With regards to Williams, Volson, Karras, and Cappa. Seems like the only uncertainty is at RT, at least that he's letting be publicly known. Seems like we should be looking for the Bengals to be drafting a Tackle (or two?) in the upcoming draft.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/bengals-starting-offensive-line-comes-into-focus-on-day-two-of-nfl-combine/ar-AA18703T

Quote:INDIANAPOLIS — The Bengals' offensive line has been a big topic since their 23-20 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

They were playing without three starters, including both tackles. Plenty of questions followed.

Will they have to overhaul the trenches again this offseason? Is Jackson Carman in the running for a starting job? Will Jonah Williams start at left tackle after an underwhelming 2022 season?

Some of those questions have been answered.

It sounds like four of the five starters are already set, barring something unforeseen.

"Comfortable with all those guys," offensive line coach Frank Pollack said on Wednesday afternoon. "Very comfortable with those guys. They improved over the course of the year. They got really good experience understanding what those guys can and cannot do."

Williams is recovering from knee surgery, but expected to be ready long before the start of training camp.

"If he's healthy he is [the starting left tackle], yeah," Pollack said.

The same can't be said for right tackle. The starting job appears to be wide open. La'el Collins suffered a torn ACL on Christmas Eve and underwent surgery last month. If he isn't ready for the start of the season, Hakeem Adeniji and Carman appear to be the most likely in-house candidates to fill the void.

Carman started against the Bills and Chiefs at left tackle. The Bengals are comfortable with him at both spots.

"He could be the right tackle. Absolutely. He's in the mix," Pollack said. "Hopefully LC (Collins) can make it back in time and who knows how the offseason plays out, but we've got to prepare to have a guy ready."

The Bengals aren't considering a position switch for Williams. Some believe the team should move him to right tackle and put keep Carman at the left side. It isn't something that the coaches are considering at this point.

"It’d be tough," offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. "He’s spent his whole career, really, especially as a pro, as a left tackle. Moving him would probably be pretty difficult."

Things can change in a hurry, but it's safe to say Williams, Cordell Volson, Ted Karras and Alex Cappa will likely start for the Bengals in 2023. The right tackle spot is up for grabs.

Maybe they add a plug-and-play tackle in the draft. They could find a veteran in free agency to help fill the void.

One spot is open, the other four jobs appear to be filled—for now.

I know we are all trying to read tea leaves here, but what is he supposed to say? He is not gonna publicly call out his guys, that would be silly.

(03-02-2023, 11:48 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I know we are all trying to read tea leaves here, but what is he supposed to say? He is not gonna publicly call out his guys, that would be silly.

I'm comfortable with the 3 interior starters, but I have concerns over Jonah Williams.  The impact of Williams going down was lessened by the development and emergence of Jackson Carman, but the depth at all of the other positions is razor thin.  That analogy certainly came to light as KC exploited the heck out of Max Scharping and Hakeem Adeniji.

I really don't feel like finding a strong starter for RT, and quality depth for the other positions can be solved in the draft alone.  I feel like they are going to have to sign at least one, possibly two mid-tier free agents in order to compose a complete OL room this season.



Edit:  The purpose of posting this thread wasn't to throw Pollack under the bus, but more to stir good conversation on how the Bengals move forward given we now have a pinch of insight as to what Pollack and Callahan think about the current state of the OL room.

Another mediocre right tackle to pair with a below average left guard and average left tackle?

Boy, can’t say I’m too excited.

I pray they move on from Mixon and get a running back who won’t finish bottom 10 in yards per carry. A productive running game is the weakness of this offense. Time to fix it

It's not that surprising, really. Jonah is making a lot of money and there's next to zero chance they don't start him. The only real change with him would be a possible move to the right side, which also seems fairly unlikely.

Volson showed enough last year. He's not some superstar first day draft stud. He's a mid-round semi-developmental guy that IMO acquitted himself fairly well. Considering the jump in level of competition for him, he's a promising player. You don't build established o-lines by giving up on guys like Volson one year into their careers. If they took that path with Boling, he'd have never become the stalwart that he was for years here. He may lack elite athleticism, but he's got the football intelligence to be a long-term starter. He will only get better with more snaps.

My only dislike with this scenario is the shelving of Carman. The guy did all you could possibly want in the playoffs and more. This entire board or damn near it thought he would piss himself and get embarrassed in Buffalo. He didn't. He actually looked like a true mauler of a left tackle. Like Volson, he needs snaps to maintain and improve. I worry that a position switch for him would be detrimental. He's really only flourished at LT. Perhaps he could play the right side, perhaps not.

It's absolutely mind blowing to me that he was the second backup tackle behind Adeniji. Adeniji is just plain bad and he proves it every chance he gets. Carman must have some real issues with work ethic or practice habits to be stuck behind him, because his skill level, and moreso his physicality is obviously far beyond anything Adeniji has shown.

My hope is that a RT is brought in during free agency. Rookies take time, and this team is likely going to be in the best position it's ever been in to hoist a Lombardi trophy next year. You can't leave the right side to chance. It could literally be the difference between entering the 2024 cap crunch with a title or entering it empty handed, geared up to start a mini-rebuild.

(03-02-2023, 11:58 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: Another mediocre right tackle to pair with a below average left guard and average left tackle?

Boy, can’t say I’m too excited.

I pray they move on from Mixon and get a running back who won’t finish bottom 10 in yards per carry. A productive running game is the weakness of this offense. Time to fix it

So, given you know the budget the Bengals have to work with, and the number and value of players with contracts expiring and nearing expiration, what would you propose that the team do to make you excited?

(03-02-2023, 12:06 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: So, given you know the budget the Bengals have to work with, and the number and value of players with contracts expiring and nearing expiration, what would you propose that the team do to make you excited?

I mean, I just stated they need to move on from Mixon. Get a running back who will hit the holes instead of dancing.

A Samaje Perine with 2nd level speed. That would be the best way to try and fix the run game

If the pass pro is going to be average-below average, the run game better be at least average

(03-02-2023, 12:06 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: So, given you know the budget the Bengals have to work with, and the number and value of players with contracts expiring and nearing expiration, what would you propose that the team do to make you excited?

Not a question posed to me, but in the same vein, so I'll take a hack at it.

I think there's a strong case to be made to sign a OL in free agency.  Maybe even a pretty expensive one.  As I said, the opportunity in front of this Bengals team is rare.  Like generationally rare.  Technically, they have the room to do it if they decide to.  The only question is if they should. 

Now, regardless of what happens with contracts, the team has major questions at tackle for the foreseeable future.  Collins has likely played his last down here.  He may have played his last down period.  Adeniji is not the answer and we know nothing about Smith.  Jonah is an average player making decent money.  It will take even more to retain his average services when he hits FA next offseason.  

The draft is what it is with OL.  We've seen this team draft 2 of the in 1 and 2 and then watch them flop spectacularly.  The standard has become so low at the position here that Jonah is the best we've had in half a decade.  There's no telling what an early round pick would do in 2023, if he even managed to  earn the trust to get on the field.

In a nutshell, they need a long term answer at both spots.  They need a proven one for this year's potential Super Bowl run, and they need a guy that can man the position for the next 3-5 years.

Why not sign one?  Why not sign a good one?  It would certainly require them to make a sacrifice during the cap crunch next year, but would this not be a worthy trade-off?  We've seen what a team with multiple elite weapons can do.  It's impressive, but it's still not getting them to the top.  We've also seen Mahomes win a title after losing one of the best weapons in football and replacing him with middling talent.  

I love Tee and wish we could keep him forever, but I trust this organization with drafting receivers much more than I trust them drafting OL.  

People look at signing a pricey OL as damaging to maintaining what's been built in the Burrow era, but I'd almost argue that it's not only healthy, but necessary.

(03-02-2023, 11:58 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: Another mediocre right tackle to pair with a below average left guard and average left tackle?

Boy, can’t say I’m too excited.

I pray they move on from Mixon and get a running back who won’t finish bottom 10 in yards per carry. A productive running game is the weakness of this offense. Time to fix it

Coming soon….. epic board meltdown when we sign no major OL FA and Mixon is the starting RB in ‘23

(03-02-2023, 12:27 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Coming soon….. epic board meltdown when we sign no major OL FA and Mixon is the starting RB in ‘23

If he is it will come with a significant paycut and likely a rookie breathing down his neck.  

(03-02-2023, 12:30 PM)samhain Wrote: If he is it will come with a significant paycut and likely a rookie breathing down his neck.  

I see a pay cut. Significant no. Nor do I see drafting a RB. JMO.

(03-02-2023, 12:33 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: I see a pay cut. Significant no. Nor do I see drafting a RB. JMO.

I think at the very least they take one on day 3.  The draft is too deep at the position and it's a need.  

I am just kind of bewildered how people want to shit on Jonah but then say they are fine with Volson starting at guard. 

Volson was arguably the weakest link on the line last year. No he doesn't play a premier position like tackle, but he was below average. 

Jonah is fine. He was playing most the year on a bad knee last year. People were absolutely fine with him going into last year, so why wouldn't they be fine with him going into next year? 

RT and LT are the biggest concerns. LT moreso after next year (Jonah pending FA) and RT immedietly. If I am the Bengals, there is absolutely no way I don't take at least two tackles in this years draft with high draft picks and explore FA for an upgrade. 

(03-02-2023, 11:58 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: Another mediocre right tackle to pair with a below average left guard and average left tackle?

Boy, can’t say I’m too excited.

I pray they move on from Mixon and get a running back who won’t finish bottom 10 in yards per carry. A productive running game is the weakness of this offense. Time to fix it

(03-02-2023, 12:06 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: So, given you know the budget the Bengals have to work with, and the number and value of players with contracts expiring and nearing expiration, what would you propose that the team do to make you excited?

(03-02-2023, 12:14 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: I mean, I just stated they need to move on from Mixon. Get a running back who will hit the holes instead of dancing.

A Samaje Perine with 2nd level speed. That would be the best way to try and fix the run game

If the pass pro is going to be average-below average, the run game better be at least average

No, actually you were critical of a couple of the starters on the OL, so I asked you what you would propose to resolve that situation.

(03-02-2023, 01:03 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: No, actually you were critical of a couple of the starters on the OL, so I asked you what you would propose to resolve that situation.

If they’re going to bring another Collins/Reiff level right tackle, they need to move on from Mixon. The run blocking is a huge weakness 2 years in a row now.

The line improved from a pass blocking perspective, but got worse in the run game. I think Mixon is the biggest reason for that. Not all to blame, but I put most of the blame on him

The offense will function better if they aren’t so one dimensional. Bengals need to lean on their run game if the pass game isn’t working.

I’d love to see an upgrade at LG and RT, but if they aren’t going to do those 2 things, which I sort of understand, well then they have to get a better running back. That’s all they can try and do

(03-02-2023, 01:03 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I am just kind of bewildered how people want to shit on Jonah but then say they are fine with Volson starting at guard. 

Volson was arguably the weakest link on the line last year. No he doesn't play a premier position like tackle, but he was below average. 

Jonah is fine. He was playing most the year on a bad knee last year. People were absolutely fine with him going into last year, so why wouldn't they be fine with him going into next year? 

RT and LT are the biggest concerns. LT moreso after next year (Jonah pending FA) and RT immedietly. If I am the Bengals, there is absolutely no way I don't take at least two tackles in this years draft with high draft picks and explore FA for an upgrade. 

Easy, Williams is starting his 5th year, and is what he is, which is average. Volson was a rookie whose play ascended throughout the season and his improvement was evident in each and every game. Volson is on his way up, Williams is just a flat line, and is descending with every injury. 
I do not like the idea they are going to move Carman back to the right side again. Leave the man in one position and see what he can do. 

(03-02-2023, 12:35 PM)samhain Wrote: I think at the very least they take one on day 3.  The draft is too deep at the position and it's a need.  

Watch what they do with Trayveon Williams. If they resign him cheap they won’t draft one. But I agree it’s a possibility.

(03-02-2023, 01:13 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Watch what they do with Trayveon Williams. If they resign him cheap they won’t draft one. But I agree it’s a possibility.

Lat year was the first year Williams stayed healthy that I can remember. 

We can't move Jonah because he's played his whole career at LT, but we can F up Jackson and move him all over.

If I could make one move for the Bengals it would be to fire Frank Pollack. Dude has never done anything positive in his tenure as Bengals Oline coach.

The best we can say is he molded a 4th RD lineman into one of the worse starting LGs in the NFL.

Fred Johnson was a serviable backup at OT; it appears Frank ruined his career by moving him inside.

(03-02-2023, 01:16 PM)bfine32 Wrote: We can't move Jonah because he's played his whole career at LT, but we can F up Jackson and move him all over.

If I could make one move for the Bengals it would be to fire Frank Pollack. Dude has never done anything positive in his tenure as Bengals Oline coach.

The best we can say is he molded a 4th RD lineman into one of the worse starting LGs in the NFL.

Fred Johnson was a serviable backup at OT; it appears Frank ruined his career by moving him inside.

How many other OL coaches also have the duties of being the “Run game coordinator”?

I don’t like the smell of it. Something’s off there