Cincinnati Bengals Non-Playoff Team Free Agency Targets: Chicago Bears

We’ve embarked on a series looking at free agents the Cincinnati Bengals should pursue on teams which sat out the 2017 playoffs. Next up: the Chicago Bears.

After reaching the playoffs every year from 2011-15, the Cincinnati Bengals fell short of the postseason for the second year in a row. To return to the postseason, free agency will play a key role.

Entering the offseason, we started with a series that highlighted players from playoff teams that the Bengals could look at in free agency. Now, the focus has turned to the other teams that weren’t in the postseason.

We’ve previously taken a look at players from the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Ravens, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets,Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins. Next up: the Chicago Bears.

Josh Sitton, OG

Offensive lineman have a tendency to never be given their due, even when they are consistently good. Sitton is a perfect allegory for that sentiment. He’s been a full-fledged starter since the first time he stepped on the field after being made being a mid-round draft selection by the Green Bay Packers.

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Calling him just a starter undercuts just how good he’s been, however. After being a decent player as a rookie, he’s essentially been one of the best guards in the entire league from 2009 through today. His lack of mistakes and elite blocking technique — as well as his ability to do hold up for long periods of time each play — played a major part in why those Green Bay offenses were able to reach such dominant heights in his time with the team. Pro Football Focus Edge grades for Sitton in the majority of his time with Green Bay (2009-15) all fall between 85.9-90.

Advancing age and injury worries made the team move on from him after 2015, but he quickly proved to have plenty left in the tank at his next stop (Chicago). Though his new team wasn’t able to come anywhere close to the success his former team often experiences, he was far from being at fault. Pro Football Focus Edge grades for his two years with the Bears were 85.7 and 86, respectively — on the lower end of what we saw from his Green Bay days, but right in line with everything he’d shown previously as a high-level performer.

Despite his high level play continuing, Sitton again finds himself on the open market. The reasoning has nothing to do with his actual play, but all the other factors which come with any player. His contract was set to pay him $8 million, which is a lot for a player who may not be seen as part of the long-term future.

Injuries probably played the biggest factor, though not as obvious as you may believe. Throughout his career, Sitton has only missed 8 games outright since his professional career began; six of those were in the past two years, but he’s still been available for 13 games each season with the Bears. What hurt him is moreso the issues he could usually play through; since Week 10 of the 2014 season, he’s been listed on the injury report for 33 different weeks with injuries to his toe, back, knee, shoulder, ankle, and ribs (with a concussion thrown in for good measure). Those issues haven’t kept him from lining up, but they have ended his contests early on numerous occasions, which brings its own sort of availability problem into the fold.

Those issues aren’t going to go away, but his talent is undeniable. Even if he steps down from his 2016-17 self, he can still be a useful piece for an offensive line. Cincinnati, home of a terrible line the past couple seasons, would be remiss to not give him a call. Between veteran Bengal Clint Boling and the recently-acquired Cordy Glenn, the team already has the left side of their line set, but the other side needs plenty of help.

Next: NFL Free Agency 2018: Grades for major signings

Sitton may have been a left guard for awhile now, but for the first five seasons of his career he was on the right side; a switch back now wouldn’t be difficult. His cost, due to age and injury concerns, could conceivably be mid-tier; considering his still-excellent abilities, that would be great value for Cincinnati. Injuries will likely be part of his package, but he’s always proven capable of fighting through them — and still being effective while doing so.

There’s so much good for Cincinnati here if they do bring Sitton into the fold. Here’s hoping they have as much interest in the idea as I do.

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