I have to think its Volson. I REALLY hope this works as the last time we named a 4th round OG rookie the starter was MJ; which was a disaster. On the plus side Volson looks worlds better than MJ did especially comparing same times in career plus he has gonzo work ethic and seems very coachable. On the other hand he is a rook - expect teething pains.

This isn’t a slam at Zac Taylor but I think he’s even more fluent in coach speak word salad than Marvin Lewis was. All coaches talk like this between the final preseason game and the first regular season game. Ever listen to Bill Belichick?

No matter who starts at left guard I’m mostly pleased with what I saw with respect to the offensive line in preseason. The scheme looks solid.

Volson. Nasty and he got up Donald’s nose, that’s good enough for me.

Volson, but I have seen nothing about his play that makes me optimistic so far. Hopefully I am just proven wrong, but I am expecting LG to be the major hole in the line this season. Again.

(08-28-2022, 10:01 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Volson, but I have seen nothing about his play that makes me optimistic so far. Hopefully I am just proven wrong, but I am expecting LG to be the major hole in the line this season. Again.

That's my fear as well. Lets hope one of them or somebody else steps in.

(08-28-2022, 09:22 PM)wanga Wrote: Volson. Nasty and he got up Donald’s nose, that’s good enough for me.

(08-28-2022, 10:01 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Volson, but I have seen nothing about his play that makes me optimistic so far. Hopefully I am just proven wrong, but I am expecting LG to be the major hole in the line this season. Again.

Volson is great at run blocking for a rookie. This team is going to be exceedingly better at run blocking

(08-28-2022, 09:22 PM)wanga Wrote: Volson. Nasty and he got up Donald’s nose, that’s good enough for me.

Donald didn’t swing helmets because Volson locked him up

I hope everyone knows this

I’d have to say Volson has the starting job week 1.One sign would be that Volson didn’t play at all against the Rams.Carman didn’t have an impressive showing in that game.Volson appears to be the more consistent of the two.

(08-28-2022, 10:25 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Volson is great at run blocking for a rookie. This team is going to be exceedingly better at run blocking

I’m personally not too concerned with the run blocking. I’m sure it will be improved, but this is a team that is going to be throwing the ball a lot. I’m hoping he is able to be an adequate pass blocker. He has good players on either side of him, so he doesn’t need to be a star. Just OK.

(08-28-2022, 10:26 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Donald didn’t swing helmets because Volson locked him up

I hope everyone knows this

Why did he swing helmets? 

(08-28-2022, 10:39 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: I’m personally not too concerned with the run blocking. I’m sure it will be improved, but this is a team that is going to be throwing the ball a lot. I’m hoping he is able to be an adequate pass blocker. He has good players on either side of him, so he doesn’t need to be a star. Just OK.

The run blocking is going to help the passing game. But it’s really going to take a ton of pressure off the offense as third down and short and on the goal line and red zone take off the shackles of offensive play calling. If this team can run defending the passing game becomes much harder

(08-28-2022, 10:41 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Why did he swing helmets? 

Because blows was thrown

And a ***** fight broke out

(08-28-2022, 10:46 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: The run blocking is going to help the passing game. But it’s really going to take a ton of pressure off the offense as third down and short and on the goal line and red zone take off the shackles of offensive play calling. If this team can run defending the passing game becomes much harder

I've had this conversation several times over the past year, but running the ball well doesn't help your passing game in any measurable way. I've looked at data going back to 1999 and they are independent of each other. That said, yes, it will help keep drives alive in those short yardage situations, which is where Cincinnati was just abysmal last year. 

Judging from the tape, I'd go Volson. By no means do I see a decent average LG though. He puts so much, if not everything, into initial contact. Hanging on to dear life to first contact. After that, he seems to become irrecoverable, lost, or both. But hey, if you can stand someone up enough in first contact, that may be the extra .5 seconds needed to save Joey B's life. I'd take a .5 second upgrade.

I bet we waiting for cut day to see what comes out on the bargain bin for TEs, LGs, and DT's.

(08-29-2022, 12:43 AM)Yogo Wrote: I bet we waiting for cut day to see what comes out on the bargain bin for TEs, LGs, and DT's.

Ill take that bet.

(08-28-2022, 11:18 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: I've had this conversation several times over the past year, but running the ball well doesn't help your passing game in any measurable way. I've looked at data going back to 1999 and they are independent of each other. That said, yes, it will help keep drives alive in those short yardage situations, which is where Cincinnati was just abysmal last year. 

Know you're right and respect all of your research shared in forum and know I'm probably wrong disagreeing.
  
Thinking if the Bengals run the ball well this season they will be a offensive juggernaut and score more points than last year when they were merely average at running the ball. .

Just believe a good running game will help a lot when you have an elite QB throwing to multiple elite WR's. Believe when looking at the data  on a whole, would think most running teams are built to run and not great passing teams to begin with and vice versa

Think the Bengals will be the exception to this rule with the Burrow/Chase/Higgins/Boyd air assault already in place.

Hoping so anyway because this O-line is built to run. 

(08-28-2022, 10:26 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: Donald didn’t swing helmets because Volson locked him up

I hope everyone knows this

No shit Sherlock. 

(08-28-2022, 03:05 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Zac dodged the question in his post game interview.

Is Cordell Volson entrenched as the starter at left guard?

"This was Jackson's (Carman) opportunity. He had missed a couple days. He didn't get to play last week, so we thought we gave him a great opportunity to show himself today."

When you went back to watch the film on Cordell Volson, what do you see?

"I see steady improvement. He's consistent. We know what we're getting out of him. It's real important to him. Again, we've seen steady improvement from him over the course of training camp."

It is all nothing but coach-speak gobbledygook.

To me I think it is still 2 weeks until the season starts so he does not want to commit

Wasn't Carman still listed as #1 on the depth chart going into the Rams game?  But does the fact that Volson did not play mean he is #1 now?

Have there been any other tweets or comments from any reliable sources?

I think the fact that Volson didn't even play in PS game three told you all you need to know about who is starting....BETWEEN CARMAN AND VOLSON.

The reason Taylor didn't want to commit to Volson as a starter is I believe now that they have the dollars settled with Bates, etc, they will find a player to bring in to be a veteran presence at LG.  Carman could be dealt or kept as the end of the roster depth.  

Volson was the anti-Smith, Adeniji, and Prince.  He wasn't drafted on potential, but on his floor.  He may end up being a very solid long-term LG, but he was the 'higher floor" guy with tons of experience and the toughness they wanted.  I'm not the least bit surprised that production trumped potential again.  I hope we see more of this.  It seems like they sure figured this out at the LB position (Wilson, ADG, Bailey, and Pratt) were all wildly productive and versatile, whereas the STUPID LB pick out of Texas that they selected over Orlando Brown (threw a remote control against the wall...shattered it) was an athlete without a lot of assignment production. 

(08-28-2022, 05:56 PM)Mer Wrote: Didn't Carman play Tackle in college? I don't understand why they haven't tried him at Tackle. I get that he hasn't panned out at Guard, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll stink at tackle too. Wasn't Fred Johnson terrible at Guard but at least serviceable at Tackle? Maybe Carman can be a back up swing Tackle. Or maybe we could trade him to a Tackle desperate team and keep the guy from Pittsburgh. ( Can't believe I just wrote that)

I thought about that, too, but the added length and quickness from both Smith and Adeniji would put him third behind those guys...likely fourth behind Isiah Prince.

I would be very surprised if the Bengals basically admitted the mistake and released him, but I could absolutely see him being a throw-in on a player trade.  

(08-28-2022, 06:06 PM)Synric Wrote: Charmin is just so inconsistent with his technique. D'Ante Smith is more consistent but needs to be more aware of the play around him. Alot of Smith's issues are in mental.

I spit out coffee at "Charmin".... 

You are right about Smith.  Dude has a ton of physical upside.  I was really hoping this would be the healthy, light goes on camp.  Adeniji has played the best of the backups at OT, so I could see him being our swing backup OT.  Smith should just be left to develop at one spot (I would say RT) and try to develop him.  

The lack of development out of Carman makes the guard depth paper thin.  I am guessing Smith is the first guard off the bench.  He is still slow out of his stance, and holds far too often, but at the very least, he anchors well.  

I am almost certain that an upgrade at LG is still coming.  I mean, it is the same position where they tried to let Mike Jordan "get by" and look what happened.  Not saying Volson is Jordan, but I just don't want to risk an assignment error and someone getting a free shot at Burrow. 

I do see Volson as a potential starter, but I wish it was down the road a couple years.