Trey

Hopkins

Pro Football Focus graded Hopkins as one of the worst starting centers last year. He allowed four sacks and 20 pressures while starting 15 games. He started 46 games for the Bengals over the past three seasons. With experience at right guard and center, Hopkins, now 29 years old, will garner some interest as a starter on the open market. Coming off a down year, he could look to sign a one-year deal now and enter free agency again next offseason.

As did RT Bobby Hart (knee) and C Trey Hopkins (concussion). Except for arguably Hopkins, none of the three have distinguished themselves along one of the league’s worst lines this season, but if these guys are the starters, you can imagine how bad the backups are. It’s a major concern for Joe Burrow coming off the best game of his career, though Burrow still has an attackable matchup in the Titans. Maybe at least one of his blockers can return on Friday.

The Browns already have four sacks on Joe Burrow, one of which resulted in a fumble recovery for Cleveland. Fred Johnson is in at LT for Williams and Billy Price is in at C for Hopkins. Cleveland will continue to pressure Burrow with Myles Garrett leading the way. Burrow will need to get rid of the ball quickly to avoid the Browns’ monstrous pass-rush.

Myles Garrett already has a strip-sack on Burrow that resulted in a Cleveland field goal. Fred Johnson is taking over for him at left tackle. Johnson has two starts this year. The Bengals were also without C Trey Hopkins on their previous drive as he headed to the locker room for a concussion evaluation. Billy Price is in at center. Expect the Cleveland pass-rush to continue teeing off on Burrow.

The deal includes $4.5 million in a guaranteed roster bonus. Hopkins has been one of the bright spots for the Bengals offensive line, allowing just five sacks while playing every snap this season. This is a team-friendly deal for Cincy, with the $6.8 million AAV placing Hopkins outside the top-15 at his position. Hopkins was headed to free agency before the extension. He’s now signed through 2022.

This is far from ideal, as Jordan is a fourth-round rookie. But the Bengals don’t have a lot of options due to various injuries. Hopkins has been a versatile interior lineman, grading out better in pass protection than as a run-blocker. Joe Mixon remains a top-10 RB option despite the problems on the offensive line because of his projected workload under Taylor.

With OG Clint Boling announcing his retirement, Cincinnati has been grabbing for straws on the left side of the line between free agent acquisition John Jerry, 2016 fifth-rounder Christian Westerman, No. 136 overall pick Michael Jordan, and Hopkins. Baby adds Hopkins has taken his reps there the past few days, so it sounds as if he’s in the lead for that starting role. Despite the team’s injury woes at both guard and left tackle (with rookie Jonah Williams likely out for the year), Joe Mixon remains a top-10 option in coach Zac Taylor’s play-action dependent offense.

This was all but a formality after the Bengals assigned a second-round tender to Hopkins last month. Hopkins will compete for a starting job on the interior, but he will likely land in a reserve role.

The tender will pay a little over $3 million on a one-year deal. Hopkins has proven to be a versatile option along the offensive line the last two years, starting 12 games at right guard in 2017 before seeing time at center and both guard spots last year.