According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there is an “increasing chance” that free agent OT Andre Smith will not re-sign with the Bengals.
Florio mentions that the Bengals could be looking for an inexpensive replacement for Smith in this year’s NFL Draft, which would prevent them from handing Smith a long-term deal.
Cincinnati is believed to be “concerned that with long-term security he’d revert to the underperforming form that characterized his first few years in the league.”
This coincides with a report from Dan Pompei of the National Football Post which mentioned that “several personnel men” in the NFL think that Smith is “highly overrated.”
Smith, 26, did grade out as the No. 4 tackle, according to Pro Football Focus last season and seems to have turned a corner in regards to being a solid offensive lineman.
We currently have Smith as the No. 1 player in our Best Available Free Agents list.
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