Four-year offensive guard Alex Cappa has signed a new contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Cappa was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has spent all four years of his NFL career in Tampa Bay.
The #Bengals are expected to sign former #Bucs G Alex Cappa to a 4-year, $40M deal, per @AdamSchefter. Cincy not wasting time, immediately get O-line help for Joe Burrow.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 14, 2022
Alex Cappa, Cincinnati Bengals, Agree to Contract
Comparing Alex Cappa’s performance to the previous season, 2021 was a down year for the guard. He surrendered five sacks in 2021, tying 11th most in the league among qualified players. On the plus side, Cappa was only called for one penalty on the season. Clearly, the high surrendered sack number is not ideal for any player let alone a guard. This likely means Cappa gave up a lot of pressure from the interior, which is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Quarterbacks can only step up into the pocket upon receiving pressure from the edge. Pressure from the interior forces a quarterback to abandon the pocket and expose himself to greater risk. The majority of NFL quarterbacks are uncomfortable when moved off of their dropback spot.
Cappa initially entered the league in 2018 as the 94th overall selection. Drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cappa has performed up to expectations in correlation with his draft status. While he did not allow any sacks during his rookie season, he only logged 106 snaps for the year. He also finished his rookie season with an abysmal PFF grade of 40.1. His best season in the NFL came in 2020 when he again allowed zero sacks on the season. This is even more impressive when you take into account the 1000+ snaps he played throughout the course of the year. This is also why many have considered his 2021 campaign to be underwhelming at best. Cappa is desperately in need of a bounce-back season in order to prove he is worth the deal he has signed.
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