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Alex Cappa

Raiders To Sign G Alex Cappa

March 5th, 2025 at 12:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are not waiting for the market to open to add a guard. Although several options will be available next week, Las Vegas is grabbing an option early in Alex Cappa.

Released by the Bengals on Monday, Cappa has already agreed to terms with the Raiders, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Cappa started for three seasons in Cincinnati. Perhaps more notably, he played with Tom Brady during new Raiders GM John Spytek‘s Buccaneers tenure.

Cappa agreed to a two-year, $11MM deal, according to his agency (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). It includes $5.5MM fully guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. This looks to cover Cappa for the 2025 season, with the Raiders set to carry flexibility beyond that. Cappa is going into his age-30 season.

This marks a step back from Cappa’s four-year, $35MM Bengals pact, but this is how it often goes for players released before their second contracts conclude. Still, this could be a nice landing spot for Cappa due to the familiarity with Brady and Spytek. It would also offer the Raiders a cheaper option opposite Jackson Powers-Johnson, though the team has Dylan Parham under contract for one more season.

While Cappa has 96 starts on his NFL resume and has missed just one regular-season game during the 2020s, he is coming off a down season that prompted the Bengals to make him a cap casualty. Pro Football Focus graded Cappa as a bottom-10 guard last season. Though, the advanced metrics site viewed the new Raider as playing much better before 2024. PFF slotted Cappa as a top-25 guard in each of the prior four seasons, as the former Bucs third-rounder offered consistency and commanded the Bengals’ attention in 2022. For what it’s worth, PFF graded Parham 17th among guards last season. A position battle could be on tap soon.

Cappa’s lone notable NFL injury — a fractured ankle sustained in a 2020 wild-card game — kept him out of Super Bowl LV. The seven-year veteran still blocked for Brady for two seasons, helping the QB legend-turned-owner/announcer win a seventh Super Bowl ring. Brady will circle back to one of his former teammates; it will be interesting to see if any other ex-Bucs follow.

Bengals Release G Alex Cappa

March 3rd, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Adam La Rose

After three seasons with the Bengals, Alex Cappa‘s time with the organization has come to an end. The veteran guard was released on Monday, per a team announcement.

Cappa was added in 2022, the offseason in which Cincinnati aimed to rebuild much of its offensive line in very short order. He played out his rookie contract with the Buccaneers, spending three seasons as a full-time starter. That helped Cappa land a four-year, $35MM free agent pact with the Bengals.

No guaranteed salary remains on that deal for the 2025 campaign, however, a factor which made the 30-year-old a release candidate. This move thus comes as little surprise as a cost-cutting measure. The Bengals will generate $8MM in cap space with this release while incurring a dead money charge of $2.25MM.

Cappa handled starting right guard duties during his Bengals tenure, and he only missed one regular season game along the way. After producing a PFF evaluation roughly in line with his Buccaneers seasons, though, the former third-rounder saw his grade plummet to 50.5. That represents by far the worst mark of his career as a starter. In addition to gaining additional financial flexibility, the Bengals’ decision to move on will be aimed at finding an upgrade along the interior.

The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. noted before the Combine both guard spots could be targets for the Bengals during this year’s draft (subscription required). With Cappa now out of the picture and Cody Ford a pending free agent, attention will increasingly turn to Cordell Volson. The 2022 fourth-round has started 48 of his 50 appearances to date, but as he approaches the final year of his rookie pact Cincinnati could look to find a replacement this offseason.

With the team’s latest cost-shedding move having been made, the Bengals now find themselves with nearly $69MM in cap space. They have work to do with the likes of pending free agent Tee Higgins along with extensions for Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson, but today’s news means they have even more financial wiggle room in their bid to keep all three members of that trio in the fold.

Sheldon Rankins, Alex Cappa Among Bengals’ Potential Cuts

January 16th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bengals are projected to enter the 2025 offseason with just under $50MM in cap space, per OverTheCap, the 11th-most in the NFL. Still, that might not be enough for the front office to accomplish all of their offseason goals.

The front office will be focused on re-signing wide receiver Tee Higgins and offensive lineman Cody Ford while shoring up a defense that ranked in the bottom 10 in points and yards allowed in 2024. An extension for Ja’Marr Chase is likely also in the works, so $50MM may not be enough for all of their offseason priorities. The Bengals have a few options to create some additional cap space, according to Paul Dehner of The Athletic, starting with two veterans in the trenches.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins struggled to anchor the interior of Cincinnati’s defensive line this season, making it unlikely the team will carry him at a $10.6MM cap hit. He played in just seven games before coming down with an undisclosed illness that sidelined him for the rest of the season. The Bengals can save $8.6MM by releasing Rankins, with a dead cap charge of just $2MM.

Offensive guard Alex Cappa played through an injury to start all 17 games in 2024, but struggled to protect the pocket for Joe Burrow. Cappa has been an iron man since signing with the Bengals in 2022, starting all but one regular season game with 3,319 total snaps, but he hasn’t played well enough to merit his $10.25MM cap charge in 2025. The Bengals can clear $8MM in cap savings by releasing him while absorbing a $2.25MM dead cap hit.

Dehner lists a handful of additional potential cap casualties, including linebacker Germaine Pratt, safety Geno Stone, and running back Zack Moss. One of the organization’s tougher decisions will surround the team’s longest-tenured player. Defensive end Sam Hubbard is attached to an $11.5MM cap hit in 2025, and the team would be left with only $2.5MM in dead cap by moving on from the veteran. Hubbard’s play has declined in recent years, but the edge rusher is still one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Because of his connection to the organization, Dehner wonders if the two sides may be able to find a common ground that reduces the player’s cap number and allows him to finish his career in Cincy.

As Dehner notes, Cincinnati Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn has drawn criticism for being reluctant to hand out guaranteed money beyond the first season of a contract. That’s already led to some degrees of tension with Higgins, Chase, and Jessie Bates. On the flip side, it’s also provided the front office with some easy outs on under-performing veterans like Rankins and Cappa. After the Bengals disappointed in 2024, the team could be eyeing a roster overhaul, and the team can unlock more wiggle room thanks to the creative structuring of their contracts.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Latest On Bengals’ Offensive Line Situation

January 20th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 20: Neither Cappa nor Williams will play against the Bills. Taylor ruled out the starting right guard and left tackle for Sunday’s divisional-round game. With Collins done for the season, this will push three Cincinnati second-string blockers into the lineup against Buffalo.

JANUARY 16: When the Bengals reconvene with the Bills, their offensive line could be in much worse shape compared to when the teams began their Week 17 game that ultimately ended up cancelled. Jonah Williams suffered a dislocated kneecap during Sunday night’s win over the Ravens, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Zac Taylor called Williams “week to week,” though this injury can sideline players for an extended time period. Neither Williams nor right guard Alex Cappa could walk without assistance Sunday, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes, providing a grim glimpse of the Bengals’ O-line situation for their divisional-round game. Injured during Cincy’s Week 18 game against Baltimore, Cappa is battling an ankle malady and is also on a week-to-week timetable.

For what it’s worth, Williams has a recent history of playing through this injury. The former first-round pick sustained a dislocated kneecap in the Bengals’ first matchup with the Ravens and did not miss any time. He returned the following week and did not miss a snap for the rest of the regular season. The 2019 first-rounder has rebounded from his lost rookie season — nullified because of a shoulder injury — and has been a vital part of Cincinnati’s O-line over the past three years. The Alabama product will be going into a contract year in 2023.

The Bengals already have La’el Collins out for the season due to a Week 16 ACL tear. Cappa and Williams’ absences in the Ravens rubber match helped lead to four Joe Burrow sacks, with former second-round pick Jackson Carman struggling. Carman replaced Williams at left tackle, playing the blindside post for the first time as a pro. The Bengals benched Carman during his 2021 rookie season, and despite the Clemson product being favored to win the left guard competition this year, he did not do so and only played four regular-season snaps.

A line featuring Carman, Max Scharping and Hakeem Adeniji will be quite different from the one housing Williams and offseason additions Cappa and Collins. Scharping was unable to catch on as a regular Texans starter, bouncing in and out of Houston’s lineup despite a second-round pedigree, and did not make the rebuilding team’s 53-man roster this year. A former sixth-round Bengals draftee, Adeniji has started 15 career regular-season games and five postseason contests — including all four last season. The Bengals attempted to upgrade by adding Collins, but Adeniji will be back in place next week in Buffalo. It remains to be seen whether Williams or Cappa will be able to join him.

AFC Injury Rumors: Bengals, Dolphins, Leonard

January 11th, 2023 at 8:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Cincinnati will host the Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs this weekend, but they will have to do it without two of their starters on the offensive line, according to Mitch Stacy of The Associated Press. Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that right guard Alex Cappa will join right tackle La’el Collins on the sideline this Sunday night.

Cappa had his ankle rolled over late in the third quarter last week while blocking in the pocket. Initial fears were that the injury would end his season, keeping him out for the entirety of the playoffs, and while Taylor is holding out hope for future games this January, we know that Cappa will not play this weekend.

Cappa joins Collins, who saw his season come to an end after suffering a knee injury in a Week 16 win over the Patriots. Collins has been replaced by Hakeem Adeniji who played in a backup role this season after starting 13 games last year. Adeniji drew criticism for his pass protection in the playoffs last season, when the offensive line drew most of the blame for the team’s loss in Super Bowl LVI.

Cappa will be replaced by backup Max Scharping. After starting 33 games in his first three seasons with the Texans, Scharping was picked up by the Bengals after being waived just prior to the season. The offensive line was a huge weakness last year for a Bengals team that still made it to the Super Bowl. They may have to struggle over that hurdle once again if they want to win it all in February.

Here are a couple other injury rumors from around the AFC, starting with another playoff squad:

  • If the Bengals’ offensive line situation is considered bad, the Dolphins‘ has to be considered downright tragic as the team practiced today without three starters and three backups on the offensive line alone, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Starting left guard Liam Eichenberg missed today as he deals with a hand injury. After that, the remaining five linemen who missed practice are the team’s top five tackles. First, tackles Austin Jackson and Eric Fisher remain on injured reserve with an ankle and calf injury, respectively. Jackson is eligible to return from IR but isn’t quite ready to, while Fisher is not yet eligible to return. Right tackle Brandon Shell is dealing with a high ankle sprain and mild knee sprain and is likely going to be out this weekend in Buffalo. Kendall Lamm has been dealing with an ankle issue and is questionable to play on Sunday. Lastly, left tackle Terron Armstead missed practice as he deals with multiple ailments including injuries to his hip, foot, knee, and pectoral muscle, according to Jackson. Not one to be subdued by pain, Armstead told Jackson that as long as his muscles function, he’ll be playing against the Bills. Potential backup options include Greg Little and starting right guard Robert Hunt, with Robert Jones filling in the guard spot. Geron Christian, Michael Dieter, and practice squad linemen should all be ready to hear their names called, as well.
  • Colts star linebacker Shaquille Leonard missed most of the season this year as he dealt with a nerve issue that has limited the use of his left calf. Leonard had back surgery to the address the issue in June but never saw the results he’d hoped for. Leonard and Indianapolis staff found it necessary to undergo a second surgery and, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star, it seems to have been much more effective. Leonard told Erickson that, after the second surgery, “the nerves are re-firing in his leg…in a way that didn’t happen after the first surgery.” Leonard is one of the premier players at his position, so signs that he is starting to progress back to his old self are welcome signs, for sure.

Bengals Make Three Waiver Claims

September 2nd, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 2: To no surprise, the Bengals are indeed re-signing Allen, Thomas and Williams now that they have the open roster spots to do so, per a team announcement. Cincinnati is also placing safety Tycen Anderson and tackle Isaiah Prince on IR.

AUGUST 31: The Bengals have made some notable additions in the aftermath of yesterday’s roster cutdowns. Per the waiver wire, they have claimed tight end Devin Asiasi, guard Max Scharping and defensive tackle Jay Tufele.

[RELATED: Bengals Expected To Sign TE Howard]

Asiasi came to New England with significant expectations, given his draft status and the organization’s success at the position. The third-rounder made just 10 appearances in his first two seasons, though, recording only a pair of receptions. The Patriots made a substantial free agent investment in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith last offseason, limiting his future with the team. In Cincinnati, he will face steep competition for playing time from Hayden Hurst and, in all likelihood, O.J. Howard.

Scharping is in a similar situation to Asiasi in terms of being an underwhelming high draft choice yet to finish their rookie contract. A 2019 second-rounder, the 26-year-old started 33 of the 48 contests he appeared in with the Texans, moving from the left to right guard spot this past season. Regardless of where he lined up, the Northern Illinois alum graded out in the mid-to-high 50s with respect to PFF rating, leaving him on the roster bubble. Scharping’s vacated spot is likely to be filled by A.J. Cann; he will challenge for a backup role behind top free agent addition Alex Cappa with the Bengals.

Tufele, meanwhile, has seen the least playing time of the new trio. As a rookie last season, he made just four appearances in Jacksonville, totaling two tackles. His PFF pass rush grade of 77 indicates some upside on third downs, which dates back to his time in college. Moving on from the USC alum so soon may have come as a surprise, though the additions of Folorunso Fatukasi and Adam Gotsis along the d-line were likely to significantly lessen his chance of seeing significant playing time with the Jaguars. The Bengals lost Larry Ogunjobi in free agency, but re-upped B.J. Hill, whom Tufele will look to provide depth behind his new home.

The defending AFC champions will return many of the members of last season’s team, but these additions could prove effective at areas of relative need. Among the cuts necessary to accommodate the new arrivals is veteran quarterback Brandon Allen. The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal for the third consecutive offseason to remain in Cincinnati.

For now, Allen’s departure leaves the Bengals with only Joe Burrow under center. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets, however, that Allen “will be back.” Cincinnati is also parting ways with safety Michael Thomas and running back Trayveon Williams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/22

July 27th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: OL Keenan Forbes, G Eric Wilson

Bengals Place Five Players On PUP, La’el Collins On NFI

July 23rd, 2022 at 6:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Following the trend we’ve been seeing the past couple of days, Cincinnati has joined the list of teams making the necessary roster moves for injured players. The team announced on Twitter that they are placing linebacker Joe Bachie, guard Alex Cappa, defensive end Khalid Kareem, running back Samaje Perine, and safety Brandon Wilson on the active/physically unable to perform list and offensive tackle La’el Collins on the active/non-football injury list. 

This announcement likely invokes mixed reactions for Bengals’ fans. While they’ll rejoice to see the names of only two expected starters on the lists, the fact that those two names belong on the offensive line may send shivers up their spines. Cappa and Collins are parts of a major rebuild on the offensive line after the Bengals allowed a record-tying seven sacks in a Super Bowl LVI loss to the Rams. The two were brought in, alongside center Ted Karras, to hold down the right side of the offensive line opposite Jackson Carman and Jonah Williams.

Cappa’s addition to the list isn’t too much of a surprise. The former Buccaneer was sidelined in late-May with a minor core injury. Known for his toughness, Cappa, who has played with a broken arm and attempted to stay in a game with a broken leg, was expected to make a return before training camp, but his placement on the list is likely just a cautious attempt to give Cappa a bit more time to recover.

The Collins news is slightly more concerning. Collins has a reputation for missing games. During his time in Dallas, Collins appeared in 74 regular season games while missing 39. He was placed on injured reserve before the start of the 2020 NFL season with the expectation he may return, but ended up sitting out the entire year. He had a healthy 2021 season, but still missed five games due to a suspension. Not much information was presented about his NFI-status, which may cause some worry for a player who has violated the league’s policy on substance abuse in the past. Regardless of speculation, the Bengals will have plenty of time before the season starts to get the situation straightened out.

Perine is probably the next biggest name on the list. No information is available as to the reason he is physically unable to perform. Perine served last season as a pass-catching option out of the backfield and the backup running back behind former Oklahoma teammate Joe Mixon. Perine will look to do more of the same, competing with last year’s sixth-round draft pick Chris Evans for receiving back duties upon his return.

Wilson is an interesting name on this list. His career with the Bengals has primarily been on special teams with Wilson serving as the Bengals’ main kick returner last season. But, as a backup safety, Wilson could see an increased role depending on the results of conversations with starting safety Jessie Bates III. If discussions with Bates go south and lead to a hold out, Wilson is the next man up to start alongside Vonn Bell in the defensive backfield. Wilson is coming off of a torn ACL suffered in early-November of last season, so his placement on the list is not unexpected, but does add a new wrinkle in developments concerning Bates’ contract.

Bachie and Kareem are both backup defenders who saw their roles change from their first seasons in the league to their second. After appearing in every game as a rookie, Kareem didn’t make his 2021 season-debut until Week 8 and performed in a limited role that was further limited by injuries near the end of the year. Bachie went from a reserve player on the Eagles as a rookie to a backup linebacker on the Bengals in Year 2. Bachie tore his ACL in mid-December last year and is an unsurprising addition to the list as he works his way back from the knee injury.

There could always be additions to the list, as it isn’t official until Tuesday. Additionally, a player can come off of the list anytime during the preseason and can’t be on the list once they’ve practiced with the team. Any players still on the PUP list at the start of the regular season will be required to sit out a minimum of six games, but they won’t count against the roster as the team trims to 53 players.

While the Bengals have some important role players on this list, there’s little need to worry at this point in time. As long as they come off of the list before the season starts, there will be no league-restrictions on their participation.

Bengals Set To Complete Offensive Line Renovation

May 29th, 2022 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals fell just short of their first ever Super Bowl win in their third appearance in the league’s season finale. As the final seconds ticked away, analysts’ fingers started pointing, with many of them directed at Cincinnati’s lackluster offensive line. 

In their loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Bengals fielded Trey Hopkins at center, Jonah Williams at left tackle, Isaiah Prince at right tackle, Hakeem Adeniji at left guard, and Quinton Spain at right guard. Hopkins and Spain are free agents, no longer on the roster. Adeniji and Prince retain their roster spots, but are no longer projected to start. Williams, perhaps the only bright spot on the line last year, will return as the blindside blocker.

The Bengals worked ferociously in the offseason to address their deficiencies on offensive line. They signed three free agent offensive lineman who are all expected to come in and start right away. Ted Karras comes to Cincinnati after starting experience at center in both New England and Miami. Alex Cappa comes to town after three strong seasons as the Buccaneers’ starter at right guard. La’el Collins is ready to bookend the line with Williams after years of starting experience at right tackle in Dallas.

With Karras at center, Collins and Williams at tackle, and Cappa at right guard, that leaves one position up for grabs. The current favorite to start at left guard is 2021 second-round draft pick Jackson Carman. Carman served mainly as a backup last year for the Bengals earning six starts on the year while playing in every game. The main concern with starting Carman is the fact that he couldn’t supplant any of the lackluster starters from last year. Perhaps with a year of NFL football under his belt now, Carman will blossom into a strong starter at left guard.

The other favorite to man the last spot on the offensive line comes from Cincinnati’s most recent draft class, according to Ben Baby of ESPN. The Bengals used one draft pick this year on an offensive player, bestowing that honor upon the 23-year-old tackle out of North Dakota State, Cordell Volson. Volson served as the Bison’s right tackle in his last college years, but had experience at all four guard and tackle positions during his time in Fargo. That versatility will certainly come in handy as many college tackles tend to move to an interior lineman position if they aren’t projected to dominate as a tackle at the next level. Volson is sure to give Carman a run for his money as the Bengals look to put the finishing touch on their full offensive line renovation.

All the players mentioned above are the favorites to contribute on the offensive line this year, but the following players will attend camp with the hopes of stealing a starting job. At center, Cincinnati also rosters Trey Hill, Lamont Gaillard, and undrafted rookie Ben Brown. At guard, the Bengals’ roster lists D’Ante Smith and undrafted rookie Desmond Noel. The only tackle on the roster that wasn’t already mentioned is undrafted rookie Devin Cochran.

Bengals To Sign Alex Cappa

March 14th, 2022 at 11:17am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have agreed to sign Alex Cappa (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The former Buccaneers guard scores a four-year deal, helping to solidify Cincinnati’s offensive line.

Cappa’s contract maxes out at $40MM, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets it is actually a four-year, $35MM pact. The ex-Bucs blocker will collect $20MM over the deal’s first two years, with $1MM in Pro Bowl incentives being the escalators that would drive the pact toward its max value.

The Bengals have long been searching for solutions on their front five. Now, they’ve got a proven veteran that can stop the interior rush and open up rushing lanes. They’ll likely continue to target offensive line help over the next few weeks, however, taking extra steps to protect quarterback Joe Burrow.

Some had speculated that Tom Brady‘s un-retirement would help sway Cappa to stay. That wasn’t the case, and it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to tug at the heartstrings of fellow lineman Ali Marpet. Between Cappa and Marpet — who still intends to retire at the age of 28 — the Bucs have some serious holes to fill in free agency. On the plus side, they have successfully retained center Ryan Jensen with a three-year, $39MM deal.

A third-round pick in 2018, Cappa did not miss a regular-season game during Brady’s two Tampa seasons, but he did miss Super Bowl LV after suffering a fractured ankle. Cappa rebounded to play all 19 Bucs games last season. For his career, Cappa has suited up for 52 games (46 starts) across the last four years.

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