Cincinnati Bengals
Getty
The Bengals waived a former 2024 NFL Draft pick
The Cincinnati Bengals have mostly focused on the defensive side of the ball during free agency. After having a top-10 offense during the 2025 season, despite quarterback Joe Burrow missing a majority of the season with a turf toe injury.
With the Bengals extending star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins prior to the 2025 season, the plan was to keep the core in place this offseason. The Bengals did just that as they re-signed guard Dalton Risner, who impressed last season after signing a veteran minimum contract. Now, Cincinnati has another move on the offensive line as the team’s roster continues to take shape during free agency.
Cincinnati Bengals Cut Ties With Former Draft Pick
The Cincinnati Bengals announced that they had waived center Matt Lee. Lee was drafted in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and appeared in 22 games for Cincinnati. His release comes two years into a four-year, $4.1 million rookie contract.
During his tenure with the Bengals, Lee totaled only 27 offensive snaps. Lee was behind veteran center Ted Karras on Cincinnati’s depth chart. Since joining Cincinnati in 2022, Karras has started 67 games over the past four seasons. ranked No. 22 among centers in the NFL last seasonby Pro Football Focus.
Regarding Lee’s release,FanSided’s Matt Fitzgerald wrote:
“When the Bengals drafted Matt Lee in the seventh round in 2024, he was widely viewed as a steal. The advanced metrics of PFF held Lee in high esteem. Across his last three seasons of college ball, one at UCF and two at Miami (Florida), Lee surrendered a grand total of one sack and 12 QB hurries.
Unfortunately, Lee’s solid athletic profile (8.66 RAS) wasn’t enough to offset his marginal size and apparent lack of translatable skills to pro football. The Bengals announced that Lee had been waived on Tuesday, despite his status as the clear No. 2 center behind Karras.
This is an instance ongoing allegations of Cincinnati’s rather baffling approach to building the roster will only grow louder.”
Bengals Draft Outlook
Releasing Lee sheds light on Cincinnati’s depth issues, particularly on the offensive line.ESPN’s Matt Miller addressed that issue in his seven-round mock draft as he predicted the Bengals would draft Miami Hurricanes guard Anez Cooper in the fourth round. Cooper was the only offensive player Miller projected the Bengals would select inside of the first six rounds.
Regarding Cooper as a prospect,NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described him as a good backup with potential to develop into a starter.Zierlein wrote:
“Cooper is a big and proportional guard. He loses effectiveness when blocking in space, but he plays with good body control and understands how to use his size to neutralize in-line opponents. He has heavy hands and punches quickly into extension in pass pro to subdue rush momentum, making him difficult to circumnavigate. He struggles staying mirrored to athletic rushers with quality setups, though. His issues identifying and responding to rush games are cause for concern. Cooper’s limitations require occasional help, but he has starter upside in the right scheme fit.”