3 Bengals who won’t be on the roster after training camp

Bengals’ training camp cut candidate No. 1: La’el Collins, RT

Dallas knew something that Cincinnati didn’t.

When right tackle La’el Collins left the Cowboys after seven seasons and joined the Bengals last offseason, Cincy fans were elated and enamored. A blue-chip talent like Collins? Pinch us, we’re dreaming.

Then Collins graded out as one of the Bengals’ worst-performing offensive lineman of 2022 with a 57.9 overall Pro Football Focus grade. At 29 years old, Collins is at a stage in his career when he can’t afford to have injuries, but he began training camp in 2022 with a back issue. Then he suffered a torn ACL and MCL at the end of the 2022 season, which he’s still rehabbing.

Is it time for the Bengals to cut their losses and move on? By releasing Collins, Cincy would save $7 million in cap space.

This training camp, Jonah Williams and Jackson Carman will go head-to-head for the starting right tackle job, and assuming those two stay healthy, Collins suddenly isn’t so valuable to the Bengals anymore. After his inconsistent play last season, Collins poses more of a liability than a starting-caliber blocker, and his exit could allow more opportunities for younger players to step up.

Sure, the Bengals may still be suffering from PTSD from the 2021 season in which Burrow got sacked 70 times in the regular season and playoffs combined. Out of all positions, the Bengals’ offensive line better have the best, most air-tight insurance policy on the team. By those high standards, we just don’t think Collins makes the cut in 2023.