Cincinnati Bengals to acquire Buffalo Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn

According to multiple league sources with knowledge of the deal, The Enquirer learned the Cincinnati Bengals are set to acquire Buffalo Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn in a trade involving draft picks. 

In order to get the 28-year-old left tackle, who is under contract through 2020, the Bengals picked up the remaining three years and nearly $30 million left on Glenn's deal while moving down in the first round from the No. 12 pick to No. 21 overall in April's draft. The Bengals will also get one of Buffalo's fifth-round picks, No. 158 overall, giving the Bengals three in that round. 

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The Bills will also receive the Bengals' lone sixth-round selection, No. 187 overall.

For 2018, Glenn's salary stretches the Bengals flexibility with an $11.25 million cap hit.

The trade cannot be made official until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. on March 14.

Bengals owner/president Mike Brown was emphatic in the offseason about addressing the offensive line, and the club made its most significant move in that area since left tackle Andrew Whitworth and right guard Kevin Zeitler departed via free agency after the 2016 seasons. 

In a sit down with The Enquirer in January, Brown made it clear he wasn't going to stand pat and let issues along the offensive line affect the team for a third straight season.

“We were way off offensively last year," he said. "It starts with pass protection. We’ve got to get that up to standard. We have to run the ball more effectively than we did over the course of the year. At the end of the year, we were (more effective). So perhaps we’re closer to putting together one of those pieces that has to be corrected. The pass protection issue is still out there and we will work to try to make that what it needs to be. I honestly feel that on offense, overall, we have enough people to be good. We do intend to shore it up. That is one of our principal goals."

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Glenn signed a 5-year, $65 million extension at the start of the 2016 season with the Bills, but since then a new general manager and coaching staff moved in while Glenn dealt with injury, playing 17 games the last two years.

His 2017 season ended early after being put on injured reserve and having surgery on an injured foot. In 2016 he dealt with an ankle injury.

According to the salary-tracking website www.spotrac.com, Glenn's annual average salary of $12 million is tied for the fifth-most among tackles in the NFL.

Glenn, presumably, is now slotted in as the Bengals' starting left tackle ahead of 2015 first-round draft pick Cedric Ogbuehi. In his six games in 2017, Pro Football Focus gave Glenn a 68.1 grade, or below average. Ogbuehi received a poor 41.0 grade.

When healthy, however, Glenn is considered one of the better pass blocking linemen in the league and PFF has considered him an above average or high-quality player from 2013-16.