Camp Battles

[*SHRacerX*]

(07-19-2017, 07:39 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Camp battles always make a team better.  Remember the almost-battle between Andy Dalton and AJ McCarron two summers ago?  There's no doubt AJ made Andy a better quarterback and 2015 was an amazing year for the Bengals.

My camp battle du jour for 2017 will involve Russell Bodine and JJ Dielman for the starting center position.  Now being next to Andre Smith at right guard will make most any center better but I give JJ better than even odds at earning the starting position.  If he doesn't, this will push Russell into a level of play he hasn't been able to reach yet.

I hadn't really thought much about Dielman pushing Bodine, but it does make a lot of sense.  Competition improves the breed at every position, and Dielman is supposed to be 100% healthy.  There have been a number of late round draft picks that ended up being quality starters in the NFL on the offensive line.  I hope JJ can show some of what the Bengals believe he can be.  Love that he can supposedly play any position on the line.