The Bears have released left tackle Charles Leno. The former seventh round pick had been in Chicago for seven years since being drafted in 2014. He will now become a free agent and any team will have the right to to sign him. Here are three potential landing spots for Charles Leno.
Cincinnati Bengals
Yes, the Bengals did draft an offensive lineman in the second round, much like the team that just let him go in favor of their younger player. But Cincinnati needs a lot of help on the offensive line. This can be evidenced by the fact that their new franchise quarterback is sporting a very large surgery scar in a photo shoot that touted their new uniforms.
Charles Leno is a veteran who can either add depth at an extremely important position, or can play right away. He can also help coach up some of their other, younger lineman like Michael Jordan and new draft pick and Jackson Carman.
In short, the Bengals need help protecting Joe Burrow in a bad way. They should not underestimate the need to keep him upright and Leno could be a relatively cheap option to help them achieve that.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts already have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Although not necessarily star-studded with household names, it was extremely productive in keeping an aging Phillip Rivers upright in the pocket to the tune of a playoff berth.
Maybe the only position on the line that the Colts do not have figured out 100 percent is left tackle. Charles Leno could help ease that burden, or at least give them a different option to continue to pass block. Given his injuries, Carson Wentz may want to stay inside the pocket more during the second act of his career in Indianapolis. Another good offensive lineman can ensure he will at least have a better chance to stay healthy for an entire season.
New York Giants
One of the main culprits of the Giants’ current playoff drought is a lack of good offensive line play. New York’s offensive line was ranked 31st (second-to-last) by Pro Football Focus in 2020. Part of that was due to Nate Solder opting out of the season, but the entire line cannot be placed on his shoulders. Considering Daniel Jones’ fumbling problems, more protection would be very welcome. And with a newly revamped offense replete with pass-catching talent, Jones would do well to stay upright long enough to make some plays with his arm. Leno would at least provide a band-aid for a pretty glaring problem.
Featured Image courtesy of Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
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