Here's what veteran tackle Trent Brown brings to the Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are signing veteran tackle Trent Brown to a one-year deal, the team announced Tuesday.
Brown, 30, most recently played for the New England Patriots. The 6-foot-8 tackle gives the Bengals a veteran presence at right tackle. He's started 93 games in his career and has experience playing both right and left tackle. After Jonah Williams hit the market in free agency and signed with the Arizona Cardinals, the Bengals needed to fill the hole at right tackle.
Why Trent Brown decided to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati invited Brown to visit with the team early Tuesday morning and a deal was done within hours. Brown said in the initial conversations he had with the Bengals they told him he would play right tackle.
"Just the pieces that are already in place," Brown said of why Cincinnati was the right fit for him. "I feel like it's a plug and play situation, and the chance to go win."
Brown cited his familiarity with center Ted Karras as another reason he's excited to play for the Bengals. The two were teammates in New England. Karras was actually in the Bengals' facility when Brown took his visit.
How does Trent Brown fit with the Cincinnati Bengals?
The Bengals are hoping the version of Brown they get is similar to the one in 2019 when he was selected to the Pro Bowl while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. According to Brown, the culture that the Bengals have in place makes him believe he can get back to that level of performance.
"I feel like I'll be worried less and be able to worry about playing football," Brown said. "I won't have to worry about any off-the-field things, and I'll be able to just enjoy coming to work on a day-to-day basis. And that was important as well when we talk about fit."
Brown's final year in New England was one full of ups and downs. He declined to discuss what went wrong with the Patriots as he was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career with the Patriots. New England made Brown inactive for their New Years Eve matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
With the Bengals, Brown gets a fresh start and a chance to prove himself. For Cincinnati, keeping quarterback Joe Burrow protected as best they can remains the biggest priority. In signing Brown, the Bengals get a player who can come in and start right away.
This signing doesn't preclude the Bengals from drafting a tackle in the first round of the NFL draft next month. The Bengals have the No. 18 overall pick and this year’s draft class is loaded with talented tackles.
Brown isn’t the Bengals’ long-term answer at right tackle, but this signing takes the pressure off Cincinnati to draft one in the first round and force him to become a starter if he’s not ready.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals sign veteran OT Trent Brown in 2024 NFL free agency
