In a stunning move on Monday, the New York Giants acquired former 1st-round pick, center Billy Price from the Cincinnati Bengals. In return, the Giants gave up former third-round pick, defensive lineman B.J. Hill along with a conditional seventh-round pick.
Trade: The #Giants are trading BJ Hill to the #Bengals and receiving former first-rounder Billy Price.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2021
Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants Swap Billy Price, B.J. Hill
B.J. Hill
2018
The Giants drafted defensive tackle B.J. Hill in the 3rd-round of the 2018 NFL Draft. After the team traded Damon Harrison, Hill’s playing time skyrocketed. Down the stretch of the ’18 season, he outplayed rookie expectations and instilled confidence in the coaching staff. In Week 13 against the Chicago Bears, Hill sacked Chase Daniel three times. He finished his rookie year with 5.5 sacks, 48 tackles, six tackles for a loss, eight quarterback hits and 14 quarterback pressures in 12 starts.
2019
Despite the New York Giants starting 2-2 the following year, the season started spiraling down week by week. In the first few weeks, Hill disappointed his coaching staff with his lack of production. With the trade deadline nearing, the Giants picked up former Jets defensive lineman Leonard Williams. With Williams shifting to the interior, Hill’s playing time was demolished. He finished the season with one sack, 36 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, and five quarterback pressures in five starts.
2020
With a new coaching staff arriving, Hill needed to improve his game in 2020. For the third consecutive year, Hill made the Giants final 53-man roster. Just because the Giants gave Hill a roster spot did not mean his playing time increased. Patrick Graham and the Giants defensive coaching staff favored the likes of Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, and Austin Johnson over the former third-round pick. He appeared in all 16 games, but did not start a single matchup. Hill finished his third season with one sack, 32 tackles, two tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits and six quarterback pressures.
2021
David Moa and Raymond Johnson III came into this summer as the underdogs for depth spots on the defensive line. With both playing better and having more playing time than B.J. Hill, their chances of making the roster have improved.
Billy Price
2018
The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Billy Price in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Right away, Marvin Lewis named Price the starting center for the 2018 season. Unfortunately, a foot injury sidelined Price for six games, slowly hurting his value. Afterwards, he returned to the field for the Bengals and started the remaining eight games. In his rookie year, Price played 56% of the offensive snaps, allowing one sack and committing seven penalties.
2019
The following season, the Bengals named Trey Hopkins as their starting center. Price battled plantar fasciitis and a back injury in his sophomore season. However, he managed to play in all 16 games, making eight starts (seven at right guard and one at left guard). Price allowed three sacks and committed four penalties.
2020
Unfortunately for Price, he faced tough competition riding into his third season. Michael Jordan and Xavier Su’a-Filo were named the starting guards as Trey Hopkins kept the center job. Price rode the bench for most of the season, playing in all 16 games. He started one game at center against the Tennessee Titans, filling in for Hopkins, who suffered a concussion. He also saw some playing time in Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens as Hopkins tore his ACL. Price allowed one sack and committed four penalties in his third season.
2021
Despite Hopkins tearing his ACL, the Bengals opted to decline Price’s fourth-year option on his rookie contract. For most of training camp, Price had been riding with the backup offensive line teams. Price trailed behind Trey Hill and Trey Hopkins on the depth chart. Despite reportedly having a good camp and performing well in preseason games, the Bengals decided to move on and dealt him to the New York Giants.
Outlook
For both sides, this can be determined as a low-risk/high-reward trade. The Giants added depth to their offensive line by acquiring the former Buckeye. They don’t need Price to be spectacular. However, he needs to be ready in case his name is called as Shane Lemieux‘s status is in question for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.
Hill will likely sit behind Larry Ogunjobi on the Bengals depth chart. The Bengals needed defensive line help after Wyatt Hubert, Cameron Sample, and Joseph Ossai suffered injuries.
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