Brandon Scherff has been a reliable starting guard in the NFL for a decade now. The veteran just wrapped up a three-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars and is awaiting his next contract.
With the first phase of free agency now a thing of the past, Scherff may be the best guard available on the open market. James Rapien of Sports Illustrated recently identified some remaining free agents who could be of interest to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Rapien listed Scherff as an ideal option for the team as it seeks to upgrade Joe Burrow’s protection. Regarding Scherff and the Bengals, Rapien offered the following:
The Bengals should have Scherff as the No. 1 target on their list. He’s the top pass blocking guard available, has played in all 17 games in three-straight seasons.
The former All-Pro was in Washington when current Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters was in Washington.
Scherff, 33, may not be as good as he once was, but he’s still playing at a high level and is an ideal fit on a pass-first team like the Bengals. Cincinnati should offer him a two-year contract.
The Bengals should add two starting guards, but starting with Scherff makes sense—especially with Teven Jenkins visiting the Seahawks on Monday.
In 2024, Scherff played in all 17 games for the Jaguars, and played all 1,013 of his snaps at right guard.
Scherff earned a 64.7 Pro Football Focus grade for his 2024 campaign. The guard excelled in pass protection, earning a 74.5 grade and not allowing a single sack. Scherff isn’t as solid as a run-blocker, though, earning a 57.3 grade in that area.
However, Scherff’s pass blocking prowess could fit perfectly in a pass-first offense like Cincinnati’s. The Bengals also do have a major need at both guard spots this offseason, and Scherff is likely the best free agent option the team could get.
Alex Cappa, who started at right guard for the Bengals in 2024, was cut after a miserable season. Cody Ford was re-signed, and the veteran does have experience at both guard and tackle spots, but Ford struggled mightily in 2024.
The team would be wise to not rely on Ford to hold down a guard spot all season. The other guard currently penciled in to start is Cordell Volson, who has so far struggled in his NFL career.
Spotrac projects Scherff to land a one-year deal worth $6.7 million. Over the Cap has the Bengals sitting at around $26 million in cap space, so adding Scherff would be no problem from a financial standpoint.
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