Redskins should have interest in Cordy Glenn after release from Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals released offensive tackle Cordy Glenn on Friday. The Washington Redskins should have an interest in the veteran to help patch their issues at the tackle position.

This offseason, the Washington Redskins are going to have to find some talent at the offensive tackle position. With Trent Williams still wanting out, Morgan Moses coming off a down year, Donald Penn hitting free agency, and Geron Christian showing little growth in his first two NFL seasons, the team is thin at the position, especially on the left side.

The 2020 NFL Draft class is strong at the tackle position. And it’s likely that the Redskins will invest one of their early picks in a tackle to serve as a swing option and potential future starter for the club.

That said, because the team seems focused on Chase Young with the No. 2 overall pick and doesn’t currently have a second-round pick, it may be hard for them to land a sure-fire starter for the left side of the line. Perhaps their early third-round selection will be fruitful in those endeavors, but counting on that to be the case is risky.

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For that reason, the ‘Skins should consider adding a veteran tackle in free agency. They could target a top-tier guy like Anthony Castonzo or a younger option with upside like Jack Conklin. But it may make more sense for them to pick up a cheaper stopgap who can man the left side while the ‘Skins try to figure out how best to use the tackle that they eventually draft.

If they take that route, they should absolutely have an interest in Cordy Glenn. The veteran tackle was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday afternoon and will hit the open market. Glenn, 30, has been a solid, consistent tackle for the Buffalo Bills and Bengals since being a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and would slot in nicely at his natural left tackle position.

Glenn has made 95 career starts and played 97 games at the NFL level. From 2013-2015, Glenn didn’t miss a game for the Bills and made a big difference as the team’s left tackle. However, since then, Glenn has dealt with a number of injuries, missing 28 games over the course of the next four seasons. But when on the field, he still played well and really helped the Bengals in limited action last year.

Though the Bengals largely struggled in 2019 — they had the worst record in football, after all — Glenn was a big difference-maker when on the field. The Bengals earned their lone two victories in the six games when he was active. Joe Mixon totaled more than half of his rushing yards (617, roughly 103 yards per game), four of his five touchdowns, and averaged 4.7 yards per carry when Glenn was active. When Glenn wasn’t, Mixon’s averages fell to 52 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry. Suffice to say, Glenn made a difference as a mauler in the run game.

But the Bengals moved on from Glenn to avoid the $9.5 million cap hit he carried this season. The final year of his contract wasn’t guaranteed and with 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams returning from an injury to man the left tackle position, the Bengals didn’t have a need for Glenn anymore.

Glenn could certainly help the Redskins. He would be a cheaper option at tackle and may be willing to sign a shorter, incentive-based deal that makes sure he stays healthy in the coming years. He’d be a logical replacement for Trent Williams and could help mentor any draft pick that the ‘Skins bring in at tackle.

Glenn does have some drawbacks, but he also fits what the Redskins need at tackle. He’s a veteran, but he’s still young enough that he could have multiple strong years left in the tank. He’ll cost money, but his deal likely won’t be too egregious of a contract compared to other tackles on the market.

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We’ll see what ultimately happens soon enough. But Glenn should certainly be a player that the Redskins consider targeting as a solid veteran presence on the offensive line.

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