Damian Willis

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(08-27-2019, 10:50 AM)ochocincos Wrote: You don't think so?
Hopkins has allowed zero pressures so far this preseason. For as bad as the run blocking has been by the entire OL this preseason, the pass blocking has been decent and Hopkins has been one of the best.

You know, I was just thinking about all the different C's the Bengals have started and drafted since Mike Brown took over as owner.
The Bengals haven't gotten consistently good play from a C they drafted in quite a long time.

Their best starters at the position over the past 25 years have been Rich Braham (traded from Cardinals), Kyle Cook (undrafted), and now Hopkins (undrafted) maybe.

Their drafted Cs have been below average at best overall or didn't really ever see the field:
Rod Payne
Ghiaciuc
Luigs
TJ Johnson
Bodine
Dielman
Price

Price obviously still has plenty of opportunity to become a good-to-great player. With that said, the Bengals trend of drafted C's is against him, at least in regards to the C position. He may ultimately be a better fit at OG than C. 

Still think Price will regain the starter position at the first sign of injury or slipup.

For the guys you mentioned though, Payne would've been a REALLY good C; Walsh had him rated highly and thought good things about him, not to mention he was strong and had a great size (especially for the time).

Injuries did him in, sadly, but every football game that came out at the time, had a 3rd rd C who barely saw the field (him, obviously), rated a high 60, low 70.

Too bad.