The Cincinnati Bengals are only through one day of OTAs and rookie OT Andre Smith is already starting at RT.
BENGALSTRIPES – While the big story at the Bengals first organized team activity will be Carson Palmer’s elbow, my attention will be on the offensive line.
Lining up for the Bengals; at left tackle Andrew Whitworth; at left guard Nate Livings; at center Kyle Cook; at right guard Bobbie Williams; and at right tackle Andre Smith.
Only Williams returns to his starting spot, as Whitworth takes over at LT after starting at left guard last season. After an ankle sidelined Whitworth, Livings started the last six games last season and played well. Cook doesn’t have much experience in the NFL and has never started a game. Smith, the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft, has the tools to be a great OT, but does he have the work ethic?
The line is questionable and there is be some competition for Livings’ and Cook’s spots, but there won’t be any at tackle.
“I feel good about Andrew and what he can do on the other side. I feel like that kind of locks us down for a lot of years for two very key spots…as long as I’m here,” head coach Marvin Lewis said about his OTs (quote from Bengals.com).
While Lewis is confident about his bookend tackles, I am not, and personally Smith is not who I am worried about it.
I have wrote it before, I am very concerned that Whitworth lacks the speed and agility to stay with the league’s best blind side rushers.
I had hoped that Anthony Collins would have the left tackle spot or at least the opportunity to battle for it. However, Lewis’ quote makes one suspect Collins is not ready or might not ever be ready.
I am not mad or will I criticize the decision because I don’t Collins personally. Plus, when the Bengals drafted him last year I thought it take him two years before he would be ready to be a solid starting left tackle in the NFL. However, Collins did play well in the team’s final six games of 2008.
So with Whitworth at LT, I believe that Livings should have a hard time losing the job at LG.
Cook, on the other hand, should get some good competition at C with rookie Jonathan Luigs and Dan Santucci on the roster.
Overall, while it looks bad on paper, this o-line can’t possibly be worse than last season’s.
NO SHOW: While it was expected that wide receiver Chad Ochocinco not show up, it was quite surprising that fullback Jeremi Johnson didn’t come out for OTAs. His excuse is that he has decided to work with a personal trainer.
Not good enough for me, but we shall see if he can get in shape.
Meanwhile, rookies Fui Vakapuna and Chris Pressley were on the field getting work in. You have to expect those two now have a better chance of making the team. However, only one of those three will make the roster.
MAUALUGA: The Bengals first-round pick was playing with the first team, but the team’s second rounder, Rey Maualuga, was a reserve as Rahad Jeanty took snaps ahead of him at SAM linebacker on the first day of OTAs.
It was reported, however, that Maualuga and Jeanty took about the same amount of snaps.
Both players should see the field a lot this season.
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