But while losing a starting center seems like a big loss, it may actually be a blessing in disguise for the Bengals. They drafted Bodine in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and he immediately became the team’s starting center.
But he’s had an up-and-down career, and it’s mostly been down. Pro Football Focus has graded Bodine with a 52.8, 46.1, 70.5 and 46.8 in each of the last four years respectively. All but his 2016 grade were poor, and his 2016 grade was only “average”. These grades are out of 100, which speaks to how bad he’s been, but the Bengals never could find a capable challenger for his spot.
Now, the Bengals have a need at center, though this is a great chance for them to upgrade what’s been one of, if not their biggest weakness for several years now.