Jackson Carman At Bottom Of Depth Chart

[*SHRacerX*]

(07-31-2021, 02:34 PM)Synric Wrote: The only factual thing Paul and Jay said about Carman was he was at the end of the postion rep line with Gunnar Vogel. The rest was just them listing possible reasons why...

One reason they left out and makes the most sense is that Jackson Carman was listed on their website at 317lbs in the spring. A weigh in and conditioning test the day before he is now back up to 330lbs. 

Knowing he wasnt ready from the spring might put him behind Spain and XSF but coaches realize he had a lot to learn so he would most likely still be at the front of the rotation... Now a heavy weigh in when that was a pre-draft knock and a poor conditioning test would piss the coaches off enough to say "end of the line fat boy".

This makes sense as the guy had offseason back surgery to correct a herniated disc that he played through the final 4-5 games of his college career.  I know he was not able to participate in his team's Pro Day because of that.  

I think another angle on this story (I already responded) is to take this as less of a slight to Carman, but praise for Spain and XSF.

Take Spain, he is a vocal guy that has an attitude.  He solidified his guard position walking in off the streets, and that coming off COVID-restricted training.  He wasn't dominant, but a clear upgrade from everything we had.  He was also able to cover a game at RT.  Now, with a full offseason to train and condition and a spot on the line, he is working his ass off and trending to becoming a starter again for a team that could have a really good offense.  

XSF was rated fairly well in his limited action last year.  He has to see that there has been a significant upgrade in the competition for one of the guard spots.  He has never made as much money as he has here in Cincy.  If he doesn't stay healthy and be a solid contributor in 2021, he won't likely see the dollars from 2022 or get another contract elsewhere.  So, the guy has shown up hungry, in shape, and is competing the best he can.

Honestly, we should probably be surprised if Carman had a spot over these guys coming off a back injury while these two were healthy and had a normal offseason training program.  

The bottom line:  Carman will be a good addition to this team.  You can bet he will be called upon this season, if not from week 1.  He is learning the new position and will be receiving coaching from a respected technician of an offensive line coach in Pollack.