Terron Armstead is one of the best left tackles in football, and is entering free agency in the 2022 offseason. The three-time Pro Bowler was ranked as the fourth-best offensive tackle going into the 2021-2022 season (regardless of left or right side of the line). The only downside to Armstead is his inability to stay on the field. In fact, he has never played every game in a season since being drafted in 2013. With that said, he will still demand a big contract, as he is still an incredible blindside blocker when he is healthy.
Here are three potential landing spots for Terron Armstead in free agency.
The Saints are in cap hell, as their fans know. However, if they were going to drop significant pieces to get under the cap, Armstead is nowhere near at the top of that list. If the Saints choose to enter a rebuilding stage, they must keep in mind that the offensive line is one of the most important units to get set right away. If they choose to rework the cap to try to stay competitive, they will need a stout left tackle anyway. So, it makes sense for them to try and keep him regardless of their direction.
Armstead has been with the Saints since being a third round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. It is possible he could take a hometown discount to stay with the team that drafted him, especially if the contracts he is being offered by other teams are cheaper due to his injury history.
Essentially the only reason this move doesn’t make sense is due to the Bengals’ history of being cheap in free agency. However, that trend may change as the Bengals made a very unexpected run to Super Bowl LVI, and fell just short mostly because of their bad offensive line.
The Bengals’ offensive line finished 20th in PFF’s 2021 rankings, which was actually an improvement from their preseason ranking. Still, though, Joe Burrow was sacked nine times in the Divisional Round and seven times in the Super Bowl. A quarterback hit on a fourth-and-one ended Cincinnati’s game in the Super Bowl.
If Cincinnati is committed to winning, they will spend big on the offensive line. Armstead’s injury issues have to scare them, but it is worth the risk if they want to make another deep playoff run.
The Raiders’ offensive line was graded lower than the Bengals by PFF, at 28th out of 32. It is a problem they need to fix quickly, as their offense has the potential to be great. Add on to that, Vegas just hired an offensive-minded head coach in six-time Super Bowl champion Josh McDaniels.
General manager Mike Mayock has to build through the offense, which begins with keeping plays alive. An upgrade on the blind side will help that immensely. Also, it is an opportunity to grab more money for Armstead, so it could be a win-win.
Featured image courtesy of Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
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