One year ago today.

[*SHRacerX*]

(08-29-2022, 03:20 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Zac Taylor had a 6-25-1 record as an NFL head coach.

Joe Burrow had not played a single snap since his knee injury.

Our first round pick Ja'Marr Chase was having a terrible problem with drops in preseason games.

Billy Price was still a Bengal

But here was the good news after our third preseason game

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-preseason-week-3-game-recap-miami-dolphins-29-cincinnati-bengals-26

Bengals fans can’t help but be encouraged by what they saw from rookie Jackson Carman on Sunday. After a much-maligned start to training camp and first outing against Tampa Bay, the second-rounder has looked much improved the past two weeks. He didn’t take a single downgrade in pass protection on 20 such snaps in this contest.


I don't know what thsi 2022 season holds, but I guarantee something will happen that none of us saw coming.  And that is what is so great about sports.  They are the original "reality programs".

I was going to do a what would surely be viewed as a "Carman Apologist" thread, but this is close enough.  Props for shocking the hell out of me...never thought you would be one to stick up for the guy, but kudos.


Here's the thing that I will offer for him:  There are LOTS of players...just not many on this team....that are poor "practice players".  They just can't get up for anything but the real thing.  The guy also did have COVID, which many of you probably have experienced, and the most recent variant going around causes extreme fatigue.  That can't be easy when fighting for a job, and he probably had it for a while before testing positive meaning that it could have affected his performance.

Enter Volson.  The perfect Anti-Carman.  Hard ass, tons of experience at multiple positions, ready to go at all times.  Of course, the coaches (and we) are going to fall in love with that, but the separation in actual talent between the two isn't that great.  Carman will most likely see significant snaps this season.  He could still develop in to a really solid LG.  

Do I think he will?  No.  I would actually bet against him because of the lack of tough mentality that seems to plague him.  He doesn't have that "I will show the world" attitude, he just shrugs his shoulders and seems to accept it.  I hope I'm wrong, but there is still a chance he becomes the starting LG and performs well.  It isn't a great chance, but he has a chance.