The Cincinnati Bengals entered the offseason with question marks at both guard spots.
The draft addition of Dylan Fairchild in the third round will hopefully take care of one of those spots, and right now it looks like free-agent acquisition Lucas Patrick stands as the favorite to play at right guard, based on offseason reports.
The problem with that pairing is Fairchild is unproven, and Patrick isn’t exactly a sure thing to answer the bell, either.
For a team with Super Bowl aspirations like the Bengals, it would make sense to add former $36 million guard and two-time Super Bowl champion Shaq Mason in free agency, as NFL Trade Rumors’ Ethan Woodie recently suggested.
“Perhaps Fairchild will prove us wrong and be ready sooner than expected, but either way, acquiring more bodies at guard would be wise for the Bengals,” Woodie said. “The gap between Patrick and Mason might be insignificant, but Mason would definitely be an upgrade over Volson or Ford. Signing him would take pressure off Fairchild to play as a rookie and would both add depth and improve the starting five on Cincy’s offensive line.”
Mason was cut loose by the Houston Texans earlier this offseason in a post-June 1 move.
The decision came on the heels of Mason struggling mightily last season with eight sacks and 34 pressures allowed, which has led many to believe he could be on the decline at 31.
However, that season was an outlier for Mason, who has always been a good starting guard and was a revelation for Houston as recently as 2023.
At the very least, Mason would give the Bengals an excellent depth piece to fall back on if Fairchild and/or Patrick don’t pan out, but he could also beat out the veteran for a starting spot if given the opportunity.
The Bengals have routinely finished with one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL over the past five years, so they need to hedge their bet, especially on the interior. Signing Mason would be a good way to do that.
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