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Bengal O-Line love


jonahdsage

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I was going to post this in the existing thread about bengals not getting any media love, but I was so stunned I had to create a new thread. In a recent clip over on nfl.com, Brian Baldinger rated the Ravens as the #4 offensive line in the league. I was bitter and in total disagreement until he came to the #2 O-line in the league when, with almost a sour taste in his own mouth, Baldinger said, "and it may come as a surprise to some, but not to the teams that play against the cincinnati bengals . . . " That's right. An "analyst" at the NFL network stated the bengals' have the #2 offensive line in the league. Who dey.

watch here

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An easy judge of Baldinger's worth as an analyzer of offensive line capability is to find his opinion of Pittsburgh's Colon. Most analysts don't bother to actually observe anything and blindly call him a good player when he really kind of sucks balls.

Too bad he got hurt.

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Overrated?

I wouldn't have ranked them #2 but why quibble? As an ex-NFL player who actually played the position he's now grading Baldinger offers a more qualified opinion than most and his ranking seemed to be based on his projection of future play. And to that end, the addition of Andre Smith at RT should solve the only glaring weakness the Bengals had last season. So IMHO they SHOULD be improved this season due to an upgrade in talent and less emphasis placed on a somewhat gimmicky blocking scheme.

We've now stumbled over a handful of O-line rankings this offseason and all of them had the Bengals higly ranked....so maybe it isn't a case of the line being overrated by experts, but rather....underestimated by Bengal fans who steadfastly refuse to acknowledge Paul Alexander's competence.

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#2 is pretty high.

i'd say we definitely have a top-5 line in the RUN GAME. but our pass protection is below average until further notice, in my opinion.

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Overrated?

I wouldn't have ranked them #2 but why quibble? As an ex-NFL player who actually played the position he's now grading Baldinger offers a more qualified opinion than most and his ranking seemed to be based on his projection of future play. And to that end, the addition of Andre Smith at RT should solve the only glaring weakness the Bengals had last season. So IMHO they SHOULD be improved this season due to an upgrade in talent and less emphasis placed on a somewhat gimmicky blocking scheme.

We've now stumbled over a handful of O-line rankings this offseason and all of them had the Bengals higly ranked....so maybe it isn't a case of the line being overrated by experts, but rather....underestimated by Bengal fans who steadfastly refuse to acknowledge Paul Alexander's competence.

Sure, that's possible. I'm just of the line of thought that most of this years optimism is based on simply hoping another year in the system together will be what helps them continue to enjoy the success of last year. With what "I" viewed as issues with pass protection, I can't say definitively that Andre Smith is going to change much of that, as I saw a ton of the pass protection breakdown coming up the gut.

I believe our Guards are either getting older (B. Williams) even though I like him, or are simply a lower talent level (see all the rest).

I like Cook and think he's a really smart player. If he had some more help at the Guard spots, I wouldn't be even remotely concerned.

Like I said, if someone wants to say the Bengals have the #2 o-line in the league, I'm glad to see it.

My opinon, regardless of anyone elses is, #2 is to high. Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong about my concerns to this point.

However, even with those concerns, I still say they will be a solid unit.

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With what "I" viewed as issues with pass protection, I can't say definitively that Andre Smith is going to change much of that, as I saw a ton of the pass protection breakdown coming up the gut.

If Smith is healthy the upgrade in pass blocking at the RT position will be huge, pun intended. And I say that not only because of Smith's better balance and technique but also because of his intelligence. Simply put, this is a guy who always makes the right adjustment when blitzed, and rarely needs to grab and hold to prevent sacks...as a savvy veteran like Whitworth sometimes does. Best, if healthy he gives the Bengals an edge blocker who can actually reach a defenses second level...which SHOULD result in far more breakaway opportunities in the rub game for Benson and Scott.

As for the interior of the O-line, I was struck by how closely my own opinions matched those of the NFL scout quoted in the "Bengals Get No Love" thread. In short, average players with plenty to prove. That said, I now remind myself how much better the Bengals pass protection was with a healthy Evan Mathis at OLG.

Finally, they get Reggie Kelly back. And while I admit that wasn't my first choice...(cough)...his return should allow the Bengals to run fewer heavy packages featuring an extra OT. I recently stumbled over a stat that showed the Bengals going big 86 times last season...more than any other team in the NFL. For whatever it's worth if Kelly makes the final roster I expect that statistic to be reduced by a third or more this year.

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