1 overlooked Bengals breakout explains recent surprise roster move

A few names and reasons come to mind when thinking about the Cincinnati Bengals‘ decision to make Cody Ford an early cut. 

Two names are simple enough: Rookies Connor Lew and Brian Parker. Great camps and preseason for those guys. They look like long-term options of the future. 

Here’s another one: Jacob Bayer. 

Bayer isn’t a household name, perhaps not even for Bengals fans. He’s a former undrafted free agent who joined the Bengals practice squad last November. 

Now, he’s shooting up the list of breakout summers for the Bengals. As soon as Ford was gone, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, Bayer was the primary second-team left guard. 

Ford had problems at swing tackle and got a chance at guard, too. But Bayer’s rise helped the Bengals make an easy decision. 

The writing, it seems, is on the wall. If Bayer can finish the summer strong, he’s got a shot at being a primary backup alongside the likes of Lew, Parker and Jalen Rivers on the interior. 

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: 1 overlooked Bengals breakout explains recent surprise roster move