Before Friday, the Bengals signing Bobby Hart to a three-year contract in 2019 was one of the most aggressive moves that the team had made for an offensive tackle in free agency.
Now, the Bengals have made a more aggressive move at right tackle to improve their offensive line.
After the Bengals signed standout Riley Reiff to start at right tackle in 2021, Cincinnati moved on from Hart, who had made 45 starts for the team. By cutting Hart after the second year of his contract, Cincinnati is expected to create about $6 million in cap room to sign other free agents.
Hart was one of the Bengals best offensive lineman in 2020, but Cincinnati continued to overhaul that position group after quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 32 times in 10 games last season.
Any time you can upgrade a unit on your team, you’ve got to do it,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “We did that with (Reiff).”
In the first game of the 2020 season, Hart started on the offensive line alongside Xavier Su’a-Filo, Trey Hopkins, Michael Jordan and Jonah Williams. Since then, Cincinnati had two right guards who started games in 2020 enter free agency, and the Bengals released another full-time starter in Hart.
Taylor said Williams will start at left tackle and Reiff will start at right tackle in 2021.
