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07-26-2009, 12:34 PM
Offensive Line
Whoâs back: Starters OT Andrew Whitworth, OG Bobbie Williams, C Kyle Cook, OG Nate Livings; Reserves OT Anthony Collins, OT Dennis Roland, G-C Andrew Crummey, C Dan Santucci, G-T Scott Kooistra, OG Evan Mathis
Whoâs new: OT Andre Smith (first round), C-G Jonathan Luigs (fourth round), G Colin Dow (rookie free agent).
Whoâs gone: Three starters from last year - tackle Levi Jones (released), center Eric Ghiaciuc (free agency) and tackle Stacy Andrews (free agency).
Looking back: What didnât go wrong with this unit last year? The release of longtime right tackle Willie Anderson left a void in leadership which was filled by Whitworth and Williams, but it took a little time. There were eight different starters during the season and not a lot of consistency. As the unit struggled, so did the offense which finished last in the league for the first time in team history (29th rushing and 30th passing). It didnât help that Carson Palmer was injured, but in four games he was sacked 11 times (compared to 17 in a 16 games in 2007). While Whitworth and Williams were solid, Jones was plagued by injuries again, Andrews struggled and Ghiaciuc continued to be overmatched. Itâs not a shock then that those three are gone.
Four Downs
As the line goes, so goes the offense: It would be an understatement to say that the biggest storyline of the preseason will be the lineâs development. The good thing is Lewis and line coach Paul Alexander settled on a line before OTAs, which gave them 17 practices to start building cohesiveness and consistency. The major disadvantage is that they are young and inexperienced. After Whitworth and Williams, the three remaining projected starters have 11 games with six starts.
Kyle Cook
Front and center: That would be Kyle Cook, who wouldâve seen some action last year if he hadnât suffered a broken foot at Dallas in Week 5. Alexander likes the second-year player because of his intelligence, but he also brings a bit of a nasty streak with him. During minicamp, Cook got into scuffles with Dhani Jones and Rashad Jeanty. But Cook has also demonstrated why the coaches have faith in him by getting line calls set quickly and effectively communicating changes to the line. And at 6-foot-3, 306, Cook is not likely to get mismatched by opposing nose tackles like Ghiaciuc was.
Andre Smith
What about Andre? Playing right tackle for the first time Smith continues to show progress and is slightly ahead of where coaches thought he would be. He has two good teachers in Williams and Kelly on the right side and should open plenty of holes for Cedric Benson. But in order to continue that progression, he must be in camp on time. If this is a long holdout, his rookie year could turn into a developmental season. If it lasts longer than 10 days, you should expect to see Anthony Collins start the opener against Denver.
Staying healthy: It is key for the line to avoid injuries. Going into camp, the backups have a lot of versatility but there isnât a lot of depth.
An Outsiders View
Robert Weintraub of Football Outsiders: âCincyâs offensive line was the worst single unit in the NFL in 2008. Dead last in Adjusted Line Yards. Last in Stuff Percentage, and close to the bottom in blown blocks, runs over 25 yards, and power situations. That, and the franchise quarterback was a sitting duck even before he was knocked out for the season. Line coach Paul Alexander somehow kept his job, and now has some tools to rebuild. Rookie linemen have had outsized success in recent seasons, so Andre Smith should hopefully contribute right away, especially in the run game, provided he doesnât wind up in the wrong city on game days. A blocking sled would do a better job than Eric Ghiaciuc, so even though center is a difficult position for rookies to master, Johnathan Luigs has to be considered an upgrade. Second-year men Anthony Collins and Nate Livings were solid when inserted into the lineup late last yearâthe best running games the Bengals had came with those two in the game. Andrew Whitworth is dependable at either guard or tackle, and Bobbie Williams continues to be very durableâa rare trait among Bengals lately
Whoâs back: Starters OT Andrew Whitworth, OG Bobbie Williams, C Kyle Cook, OG Nate Livings; Reserves OT Anthony Collins, OT Dennis Roland, G-C Andrew Crummey, C Dan Santucci, G-T Scott Kooistra, OG Evan Mathis
Whoâs new: OT Andre Smith (first round), C-G Jonathan Luigs (fourth round), G Colin Dow (rookie free agent).
Whoâs gone: Three starters from last year - tackle Levi Jones (released), center Eric Ghiaciuc (free agency) and tackle Stacy Andrews (free agency).
Looking back: What didnât go wrong with this unit last year? The release of longtime right tackle Willie Anderson left a void in leadership which was filled by Whitworth and Williams, but it took a little time. There were eight different starters during the season and not a lot of consistency. As the unit struggled, so did the offense which finished last in the league for the first time in team history (29th rushing and 30th passing). It didnât help that Carson Palmer was injured, but in four games he was sacked 11 times (compared to 17 in a 16 games in 2007). While Whitworth and Williams were solid, Jones was plagued by injuries again, Andrews struggled and Ghiaciuc continued to be overmatched. Itâs not a shock then that those three are gone.
Four Downs
As the line goes, so goes the offense: It would be an understatement to say that the biggest storyline of the preseason will be the lineâs development. The good thing is Lewis and line coach Paul Alexander settled on a line before OTAs, which gave them 17 practices to start building cohesiveness and consistency. The major disadvantage is that they are young and inexperienced. After Whitworth and Williams, the three remaining projected starters have 11 games with six starts.
Kyle Cook
Front and center: That would be Kyle Cook, who wouldâve seen some action last year if he hadnât suffered a broken foot at Dallas in Week 5. Alexander likes the second-year player because of his intelligence, but he also brings a bit of a nasty streak with him. During minicamp, Cook got into scuffles with Dhani Jones and Rashad Jeanty. But Cook has also demonstrated why the coaches have faith in him by getting line calls set quickly and effectively communicating changes to the line. And at 6-foot-3, 306, Cook is not likely to get mismatched by opposing nose tackles like Ghiaciuc was.
Andre Smith
What about Andre? Playing right tackle for the first time Smith continues to show progress and is slightly ahead of where coaches thought he would be. He has two good teachers in Williams and Kelly on the right side and should open plenty of holes for Cedric Benson. But in order to continue that progression, he must be in camp on time. If this is a long holdout, his rookie year could turn into a developmental season. If it lasts longer than 10 days, you should expect to see Anthony Collins start the opener against Denver.
Staying healthy: It is key for the line to avoid injuries. Going into camp, the backups have a lot of versatility but there isnât a lot of depth.
An Outsiders View
Robert Weintraub of Football Outsiders: âCincyâs offensive line was the worst single unit in the NFL in 2008. Dead last in Adjusted Line Yards. Last in Stuff Percentage, and close to the bottom in blown blocks, runs over 25 yards, and power situations. That, and the franchise quarterback was a sitting duck even before he was knocked out for the season. Line coach Paul Alexander somehow kept his job, and now has some tools to rebuild. Rookie linemen have had outsized success in recent seasons, so Andre Smith should hopefully contribute right away, especially in the run game, provided he doesnât wind up in the wrong city on game days. A blocking sled would do a better job than Eric Ghiaciuc, so even though center is a difficult position for rookies to master, Johnathan Luigs has to be considered an upgrade. Second-year men Anthony Collins and Nate Livings were solid when inserted into the lineup late last yearâthe best running games the Bengals had came with those two in the game. Andrew Whitworth is dependable at either guard or tackle, and Bobbie Williams continues to be very durableâa rare trait among Bengals lately
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