League sources told ESPN's Adam Schaffter that Tampa Bay Buccaneers free-agent guard Alex Kappa intends to sign a four-year, $40 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals after free agency opens on Wednesday.
Sources told ESPN that the Bengals have also agreed a three-year, $18 million deal with New England Patriots center/guard Ted Karras.
The addition of Kappa and Karras will strengthen the Bengals' offensive line as the team tries to improve security for quarterback Joe Burrows.
A third-round draft pick out of Humboldt State in 2018, Kappa transitioned from offensive tackles to guard with the Buccaneers and earned an opening role in his second season in 2019.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Karras was the Patriots' sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft.
Kappa and Karras join a Bengals team that reached Super Bowl LVI despite fielding one of the worst blocking units in the NFL, finishing 30th in pass block win rate during the regular season.
Burrow was dismissed a combined 70 times in regular-season and post-season games, including seven times in a Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Clearly, Cincinnati's offensive line is undergoing a turnaround. Former starting right tackle Riley Reif and left guard Quinton Spain is a free agent. Center Trey Hopkins is entering the final year of his current contract and the cap represents $6 million in savings if the Bengals decide to cut him.
Kappa, who turned 27 in January, suffered a fractured ankle in the Bucs' wild-card win over Washington two seasons ago and showed enormous stiffness attempting to play it before being placed on injured reserve, only Leaving one ended the season. Bag.
He returned in 2021, starting all 17 regular-season games and two post-season events. His 274 run-blocking wins were the most on the team last season, and his 400 pass-blocker wins tied him with center Ryan Jensen for the most on the team.
He surrendered 10 sacks as a regular and postseason combined and was named a Pro Bowl alternate for the first time in his career. They also produced a 90.5% pass blocking win rate.