ESPN's Bengals Training Camp Preview

[BFritz21]

ESPN has our training camp preview.

The headline is "not many holes to fill, but one key position battle looms."

It starts off with the offensive line, which is, IMCO, the only thing standing in our way of a Super Bowl.

Quote:The most compelling position battle: Jackson Carman vs. Cordell Volson. Cincinnati doesn’t have a ton of high-profile position battles entering training camp, which is a testament to the roster construction over the last few offseasons. But Carman, a second-round selection in 2021, will be under the spotlight as he looks to fend off Volson, this year’s fourth-round draft pick. Carman couldn't secure a starting spot as a rookie despite having the inside track. Coaches have praised his on-field development this offseason, but head coach Zac Taylor said the battle will be open in training camp. It’s the only legitimate question mark on an offensive line that will feature three new starters in ’22.

I love the competition and the fact that they'll be working that much harder to get on the field because I don't want to see another season of Joe Burrow having the line pushed into his face or d-linemen beating our guards and Burrow not even being able to step up to avoid them or step into throws.

The fact that that's the most compelling position battle says a lot about the talent on our team.

This one still scares me:

Quote:The player with the most to prove: Jessie Bates III. Theoretically, Bates shouldn’t have to prove a thing given what he did in the postseason. He helped force a key turnover that led to Cincinnati’s win over Kansas City in the AFC Championship game and had an interception in Super Bowl LVI. But with Bates not getting a long-term deal, he can prove to the rest of the league that he is a premier starter who commands big money in the free market.

Yeah, but will he half-ass the regular season again and then just hope he can make enough big plays in the playoffs to gain interest from another team or get us to sign him long-term?

I don't want to get into all that again but that still worries me. I hate his agent.

Quote:The biggest question: Can the Bengals find more offensive consistency? Cincinnati wanted to become a more explosive offense in ’21. The team succeeded and led the NFL in yards per passing attempt. However, there were significant lulls during games that featured stalled possessions. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow referenced fixing the issue when he spoke with reporters after the final offseason workout. Between Burrow, the team’s trio of starting wide receivers (Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd) and a beefed-up offensive line, Cincinnati has the resources to be one of the NFL’s best offenses. The pressure will be on the offense and Taylor calling the plays to be more efficient in ’22.

I think we need to establish the run to be more consistent, sustain drives, and take pressure off of Burrow. It blows me away that we had the most yards in passing attempts per season last year but I think that just goes to show the connection that Burrow has with the receivers and also how great of a QB Burrow is.

Then it talks about finding a punt returner, which I think is a big need for us this year because we will be one of the top teams in the league and we can't have game-changing mistakes on special teams:

Quote:Training camp is a success if …: the Bengals find a reliable punt returner. Former cornerback Darius Phillips held this role until gaffes in 2021, specifically two lost muffed punts in a 26-23 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers, forced Cincinnati to look at other options. Wide receiver Trent Taylor, who was on the practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster out of training camp, proved to be a solid option toward the end of the season. Rookie wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter II could get some looks in training camp as special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons searches for the solution at a key spot.

I do like Lassiter just because he's small and elusive. He kind of reminds me of Adam Jones when I watch his highlights from Kansas, and the fact that we signed him so quickly after the draft makes me think that the coaching staff thinks that he'll be a big part of our return game. I saw a video of him talking about a drop he had against K State(?), but he talked about the mistake he made and he seems like the type of kid that will be a perfectionist to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Then it lists the most important addition as Kappa:

Quote:Most impactful offseason addition: Alex Cappa. The easy choice is to pick the trio of starting offensive linemen acquired in free agency — center Ted Karras, right guard Cappa and right tackle La'el Collins. But Cappa deserves singular recognition. When the Bengals landed the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter, it signaled the franchise’s value on improving a unit that was widely ridiculed after Burrow was sacked 70 times last year. Of the three new additions on the line, Cappa was given the most guaranteed money ($11 million). If he can improve Cincinnati’s interior pass protection, the Bengals should become a more potent offense.

Hoping that trio and staying healthy is the missing piece to lead us to another Super Bowl appearance because I think Burrow is taking over the NFL and will replace Brady as the face of the league!

There's a little more in the article but those are the most important parts!

I LOVE IT!