Cincinnati Bengals: Final 53-man roster cut predictions for 2018
By Kenn Korb
Offensive Linemen
* = starters; + = make roster
T.J. Johnson, Brad Lundblade, *Billy Price, *Clint Boling, *Trey Hopkins, +Alex Redmond, Rod Taylor, +Christian Westerman, *Jake Fisher, *Cordy Glenn, +Bobby Hart, Justin Murray, +Cedric Ogbuehi, Kent Perkins
The group which will make or break Cincinnati’s 2018 offense — and possibly their season. In 2017, the blocking unit gave up 40 sacks for the second-straight season. Due to poor choices in free agency (letting Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler leave in the 2017 offseason) and the draft (spending their first two picks in 2015 on tackle prospects Ogbuehi and Fisher), a line which was a definitive strength during Cincinnati’s five straight playoff runs from 2011-15 became the worst kind of weakness.
The offseason hopefully brought some game-changing answers into the fold. At the very least, the team can say they tried. Cincinnati traded down in the first round with Buffalo to acquire Glenn to be their new left tackle. After that, the team then used the lower first round selection on Price to be their new center.
While each had some preseason issues (Glenn left a preseason game with a shoulder injury and Price had some appalling snapping issues early in training camp and the preseason), they should be massive upgrades in the starting lineup just by having a pulse. With Boling — the only decent lineman on that 2017 line — between them at left guard, at least three spots on this line should be manageable at worst.
The right side of this line is still far from clear, however. Guard and tackle on this side each have three players vying for the starting nod, but in some ways it feels like the best answer for both might just be whoever is least bad for a small stretch.
The guard spot at least has one prospect who seems to have decent upside. Westerman has impressed throughout the preseason, and if you went only off what fans could watch he’d be the easy answer. His line coach pushed back hard on the notion that he was necessarily the best choice here though, and he also hasn’t even taken any snaps at the position he’s fighting for. He should make the roster, but the starting nod seems like it is going elsewhere.
That part of the battle is between Redmond and Hopkins. Each got time in there last season and has had plenty of chances to earn the role during the preseason. Both have been replaceable and error-prone.
Redmond seemed in the lead by virtue of getting the start in the third preseason game, but two early penalties saw him quickly replaced by Hopkins. Hopkins had over 700 snaps last year to prove himself though, and was clearly a target on a line full of exploitable ones all season; he’s nobody’s starting answer. With the coach seemingly against using Westerman as a starter though, it seems either Redmond or Hopkins must be the starter choice.
Redmond’s quick benching in that third preseason game seems to put Hopkins in the driver’s seat for the first nod at right guard starter. Redmond will still make the roster though, so he could be swapped in at some point as well. It’s too bad Taylor is done for the year (IR with torn ACL); he wasn’t a big offseason investment (seventh round pick) but he was an addition who could’ve infused new blood at a spot which needs plenty.
The right tackle battle is less intense, more sad. Ogbuehi is the epitome of a first-round bust, having plenty of athleticism to entice but not actually having a clue of how to translate that into any useful blocking ability. Fisher hasn’t been as disappointing, but he hasn’t been good by any means either; plus, as of last year he has a heart condition which put his career and life at risk. Neither is an ideal option as even a backup, but there’s only so much a team can do in one offseason to cure what ails a unit.
Competing with them is yet another sad option in Hart. He has plenty of starting experience himself (21 games over three seasons with the Giants). Unfortunately, much of that was with him as a sieve. He may have been even worse than the other two last season. Someone has to win this depressing battle. Of these guys, Fisher seems to offer the most, but with all three likely to be kept around to start he could easily be demoted without worrying about losing his roster spot (at least not this year).