Alex Cappa has found a new home only two days after the Cincinnati Bengals cut him for being one of the worst guards of the 2024 season. On Wednesday, it was reported that he had joined the Las Vegas Raiders, who are entering a new era under the head coach/general manager tandem of Pete Carroll and John Spytek:
Unfortunately, not many in the Silver-and-Black fandom were enthused:
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More of the anger and disappointment can be seen below:
“Bad move,” one lamented.
“I swear, it BETTER get better than this next week…,” another demanded.
“Yikes, this guy has been terrible for two seasons,” another shuddered.
His contract, according to his agency is for $11 million over two years.
Recapping Alex Cappa’s horrid 2024 season as he joins the Raiders
It is no secret that the Bengals have had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL in the Joe Burrow era, even when they made the AFC Championship Game in 2021 and 2022. However, no individual exemplified that notion more strongly than Alex Cappa in 2024.
That season, he had one of the worst showings a guard has ever had, taking an unwanted triple crown in pressures (51), hurries (36), and sacks (8, tied with Shaq Mason) allowed. Just under a month after the team finished 9-8 and out of the playoffs again, de facto GM Duke Tobin addressed the need to improve at guard to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway:
“It’s a spot that we’re focused on. We’re going to continue working with guys that we have on the roster, and we are going to try to evaluate how to get better with guys that aren’t currently on the roster, and whether that’s young guys from the draft, whether that’s free agents, we’ll look at all options, but we’re going to add to that group.”
One of those projected moves was cutting Alex Cappa, which had been predicted by The Athletic’s Paul Dehner and USA Today’s Chris Roling. But just before it happened, new offensive line coach Scott Paters was optimistic about his chances, saying during Combine week:
“Just looking at some of those things we can get better at as far as protection goes, because the biggest thing is trying to keep Joe [Burrow] healthy and safe and upright back there. So we’re targeting that area big time as far as development goes.”
Instead, the Humboldt State product is heading to the Nevadan desert to potentially replace Cody Whitehair as the so-called “swing guard”.
Edited by Dipayan Moitra
