Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots , we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.
Today, we've got Cody Ford on the docket. Ford is listed on the Bengals' roster as a guard, and while that is his primary position, the Bengals could have him playing four different positions on the offensive line in emergency situations. He's emerged as a valuable depth piece for arguably the most important position group on the roster.
Cody Ford
- Age: 28
- Year: 6th
- Position: Guard
- College: Oklahoma
- Previous Teams: Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals
- Jersey Number: 61
Ford was drafted by the Bills with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent four years at Oklahoma and was redshirted as a freshman in 2015, earning Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year honors for the Sooners. He earned a starting gig at left guard in 2016 but only played three games before breaking his fibula and missing the rest of the season. He became the starter at left guard again in Week 2 of 2017, but another injury forced him out a couple weeks and he would only start three more games after coming back to the field. He was then moved to right tackle in 2018 and started all 14 games there, earning First-team All-Big 12 honors as part of the offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award for the best o-line in the nation.
Buffalo started Ford at right tackle immediately as a rookie, starting 16 games including one playoff game. He also had one start at right guard against the Bengals that year. A plethora of penalties and pressures allowed as a rookie had Ford moved inside to right guard to start 2020. He started two games there before being moved to left guard for five games. A knee injury took him out for the remainder of the season. His 2021 started off with three starts at right guard before getting benched for a few weeks. He would go back and forth from the field to the sidelines during the back-half of the season.
The Bills traded Ford to the Cardinals during training camp in 2022. He made the roster of his new team but didn't see the field on offense until Week 7. He ended up starting three games at left guard and playing six games at the position. His last two games saw him come off the bench at right tackle.
Ford entered free agency for the first time in 2023 and signed a one-year deal with the Bengals, reuniting with former college teammates Joe Mixon and Orlando Brown Jr. He earned a role as an active backup for the o-line, with his first offensive snaps being as an extra tight end in Week 5. He filled in for Brown at left tackle for 17 snaps, and repped 21 snaps at right guard during the final weeks of the season, but most of his snaps came as an extra tight end throughout the year.
Contract details
Ford signed a one-year, $1.35 million deal with the Bengals this offseason. He will earn a base salary of $1.125 million for the 2024 season.
When adding on the fully guaranteed $175,000 roster bonus and the $50,000 workout bonus he's earned, Ford's cap hit for the season will be $1,35 million.
Roster chances
Cincinnati was blessed with o-line health in 2023 which prevented Ford from seeing the field at all as an active reserve, but the coaching staff liked what he brought as a backup to multiple spots and brought him back before free agency even began this offseason.
While a tackle and center were drafted, the Bengals didn't make any additions at guard. That's where Ford will be valuable as depth behind starters Cordell Volson and Alex Cappa. Being an emergency swing tackle only gives him more value, but with Amarius Mims and Trent Brown in the fold, the exterior of the line should be fine.
Ford could've been given a standard veteran minimum deal to compete in camp instead of having guaranteed money attached to his name. He was retained for the purpose of making the team and dressing on game days. But with all respect to him, the goal is to not see him play significant snaps unless the Bengals are winning by a lot.
Chances of making the roster: 100%
Previous player breakdowns
Related: Bengals Roster Breakdown: Cordell Volson needs to be the best version of himself in 2024
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