Andre Smith (OT) - Pro Football Rumors

Bengals Waive OT Andre Smith

November 30th, 2019 at 10:42am CST by Ben Levine

Andre Smith‘s third stint with the Bengals has come to an end. Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (via Twitter) that Cincinnati has waived the veteran offensive tackle. The Bengals promoted tight end Mason Schreck from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

The Bengals selected Smith with the sixth-overall pick in the 2009 draft, and the Alabama product ended up spending his first seven seasons with the organization. Smith has bounced around the NFL a bit since that time, spending time with the Vikings, Bengals (second stint), and Cardinals. Since 2016, he’s landed on the injured reserve twice with tricep and knee injuries.

This past offseason, the Bengals found themselves needing some offensive line depth after starting left tackle Jonah Williams suffered a season-ending injury and eight-year starter Clint Boling retired. The team brought in Smith, and the 32-year-old proceeded to appear in six games (five starts) for Cincy. Smith has only been active for one of the team’s last six games, but the Bengals presumably could have used another lineman after placing Alex Redmond on injured reserve yesterday.

Schreck joined the Bengals as a seventh-round pick out of Buffalo in 2017. The tight end appeared in six games as a rookie before landing on the injured reserve with a knee injury. He was waived by Cincy back in August and later landed on the Bengals’ practice squad.

Bengals Re-Sign T Andre Smith

July 25th, 2019 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Andre Smith is set for a fourth stint with the team that drafted him in the top 10. The Bengals and the 10-year veteran tackle agreed on yet another reunion Thursday.

The Bengals have encountered some offensive line obstacles this summer, with first-rounder and left tackle starter Jonah Williams suffering a season-ending injury and eight-year starter Clint Boling retiring. On the eve of another Bengals camp, the team landed Smith for another potential go-round.

Smith spent his first seven seasons in Cincinnati, working opposite Andrew Whitworth with the Bengals’ playoff teams. He has joined other teams twice — the Vikings for all of 2016 and the Cardinals for a rough few months in 2018 — but has come back to Cincinnati each time. The Bengals signed him late last season, after the Cardinals cut him, and the 32-year-old blocker looks like a potential depth option once more. Smith also visited the Jets earlier this year.

Both Duke Tobin and new OC Brian Callahan acknowledged the Bengals needed more help up front, with the latter specifying the team needed tackles. While Smith is a few years removed from his prime, the 93-game starter will compete for a spot on another Bengals roster.

The team also placed Williams on its active/PUP list. While that distinction means he could return at any point during camp, the shoulder injury the Alabama product suffered this summer is expected to keep him out until 2020.

Jets Hosting T Andre Smith On Visit

April 1st, 2019 at 6:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bolstering the offensive line resided as one of the Jets’ priorities coming into the offseason. They have added All-Pro Kelechi Osemele and brought in potential starter/swing man Tom Compton. Another veteran is in play.

Andre Smith visited the Jets on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). While Smith is no longer in his prime, with the Cardinals having released him midway through a rough 2018 season, he has been a contributor for 10 years.

The former Bengals first-round pick has enjoyed three stints in Cincinnati, the most recent coming after the Cardinals cut him. Smith, 32, has started 93 career games, including eight last season.

Kelvin Beachum and Brandon Shell remain in place atop the depth chart for Gang Green at tackle. The Jets have been rumored to be heavily interested in trading down from their No. 3 draft slot, in order acquire more picks, but the team’s need at edge rusher may nix those plans.

It’s possible more additions to the Jets’ front may be on tap, but as of now, a similar-looking group could be slated to start in 2019. New York ranked last in the league in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards metric in 2018.

Bengals Sign OT Andre Smith

November 29th, 2018 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals signed offensive tackle Andre Smith, according to Geoff Hobson of the team website (on Twitter). The deal marks Smith’s third career stint in Cincinnati.

Smith, ostensibly, has been brought on board to fill in for Cordy Glenn and Jake Fisher, who are both out with back injuries. Cedric Ogbuehi was next in line to pitch in at tackle, but team brass apparently prefers Smith, even though he struggled at right tackle last year and has not earned a quality score from Pro Football Focus since 2014.

Smith spent the first seven seasons of his career with Cincinnati after being selected No. 6 overall in the 2009 draft and reunited with the Bengals last offseason. He signed a one-year deal with the notion that he would be the team’s starting right guard, but lost that competition to Trey Hopkins. Later on, a spot opened up at right tackle when Jake Fisher was shut down for the year with a heart condition.

This year, Smith hooked on with the Cardinals, but he was unable to produce. Earlier this week, Arizona released him and he went unclaimed on waivers.

Cardinals Cut Andre Smith, Bene Benwikere

November 26th, 2018 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals made a host of moves Monday afternoon. Another of Patrick Peterson‘s top sidekicks is now out of the picture, with Arizona making the decision to waive cornerback Bene Benwikere.

Additionally, the Cards are cutting veteran tackle Andre Smith. They also placed Phil Dawson and linebacker Josh Bynes on IR and are elevating kicker Zane Gonzalez from the practice squad. The team announced the moves.

Smith’s inconsistency will end his Arizona tenure, per Steve Wilks (via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss, on Twitter). He started eight games at right tackle for the Cardinals, including Sunday’s 45-10 loss to the Chargers, but has not played to the level he displayed during his earlier Bengals days. The 31-year-old edge blocker will head to the waiver wire, joining the less experienced Benwikere.

The Cards already parted ways with Jamar Taylor, acquired in hopes he could fill the Peterson-sidekick role the team has long had issues with, after Benwikere beat him out for that job. The young journeyman started eight Arizona games this season, intercepting one pass and making 51 tackles. Benwikere’s eight starts represent a career high in his five-season NFL run.

Dawson’s been dealing with a hip injury this season. It forced the 43-year-old kicker to miss a game earlier this month. The Cardinals’ kicker over the past two seasons, the 20-year veteran is a free agent after this season. He’s attempted a career-low eight field goals, making five. This will end Dawson’s least accurate season.

Previously going with rookie Matthew McCrane to fill in for Dawson, the Cardinals will now turn to Gonzalez. The Browns waived Gonzalez after a rough Week 2. The 2017 seventh-round pick has not kicked in a game since.

Despite being retained on a low-level deal, Bynes was playing ahead of both Deone Bucannon and Haason Reddick this season. He made 75 tackles, registered two sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown in a standout season. Bynes is signed through the 2020 season.

Cardinals Notes: Rosen, Golden, LBs, Smith

September 22nd, 2018 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Cardinals‘ prospects for a playoff berth looking as bleak as they have in a September since before Carson Palmer arrived, noise around the team beginning the Josh Rosen era has obviously increased. Arizona’s Sam Bradford-led attack did not cross midfield until the fourth quarter against the Rams, and the Cards have just six points this season — the fewest of any team through two games since the 2006 Buccaneers. However, don’t count on a Rosen in-game promotion if Arizona’s struggles continue against the Bears on Sunday. While Steve Keim said (via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic) the first-round pick “has got to be ready,” he would prefer Steve Wilks give him a full week of first-string reps rather than throw him into the fire. As for Wilks, he does see the UCLA product making strides. Rosen was billed as the most pro-ready quarterback in this draft yet will be the last to see action of his first-round peers.

“Number one, I think the guy is progressing,” Wilks said during an interview with Sirius XM’s Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan. “He does a great job each and every week trying to prepare himself. He does get some reps with the ones each and every week, so from that standpoint, it’s good. And then he does an excellent job just as far as running the show team as well, so his operation each week is with the ones as well as on the show team. Prep has been good.

“When the time is right, we’ll definitely get him in there.”

Here’s the latest out of the desert:

Markus Golden and Jermaine Gresham appear on track to make their 2018 debuts. Both players progressed to full practices this week for the first time this year, per McManaman. Golden’s been out since Week 4 of last season because of an ACL tear. Gresham hasn’t played since Week 17, when the tight end ruptured an Achilles’ tendon. Both began camp on the PUP list. This will be Gresham’s age-30 season, and it’s even more critical for Golden. The edge rusher is set to begin a contract year, so showing he’s recovered from the severe knee injury will be paramount for his stock. Golden finished with 12.5 sacks in 2016. Both players are listed as questionable for Sunday.
The Cardinals’ new 4-3 defense has looked more like a 4-2-5 look thus far, and that’s resulted in Haason Reddick seeing sparse action in his second season. The 2017 first-rounder’s played only 17 snaps thus far. The Cards’ 2014 first-rounder, Deone Bucannon, was benched against the Rams, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic notes. Bucannon’s been a full-time starter at either safety or linebacker since his rookie year. Bucannon is also in a contract year. Josh Bynes leads Cardinals linebackers with 141 snaps, and Pro Football Focus tabbed him as the No. 10 overall ‘backer through two games. Bucannon sits 70th on that list, mostly due to Week 1 struggles. Nomad defender Gerald Hodges replaced Bucannon in Week 2.
Andre Smith remains out for Arizona because of an elbow injury, meaning John Wetzel will start again for the Cards in Week 3, McManaman notes. Considering Khalil Mack frequently lines up opposite right tackles, this poses another problem for a Cards team that’s experienced many thus far this season.

Cardinals To Sign OT Andre Smith

March 14th, 2018 at 3:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Bengals tackle Andre Smith is signing a two-year, $8MM deal with the Cardinals, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal could be worth up to $10.2MM with bonuses.

Smith will receive $2.85MM in fully guaranteed funds, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll be due a $500K roster bonus on the third day of the 2019 league year.

Smith, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with Cincinnati after being selected No. 6 overall in the 2009 draft, reunited with the Bengals last offseason. He signed a one-year deal with the notion that he would be the team’s starting right guard. He lost that competition to Trey Hopkins, but a spot opened up at right tackle when Jake Fisher was shut down for the year with a heart condition.

Back at his native tackle position, Smith didn’t really deliver. Pro Football Focus rated him as just the No. 64 tackle out of 85 qualified players in December when he was placed on IR. Smith hasn’t earned a quality score from PFF since 2014, a sign that he has declined in recent years.

Bengals Place Andre Smith On IR

December 20th, 2017 at 1:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have placed tackle Andre Smith on injured reserve. In related moves, the Bengals signed fellow tackle Justin Murray off the Saints practice squad. They also signed linebacker Connor Harris to the taxi squad.

Smith, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with Cincinnati after being selected No. 6 overall in the 2009 draft, reunited with the Bengals in the offseason. He signed a one-year deal with the notion that he would be the team’s starting right guard. He lost that competition to Trey Hopkins, but a spot opened up at right tackle when Jake Fisher was shut down for the year with a heart condition.

Even at his native tackle position, Smith didn’t really deliver. Pro Football Focus rates him as just the No. 64 tackle in the league out of 85 qualified players. Smith hasn’t earned a quality score from PFF since 2014, a sign that he has declined in recent years.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in January. He’s lost a step or three, but his experience and versatility could allow him to find work in 2018.

Extra Points: Raiders, Eagles, Broncos

March 16th, 2017 at 10:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

“Things could be on track” for a vote on the Raiders’ potential relocation to take place during the upcoming owners meetings from March 26-29, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy informed Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Indeed, the Raiders are “on course” to apply for Las Vegas relocation at the meetings, a source told Gutierrez. If a vote is held, Mark Davis will need 23 of the league’s other 31 owners to sign off on his Vegas plan. Before that happens, though, owners want to know where the Raiders would play in 2019, according to Gutierrez. They’re going to remain in Oakland the next two seasons, and the potential Las Vegas stadium wouldn’t open until 2019, leaving a one-year gap.

Bengals To Sign Andre Smith

March 14th, 2017 at 6:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bengals will reunite with Andre Smith, as they’ve agreed to sign the free agent tackle, according to Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Smith will ink a one-year deal, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.

Smith, 30, spent the first seven seasons of his career with Cincinnati after being selected sixth overall in the 2009 draft. While he didn’t become a full-time player until his third year in the league, Smith ultimately started 73 games for the Bengals at right tackle. After inking a one-year pact with the Vikings last offseason, Smith played in only four contests before being placed on injured reserve.

The Bengals’ offensive line is in flux after the club saw both Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler leave the club in free agency. With Cedric Ogbuehi projected to take over for Whitworth at left tackle, Smith could theoretically slide in at right tackle, allowing Jake Fisher to shift to guard to replace Zeitler. Instead, initial indications are Smith will play right guard, a position he’s never played at the NFL level, as Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com writes.

The Bills also made a “hard run” at Smith, per Darlington (Twitter link), but Smith preferred to head back to Cincinnati.