Worried about Andre Smith Yet? Jay Gruden isn’t
Three weeks of voluntary offseason workouts are in the books for the Cincinnati Bengals, but it’s easy to notice something isn’t right when Anthony Collins, Reid Fragel and Tanner Hawkinson are getting first-team reps at right tackle, while Pro Bowler Andre Smith is nowhere to be found. Because of his past, the Bengals are undoubtedly keeping close tabs on Smith and his weight and conditioning, as these have become big problems in the past.
And it’s not like Smith isn’t missing out on anything at these OTAs. There is $500,000 in workout bonuses included in the three-year contract he signed during the draft that he’s missing out on, and all he has to do to get those is show up and do some basic walkthroughs and very light drillwork.
This has Bengaldom up in arms, as he is the best lineman on an o-line ranked among the best in the NFL, and without him, they drop down to average at best. Don’t include Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden among those panicking, as he’s confident Smith will not only be here soon enough, but he’ll be in shape and ready to hit the ground running:
"He’ll be in shape. He’s going through some things that he and Coach Lewis know about, I’m sure when the time is right he will be here.As long as he’s keeping an eye on his weight it will be good for (rookies Reid) Fragel and (Tanner) Hawkinson and let them play. Get them adjusted to what it is going to be like during training camp so that the first time they see it they will have a good understanding of it and adjust to it."
Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed.