on Burrow’s knee following Cincinnati’s uniform reveal made it seem the drafting of Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell would be a lock.
Mike Brown chose to go with Burrow’s former teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, though, giving the Bengals a fantastic trio of wide receiver (Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins).
As for the line, the Bengals have used capital to improve the position over the past few years. They drafted Jonah Williams in the first round of the 2019 draft. The Alabama product was injured his first year and whether or not he can be a long-term left tackle remains unanswered.
Cincinnati signed Reilly Reiff to play right tackle, and that signing will be watched closely, as some in Cincinnati’s local media don’t believe it will be enough.
They drafted local product Jackson Carman, who went to Clemson to plug in at guard. They also have Billy Price, a former first-round pick from Ohio State, who will probably open the season as a backup.
Fair grade? If Chase helps Burrow make the Bengals offense an elite unit, this grade will change, but for now, it’s hard to argue with Grossi’s mark.
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They severely overpaid for Saints pass rusher Trey Hendrickson and as we know, adding Larry Ogunjobi at defensive tackle probably won’t make all that big a difference in stopping opposing offenses.