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Best Case Scenario for each O-Line Position


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Best-case-scenario for each of the Bengals’ offensive line positions in 2018

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The Bengals offensive line could see up to four new starters when the 2018 season begins. Who will start at each position and who’s in play to compete?

By Scott Schulze@smackabees  May 16, 2018, 1:42pm EDT
 

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The 2018 season will be a fresh start for the Bengals’ offensive line, as the “reset” button was firmly pressed after the conclusion of the 2017 season. The change on the line begins at the top with long-time assistant coach Paul Alexander no longer with the team, being replaced by Frank Pollack who was in Dallas while the Cowboys built up what is probably the NFL’s best offensive line.

In addition to the coach, four of the starters from last year’s unit could be relieved of their duties and replaced as we head into the 2018 season. The most notable change is at center. Russell Bodine, who has played nearly every single offensive snap for every game the Bengals have played over the past four seasons, was not re-signed. Bodine is now in Buffalo where he will fight for a starting spot with the Bills.

The Bengals are also proceeding without a pair of long-time tackles: Andre Smith and Eric Winston. Smith has spent eight of his nine seasons in the NFL with the Bengals, and started eight games at right tackle last year. He also replaced Cedric Ogbuehi at left tackle when the Bengals played in Cleveland. Smith signed with the Cardinals in free agency. Winston has spent the past four seasons with the Bengals, playing in 37 games over the past three years. He is currently a free agent.

Here’s a look at the Bengals’ top offensive line options and our projections for each position. With that said, much will be determined — especially on the right side of the line — this summer in training camp.

Left Tackle

Cordy Glenn: Glenn came to the Bengals in a trade with the Bills, allowing Buffalo to reach for future draft bust Josh Allen. Glenn is a good player and should be the Bengals’ starting left tackle for the foreseeable future. This job is secure with the only issue being Glenn’s health. If he’s healthy, he will start.

Left Guard

Clint Boling: Boling is the steady, although unspectacular starter at left guard who has spent the majority of the past six seasons starting at that position for the Bengals. He played the final two games of 2017 at left tackle in an emergency role. The Bengals prefer their veterans, especially when they are in-house, so Boling will continue to be the left guard. He finished 2017 with a 75.5 grade from PFF, which ranked him as the 24th best guard in the league. If you figure there are 64 starting guards, that better than average. He also had to do a lot to help out the rest of his lackluster line mates, which may have held back his level of play. With his former college teammates (Glenn) lining up next to him, Boling should be playing at an improved level in 2018. You’d have to think Pollack’s coaching will help, too.

Center

Billy Price: Going back over 40 years, outside of Cedric Ogbuehi (who was injured), every Bengals first round pick on the offensive line is a starter from day one. At the center position that includes Blair Bush and Dave Rimington. It will soon include Price. He’s getting healthy following a partially torn pectoral injury suffered at the NFL Combine, but he’s already working with his teammates and all signs are very positive.

 

T.J. Johnson: Johnson has been with the Bengals since being selected in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He started Weeks 2 through 5 at right guard in 2017, but was just filling in for an injured Trey Hopkins and later suffered a season-ending injury himself. It’s hard to envision a player who couldn’t unseat Bodine from a starting role being able to unseat a good center like Price, so Johnson’s bid to be the Bengals starting center in 2018 doesn’t look very promising. He’ll most likely backup Price, assuming he does in fact make the roster.

Right Guard

Trey Hopkins: After joining the Bengals as an undrafted free agent back in 2014, Hopkins finally got a chance to start in 2017. He was injured in Week 1 of the season before taking back the starting right guard role from the fifth game on through the end of the season. Hopkins has the inside track as the returning starter, but he’s not a lock to win the job. He did not do enough to enter the 2018 season set as the starter, and his PFF grade of 48.3 would pretty much validate that. He will have competition for his role from the guys who got the nod there in the final few weeks of the year.

Christian Westerman: The only candidate for the right guard position who was actually drafted, Westerman joined the Bengals via a fifth round selection in the 2016 NFL draft. After spending the first 24 games of his NFL career on the sidelines, Westerman started the final two games of 2017 as the starting left guard. He alternated quarters in the final two games with undrafted guard Alex Remond. It should be pointed out that in those two games that Westerman started, the Bengals offense compiled 288 yards on the group and 57 points, which was their best two-game run of the season. And that output came against a pair of teams fighting for playoff spots – the Lions and Ravens both lost to the Bengals, which knocked both teams out of the playoffs. Westerman looked
the part of an NFL guard in that very short sample size, and should be considered to have at least a solid chance of winning the right guard spot.

Alex Redmond: Like Westerman, Redmond joined the Bengals in 2016, though he came in undrafted free agency. And Redmond also finally played significant snaps for the Bengals in 2017 in the last two games rotating with Westerman in those games where the Bengals’ offense finally looked like an NFL offense. The right guard spot is probably a two-horse race with Redmond and Westerman, with Hopkins in close striking distance. For what it’s worth, PFF ranked Redmond higher than Westerman in 2017, although that’s unlikely to matter much in 2018. Redmond, like Westerman, should be considered to have at least a solid percent chance of winning the right guard spot.

Rod Taylor: Taylor is kind of the wild card in this. He was a seventh-round pick from Ole Miss and his game film at tackle certainly leaves a lot to be desired. As a guard, he probably projects as a backup or practice squad candidate. His odds of starting are likely 0 percent, but could be upgraded to single digits if the Bengals are unfortunately hit with enough injuries before the season starts.

Right Tackle

Jake Fisher: As awful as the Bengals’ 2015 draft was with Cedric Ogbuehi in Round 1, it’s further compounded by the team’s second pick, Jake Fisher, failing to perform much better. Fisher was struggling through another season in 2017 when it ended abruptly in Week 9 due to dysrhythmia, a heart condition. As of February 2018, he has been medically cleared for football activities. Hopefully for Fisher, he will be able to avoid any further complications from the medical condition that affected him last year. PFF didn’t like Fisher too much, giving him a 46.2 grade, but there is a possibility that Fisher could improve with the dysrhythmia behind him. As bad as Ogbuehi has been, Fisher seems like the early favorite to win the job merely from a lack of quality competition.

Cedric Ogbuehi: If you want to know why Paul Alexander is no longer employed by the Bengals, Ogbuehi is likely part of that reason. Not only was Ogbuehi a bad left tackle in college who struggled with giving up sacks, but he was also injured when the Bengals drafted him. But to hear the way Alexander gushed about him after the draft, it’s hard to know if he had never seen any film of Ogbuehi, or perhaps accidentally thought he had drafted Brandon Scherff instead. After struggling so bad at right tackle in 2016 that the needed to be benched from his starting job, the Bengals moved him to left tackle in 2017 to give him the opportunity to show off that his ineffectiveness knew no bounds, and that he could perform just as poorly on the other side of the line. He played 14 games at tackle in 2017, being replaced in the games at Cleveland and at Minnesota, and got benched for good in the final two games. Ogbuehi will likely be given an opportunity to see if Frank Pollack can turn a lemon into lemonade. But barring the miraculous, Ogbuehi likely will be a backup in 2018 before hitting free agency in 2019.

Kent Perkins: After going undrafted in 2017, Texas guard/tackle Kent Perkins came out of nowhere to impress well enough before the season to earn a spot on the Bengals practice squad. He was promoted to the roster in December after Nick Vigil landed on IR. He played six snaps on offense in Week 17 at tackle. Without a legitimate starter at right tackle, Perkins should hopefully have a chance to win the starting role, but will have to step up his game to be a viable option long-term. His chances are small, but if he impresses this summer anything is possible.

Bobby Hart: When Hart was signed in February, it seemed to be merely a move to ensure depth at the position without Smith or Winston. And one would assume that after the Bengals drafted a right tackle in the 2018 NFL Draft, that Hart would be on the outside looking in. But when the 2018 draft passed without the Bengals selecting a tackle, Hart suddenly became a real part of a position battle without an obvious, proven leading candidate. PFF absolutely hated him, giving him a paltry 37.7 ranking, which qualified him for 76 out of 83 tackles last season. The Giants hated him too, releasing him in February, after he apparently quit on the team. But it seems the Bengals didn’t hate him, as the one team in the NFL to sign him. If Ogbuehi wasn’t awful, if Fisher wasn’t coming back from an injury, and if Perkins wasn’t unproven, Hart would have a very low chance to be the starter. But with the situation he finds himself in, he probably holds a decent chance to start in 2018.

 

 

 

 

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I agree about the right side ....

Not clue on who will win out at RG

All seem like backups to me...

Id try and see if Bobby Hart could make the move...at 335 lbs he might make some holes for Mixin. 

Im hoping Jake Fisher can finally be a quality RT....dont know...

 

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I am putting a lot of faith in Pollack...he's got a great reputation and drafted and molded the o-linemen in Dallas into the top unit in the league. I think he can work similar magic here, especially after the departure of the classic pianist Goofy McGooferson and his hands off, cerebral approach to coaching very large people that are supposed to maul the fuck out of their opponents while they ballet dance in tutus to Beethoven.

 

:lol:

 

I love the most damning thing the article said about Alexander:

 

Cedric Ogbuehi: If you want to know why Paul Alexander is no longer employed by the Bengals, Ogbuehi is likely part of that reason. Not only was Ogbuehi a bad left tackle in college who struggled with giving up sacks, but he was also injured when the Bengals drafted him. But to hear the way Alexander gushed about him after the draft, it’s hard to know if he had never seen any film of Ogbuehi, or perhaps accidentally thought he had drafted Brandon Scherff instead.

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5 hours ago, Bunghole said:

I am putting a lot of faith in Pollack...he's got a great reputation and drafted and molded the o-linemen in Dallas into the top unit in the league. I think he can work similar magic here, especially after the departure of the classic pianist Goofy McGooferson and his hands off, cerebral approach to coaching very large people that are supposed to maul the fuck out of their opponents while they ballet dance in tutus to Beethoven.

 

:lol:

 

I love the most damning thing the article said about Alexander:

 

Cedric Ogbuehi: If you want to know why Paul Alexander is no longer employed by the Bengals, Ogbuehi is likely part of that reason. Not only was Ogbuehi a bad left tackle in college who struggled with giving up sacks, but he was also injured when the Bengals drafted him. But to hear the way Alexander gushed about him after the draft, it’s hard to know if he had never seen any film of Ogbuehi, or perhaps accidentally thought he had drafted Brandon Scherff instead.

The Cowboys gave Pollack some talent to work with, they invested multiple early picks in their offensive linemen. I don't know if the Bengals have enough talent to do much improving, especially since they basically ignored the offensive line after the first round in the draft, because of course drafting linebackers will help you score more points... 

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10 hours ago, Bunghole said:

I am putting a lot of faith in Pollack...he's got a great reputation and drafted and molded the o-linemen in Dallas into the top unit in the league. I think he can work similar magic here, especially after the departure of the classic pianist Goofy McGooferson and his hands off, cerebral approach to coaching very large people that are supposed to maul the fuck out of their opponents while they ballet dance in tutus to Beethoven.

 

:lol:

 

I love the most damning thing the article said about Alexander:

 

Cedric Ogbuehi: If you want to know why Paul Alexander is no longer employed by the Bengals, Ogbuehi is likely part of that reason. Not only was Ogbuehi a bad left tackle in college who struggled with giving up sacks, but he was also injured when the Bengals drafted him. But to hear the way Alexander gushed about him after the draft, it’s hard to know if he had never seen any film of Ogbuehi, or perhaps accidentally thought he had drafted Brandon Scherff instead.

But if you need ketchup on your hot dog, Ced is the guy you want!

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14 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

I agree about the right side ....

Not clue on who will win out at RG

All seem like backups to me...

Id try and see if Bobby Hart could make the move...at 335 lbs he might make some holes for Mixin. 

Im hoping Jake Fisher can finally be a quality RT....dont know...

 

All the more reason to take a serious look at Incognito. If he is still in game shape he would be huge improvement at RG.

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1 hour ago, SF2 said:

All the more reason to take a serious look at Incognito. If he is still in game shape he would be huge improvement at RG.

Yeah..no

 

Incognito isn't reliable and seems to be going through some sort of mental breakdown. He's always had off the field stuff going back to college but it seems to be overshadowing his ability.

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49 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

Yeah..no

 

Incognito isn't reliable and seems to be going through some sort of mental breakdown. He's always had off the field stuff going back to college but it seems to be overshadowing his ability.

Isn't reliable?  He has played in 49 of a possible 49 games the last 3 years. If you take out the hazing suspension, he has missed 1 game in 8 years.  3 straight pro bowls.  He is way more reliable than just about every offensive player we have.  The guy played for shit teams in St Louis, Miami and Buffalo.  He has been in the playoffs once in 12 years with his 2017 Bills scoring 3 fucking points in the playoff game.   The guy is no different than Favre and Rothleisberger with the retire BS after another failed season.    

 

During the off season the team sent Cordy Glenn to us, all we need to do is ask him if Incognito is worth the risk.    If Glenn vouches for him, absolutely worth bringing in to kick the tires. 

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30 minutes ago, SF2 said:

Isn't reliable?  He has played in 49 of a possible 49 games the last 3 years. If you take out the hazing suspension, he has missed 1 game in 8 years.  3 straight pro bowls.  He way more reliable than just about every offensive player we have.  The guy played for shit teams in St Louis, Miami and Buffalo.  He has been in the playoffs once in 12 years with his 2017 Bills scoring 3 fucking points in the playoff game.   The guy is no different than Favre and Rothleisberger with the retire BS after another failed season.    

 

Absolutely worth bringing in to kick the tires. 

He voluntarily retired, fired his agent via social media, claimed to have multiple serious health issues, then referred teams that wanted to contact him to the agent he fired, and now he wants to play again....all of this occurred within a few months...

 

like I said he seems like he needs to seek some help from a mental health professional (again) and does not seem to be 100% committed to playing.

 

Incognito has a long and well documented history of serious off the field issues, combine that with his health issues, and wavering commitment to playing and he seems like the last guy a team that is trying to improve and rebuild with young, unproven talent needs to bring into the locker room. The Bengals are trying improve the culture (finally cutting Pacman) and Incognito isn't going to help with that.

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2 hours ago, SF2 said:

Isn't reliable?  He has played in 49 of a possible 49 games the last 3 years. If you take out the hazing suspension, he has missed 1 game in 8 years.  3 straight pro bowls.  He is way more reliable than just about every offensive player we have.  The guy played for shit teams in St Louis, Miami and Buffalo.  He has been in the playoffs once in 12 years with his 2017 Bills scoring 3 fucking points in the playoff game.   The guy is no different than Favre and Rothleisberger with the retire BS after another failed season.    

 

During the off season the team sent Cordy Glenn to us, all we need to do is ask him if Incognito is worth the risk.    If Glenn vouches for him, absolutely worth bringing in to kick the tires. 

Damn good idea.....

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2 hours ago, PatternMaster said:

He voluntarily retired, fired his agent via social media, claimed to have multiple serious health issues, then referred teams that wanted to contact him to the agent he fired, and now he wants to play again....all of this occurred within a few months...

 

like I said he seems like he needs to seek some help from a mental health professional (again) and does not seem to be 100% committed to playing.

 

Incognito has a long and well documented history of serious off the field issues, combine that with his health issues, and wavering commitment to playing and he seems like the last guy a team that is trying to improve and rebuild with young, unproven talent needs to bring into the locker room. The Bengals are trying improve the culture (finally cutting Pacman) and Incognito isn't going to help with that.

What off the field issues do you speak of?  Other than the bullying thing..  No doubt he was a dirty player early on but hasn't had many issues the last 3.   Again, ask Cordy Glenn and if he vouches for him bring him in.  I don't care about the Twitter drama concerning him retiring and all that BS.  The Bills SUCK.  Terrible organization.  Pure luck they made the playoffs last season, the first time in 18 fucking years.  I don't blame anyone trying to get out of that shit hole by any method.   Guy has a few years left and realizes he will never get to play in a big game if he stays with Buffalo. 

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10 minutes ago, SF2 said:

What off the field issues do you speak of?  Other than the bullying thing..  No doubt he was a dirty player early on but hasn't had many issues the last 3.   Again, ask Cordy Glenn and if he vouches for him bring him in.  I don't care about the Twitter drama concerning him retiring and all that BS.  The Bills SUCK.  Terrible organization.  Pure luck they made the playoffs last season, the first time in 18 fucking years.  I don't blame anyone trying to get out of that shit hole by any method.   Guy has a few years left and realizes he will never get to play in a big game if he stays with Buffalo.

 

Hollding team meetings at a strip club, molesting women at team sponsored events, drunken bar fights with bouncers, beating up his 500k Ferrari with a golf club and getting admitted to a psych ward, etc... and this just the stuff that made the news in the last 5 years. Don't forget he had major red flags and he fell in the draft because of his off the field stuff in college.

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article1957240.html

 

This guy said he was quitting because his liver and kidneys were shutting down less than 60 days ago and retired but now he's 100% and ready to play.... thanks but no thanks.

 

Sure the Bills suck and their organization is weak but are the Bengals that much better that they can absorb a guy like him with out it negatively impacting the chemistry of the team. Pacman only got arrested 5 times when he was here, so obviously this is the place for some redeeming...

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32 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

 Pacman only got arrested 5 times when he was here, so obviously this is the place for some redeeming...

 

So far as I can tell, the only act that is beyond the pale for Mike Brown would be quietly and respectfully taking a knee during the national anthem. 

 

I'd also note that our "best case scenario" at LT is also our only scenario.

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43 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

 

Hollding team meetings at a strip club, molesting women at team sponsored events, drunken bar fights with bouncers, beating up his 500k Ferrari with a golf club and getting admitted to a psych ward, etc... and this just the stuff that made the news in the last 5 years. Don't forget he had major red flags and he fell in the draft because of his off the field stuff in college.

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article1957240.html

 

This guy said he was quitting because his liver and kidneys were shutting down less than 60 days ago and retired but now he's 100% and ready to play.... thanks but no thanks.

 

Sure the Bills suck and their organization is weak but are the Bengals that much better that they can absorb a guy like him with out it negatively impacting the chemistry of the team. Pacman only got arrested 5 times when he was here, so obviously this is the place for some redeeming...

This team hasn't made the playoffs in 2 seasons.  I guess team chemistry is nice if mediocrity is your goal.  He has been clean for 3 seasons.  His quitting statements were an attempt to get released by the Bills, it didn't work for over a month but finally they obliged. 

 

Look at the facts:  Incognito will be 35 in July.  The Bills just traded Cordy Glenn to us.  The let Tyrod Taylor walk.  They lost a very good center in Eric Wood to injury.  They have replaced those players with Russell Bodine, AJ McCarron (4 lifetime starts) and Dion Dawkins who is ok but not nearly as good as Glenn when healthy.   They drafted Josh Allen who cant throw a ball 15 yards accurately.   They didn't pick an offensive lineman until the 5th round.   They are going to be FUCKING terrible. Their line will absolutely suck.  Of course Incognito tried every trick to get released,.. and he did. 

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33 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

 

So far as I can tell, the only act that is beyond the pale for Mike Brown would be quietly and respectfully taking a knee during the national anthem. 

 

I'd also note that our "best case scenario" at LT is also our only scenario.

Come on now, this is the year Ced figures it out!!!

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3 hours ago, SF2 said:

This team hasn't made the playoffs in 2 seasons.  I guess team chemistry is nice if mediocrity is your goal.  He has been clean for 3 seasons.  His quitting statements were an attempt to get released by the Bills, it didn't work for over a month but finally they obliged. 

 

Look at the facts:  Incognito will be 35 in July.  The Bills just traded Cordy Glenn to us.  The let Tyrod Taylor walk.  They lost a very good center in Eric Wood to injury.  They have replaced those players with Russell Bodine, AJ McCarron (4 lifetime starts) and Dion Dawkins who is ok but not nearly as good as Glenn when healthy.   They drafted Josh Allen who cant throw a ball 15 yards accurately.   They didn't pick an offensive lineman until the 5th round.   They are going to be FUCKING terrible. Their line will absolutely suck.  Of course Incognito tried every trick to get released,.. and he did. 

It's been reported that he was BFF'S with Todd Flanders on roids aka Eric Woods and when Woods retired maybe Richie was like "#me too"....

 

But if he did want to get released as you claimed why would he come to a team that hasn't had a winning season in 2 years??? Just because you're a blind homers doesn't mean this roid freak is manipulating things so he can come to a team that came in 3rd in the AFC Birth.

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23 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

It's been reported that he was BFF'S with Todd Flanders on roids aka Eric Woods and when Woods retired maybe Richie was like "#me too"....

 

But if he did want to get released as you claimed why would he come to a team that hasn't had a winning season in 2 years??? Just because you're a blind homers doesn't mean this roid freak is manipulating things so he can come to a team that came in 3rd in the AFC Birth.

 I totally agree that his goal is to go to a great team.  We would be a later choice for sure.

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2 minutes ago, SF2 said:

 I totally agree that his goal is to go to a great team.  We would be a later choice for sure.

I dunno man, based on his history of bizzare behavior I think he just went Incognito. If was trying to get released then why put negative news about your health out there, what team wants to sign a 35 year old with bad kidneys and liver?

 

He could have just asked for his release, stating that he didn't want to go through a rebuild with the Bills, that would be understandable. Saying you are stressed out, your kidneys and liver are failing, fire your agent, and retire... only to come back 6 weeks later doesn't make much sense or give off the impression that you are a stable and reliable veteran that can be trusted.

 

The fact that his old team won't even say anything about him is telling, remember what Mom said if don't have anything nice to say.....

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