An early look at which players from the Cincinnati Bengals’ offseason roster will eventually make the final 53 man roster for the season. We finish off the offensive side of things with the offensive linemen.
Are you ready for more speculation and predictions about the 2018 Cincinnati Bengals? It’s that prime time in the offseason when that’s just about all you can do. As such, it’s been time that we’re making predictions for the Bengals’ final roster.
With the rosters as full as they can be, now is a great time for an early look at who the team may decide is worthy of those coveted 53 available spots once the regular season kicks off. We have already seen the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends.
Next up: the offensive linemen.
Offensive Linemen
* = starters; + = make roster
*Cordy Glenn
*Clint Boling
*Billy Price
*Christian Westerman
*Bobby Hart
Jake Fisher
Austin Fleer
+Trey Hopkins
+T.J. Johnson
Javarius Leamon
Brad Lundblade
Justin Murray
Cedric Ogbuehi
Omi Omoile
Kent Perkins
+Alex Redmond
Rod Taylor
With the big trade early this offseason for him that involved the team moving down ten spots in the first round of the NFL Draft, Glenn is the left tackle for the present and near future for the team. He had a down year in 2017 (Pro Football Focus Edge grade: 68.1), he has a long history of being a really good blindside blocker. None of his five prior seasons saw him fall below a 75.1, and from 2013-16 he was always between 82.3-85.3. Better health luck (due to a foot injury, he only played in five games and had 56+ snaps in four of them) should let him return to his previous form and help lift Cincinnati back to competent blocking.
Boling was the only piece from last season’s starting lineup who was even halfway decent; assuming health, he should continue playing at a decent level. He and Glenn have the ability to create a really good left side of the offensive line. If Price heals properly from a torn pectoral he suffered at the NFL combine, that could give Cincinnati three really good starters immediately after barely having one across the past two seasons.
The right side is where so much is up in the air. There are about four names here who could conceivably be tabbed as the starting right guard, and three or four others for the right tackle spot.
None of the guys who played tackle in 2017 for Cincinnati should be brought back. Andre Smith already left. Ogbuehi has failed to turn any of his athletic gifts into consistent on-field efforts regardless of which side of the line he gets played on. Jake Fisher wasn’t a good option either, and he also has a heart condition which ended his 2017 early and may be a long-term concern. Hart is no person’s idea of a solution, but he does have starting experience; although it is basically all bad (his best PFF grade: 51.7 on a 0-100 scale), that could be enough to convince Cincinnati that he’ll be able to turn things around in a new situation.
The right guard slot could be decided between two long-term backups with little experience. Neither Redmond or Westerman got any snaps prior to 2017, but each had a quick shot last year. Neither exactly impressed, but someone has to start and these two are the most likely options available. Westerman has the better pedigree of the two (fifth round 2016 selection, compared to Redmond being undrafted) so my initial thought is that he’ll get the first chance with the new-look line, but the younger Redmond should have plenty of chances if he slips up.
Joining Redmond as backups should be Hopkins and Johnson. Each of them may not be great choices as starters per se, but they do bring much-needed versatility to the table. Johnson has the ability to play at center or guard; Hopkins can play at guard and tackle, while also being a pretty good swing tackle option. With these two, Cincinnati leaves themselves with more flexibility for building their roster; it can open up one or even two more spots to use on skill positions or their defense.
Next: NFL 2018: Rookie class bold predictions
The majority of the names left seem to be mostly warm bodies for training camp fodder. Of the remaining names, Perkins and Taylor would be the ones to keep an eye on. Perkins, while he didn’t play last year, has been around the team for a season and may be someone they can turn to if Hart doesn’t work out. Meanwhile, Taylor was a draft pick this year who could easily fit into the role Westerman and Redmond held on the roster the past couple seasons.