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The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to sign former UCLA guard Xavier Su’a-Filo to a three-year contract worth $10 million, per ESPN’s Ben Baby.
Bengals have agreed to terms with offensive lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo for a three-year deal worth $10 million, per source.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) March 18, 2020
Su’a-Filo last played for UCLA in 2013 after he made history for the Bruins by being the first true freshman to start on the offensive side of the ball when he played and started in every game during his true freshman season of 2009. Su’a-Filo logged 13 starts at left tackle, the most by a true freshman non-kicker in school history. He followed that up with a two-year mission trip, returning in 2012.
His return saw him move to left guard for the majority of the rest of his career with some spotty left tackle duties over the final two years. He wrapped his career up with Second-Team All-American honors in 2013, winning the Morris Trophy, given to the conference’s top offensive (and defensive) linemen, voted on by opposing players.
Su’a-Filo declared for the 2014 NFL Draft, forgoing his final year of eligibility and was subsequently selected by the Houston Texans with the very first pick of the second round in the 2014 draft. He played sparingly in 2014 but stuck in the Texans lineup from 2015-17 where he amassed 2,942 snaps over his final three years in Houston.
He left the Texans after the 2017 season and joined the Dallas Cowboys, playing fewer than 500 snaps in both seasons spent with Dallas.
A significantly better pass protector during his time in the NFL, Su’a-Filo will enter the Bengals lineup now void of former starting right guard John Miller, who the Bengals released earlier in the day. Cincinnati had trouble filling the offensive line a season ago after former first-round pick Jonah Williams went down before the season with an injury and they played multiple different combinations along the line all year long.
Su’a-Filo represents a versatile offensive lineman for the Bengals to plug and play at multiple positions if so deemed but as of right now, he likely slides behind a healthy Williams and fellow first-rounder Billy Price on the inside. Still at three years and $10 million, Su’a-Filo will definitely have an impact on his new team and could see his fair share of snaps with the recent injury history and woes of the Bengals offensive line.
We wish you well, Xavier! Go out and represent Bruins Nation!