Tampa Bay Buccaneers free-agent guard Alex Cappa intends to sign a four-year, $40 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals after free agency opens on Wednesday, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Cappa’s addition will bolster the Bengals’ offensive line as the team tries to improve the protection for quarterback Joe Burrow.
A third-round draft pick out of Humboldt State in 2018, Cappa transitioned from offensive tackle to guard with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and earned a starting role in his second season in 2019.
Cappa joins a Bengals team that reached Super Bowl LVI despite fielding one of the worst blocking units in the NFL, ranking 30th in Pass Block Win Rate during the regular season.
Burrow was sacked 70 times in regular-season and postseason games combined, including seven times in the Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Cappa’s commitment, which cannot become official until free agency officially begins on Wednesday, could be the first key move in improving Cincinnati’s offensive line. Former starting right tackle Riley Reiff and left guard Quinton Spain are free agents. Center Trey Hopkins is entering the final year of his current contract and represents $6 million in cap savings if the Bengals decide to cut him.
Cappa, who turned 27 in January, suffered a fractured ankle in the Bucs’ wild-card victory over Washington two seasons ago and showed enormous toughness attempting to play through it before he was placed on injured reserve, finishing out the season giving up just one sack.
He returned in 2021, starting all 17 regular-season games and two postseason contests. His 274 run-blocking wins were most on the team last season, and his 400 pass-blocking wins were tied with center Ryan Jensen for most on the team.
He surrendered 10 sacks in the regular and postseason combined and was named a Pro Bowl alternate for the first time in his career. He also produced a 90.5% pass blocking win rate.
ESPN’s Jenna Laine and Ben Baby contributed to this report.