The Cincinnati Bengals are likely going to select Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. But that isn't the only decision they'll need to make this offseason. According to The Athletic's Joe Goodberry, Giovanni Bernard could be a possible cap cut for Cincinnati.
If the Bengals release Gio Bernard, they'll save $2.8M in cap space.
Should they release him? Maybe, but that's not a whole lot of money. They should probably just find a way to use him.
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) February 5, 2020
Back in 2013, the Bengals selected Bernard with the 37th overall pick in the draft. For the first five years of his career, Bernard was given an expansive role in the offense as a dual-threat weapon. Altogether, Bernard averaged 992 yards from scrimmage and nearly five touchdowns per year in his first five seasons.
Last September, the Bengals signed Bernard to a two-year extension that was worth $9.7 million. Next season, the veteran running back will only be a $4.1 million cap hit. Also, by releasing Bernard, Cincinnati would only free up $2.8 million.
Taking that into consideration, it's unlikely that the Bengals choose to move on from him. However, Zac Taylor will need to configure ways to get Bernard more involved in the offense.
Ever since Joe Mixon became a focal point in the offense in 2018, Bernard's usage has seen a noticeable dip. As a matter of fact, Bernard has only been given 174 total touches in the last two seasons.
Mixon is heading into the final year of his contract and it's likely that the Bengals want to re-sign him beyond 2020. Despite wanting to have Mixon as their featured back, Cincinnati needs to get Bernard more touches out of the backfield. If not, they might as well release him to get the extra money in free agency.
Follow Us
Subscribe