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Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen is expected to make a splash in the upcoming NFL free agency period as one of the top linemen set to be available. Jensen has been with the Buccaneers since 2018 and has provided solid contributions, elevating the group as one of the best offensive lines in the league.
Jensen saw action in 17 games and earned the first Pro Bowl selection of his career in 2021. There is no doubt that the Buccaneers want him back, especially with Ali Marpet retiring suddenly, but it might be hard for them to do so as they have limited cap space available as of the moment. They also have a handful of other free agents to consider, including Chris Godwin, Leonard Fournette, and Ndamukong Suh, among others.
Unless he's willing to take a pay cut, Jensen might have to explore his options and consider playing elsewhere moving forward.
With that said, let's take a look at the three best landing spots for the veteran center in 2022 NFL free agency.
Ryan Jensen Free Agency Landing Spots
One of the teams in dire need of reinforcements on the offensive line would be the Chicago Bears. In 2021, it was evident that Justin Fields needed more talent around him in order to fully reach his potential in the pros.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Bears' offensive line ranked 22nd in the league, with center Sam Mustipher receiving the lowest grade of 51.8. Certainly enough, the former undrafted player has shown that he is a liability in the trenches. His struggles also affected the overall performance of Fields, whose rookie season didn't go as hoped.
The Bears have a realistic chance of going after a talent like Ryan Jensen as they have around $25-26 million in cap space for 2022. If the front office successfully acquires the veteran center along with other potent linemen, the Bears' offense will be in a good position to improve next season.
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The Miami Dolphins' offensive line was completely underwhelming after a disastrous campaign over the past season. In fact, the unit ranked last in the league in 2021, per Pro Football Focus.
Without a doubt, a talent like Ryan Jensen would be able to make an instant impact on the group to help elevate their overall performance for the next season. Fortunately for the Dolphins, they have the resources to do so as they have the most cap space in the league with over $60 million.
Similar to the situation of the Bears, Jensen's arrival would also help the continuous development of Miami's young quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. The potential acquisition of the veteran center would do wonders for the Dolphins and help bring them back to the playoffs sooner than later.
Perhaps one of the best destinations for a lineman like Jensen in 2022 would be the Cincinnati Bengals. The offensive line's shortage of talent proved to be crucial as they allowed Joe Burrow to be sacked a total of 51 times in the 2021 regular season and then another 19 times in the playoffs. Despite the group's shortcomings, the Bengals still managed to reach the Super Bowl stage and made a serious case at winning the title against the Los Angeles Rams.
One can only imagine how much more they can achieve with an offensive line that can provide solid pass protection for Burrow. Indeed, their current center in Trey Hopkins has gone a long way from being an undrafted player to a regular starter for the Bengals. However, he's nowhere near the level of Ryan Jensen, who would bring toughness and intensity to a group that was banged up through the course of the 2021 season.
If the Bengals properly address the holes on their offensive line starting with the acquisition of the veteran center, they would certainly increase their chances of making another deep playoff run.
