Bengals’ Camp Battle at Right Guard is Hotly Contested

The Bengals still have a few positions that are still not settled, but right guard is by far the most open camp battle of all this year.

A major focus for the Bengals this offseason and during camp has been the offensive line. One of the worst units in the NFL last year for rushing and passing has seen improvement this offseason so far. Signing former Cowboys’ offensive line coach Frank Pollack gives this unit a respected voice. Also, the acquisition of Cordy Glenn at left tackle and Billy Price at center is already a big step forward from a personnel standpoint.

However, the O-line still falls under the microscope during training camp. There are certainly questions still remaining, even about the solid players along the line. Does Cling Boling still have what it takes? Is Price ready to contribute this year? Can Glenn stay healthy for 16 games?

Those are important questions, but the biggest question is on the right side of the line – specifically at right guard. RG will likely be the weakest position on the team this season, but the competition for the job should be intense.

The presumed starter as of now is Christian Westerman. The Bengals selected Westerman in the 5th round of the 2016 NFL Draft, knowing he would be a developmental guard. At the time, that pick was considered a steal by many analysts. Now, entering his third season, Westerman may finally be ready to start.

Overall, Westerman’s 2017 season wasn’t particularly noteworthy. On the whole, he actually had a pretty poor season. For the most part, he was a bench player who rotated into the line every once in a while. His PFF grade of 56.3 ranked as “poor.”

However, there were glimmers of hope near the end of the year. Westerman started the last four games of the year and looked much more comfortable. Given that finishing touch on the season, Westerman may have endeared himself to the Bengals coaching staff.

Behind Westerman currently is Alex Redmond, a major project who has finally rounded into shape. Redmond was among the inactive for most of last year, but seems to be getting a legitimate crack at the starting job. By grade, he was the worst guard on the team last season, but he has made big strides in the offseason.

So far, Redmond has looked like the most athletic choice for right guard, and could be a better fit for Pollack’s new zone scheme. Some Bengals analysts have already called for Redmond to be the starter. If he performs well enough in camp, he will definitely have a real shot to start.

The third guy in this competition hasn’t gotten as much attention as Redmond or Westerman, but definitely deserves it. Trey Hopkins, a college offensive tackle, started the majority of games for the Bengals at guard last season. Though he didn’t perform astoundingly, Hopkins was passable, and outperformed Westerman by a decent margin.

PFF actually graded Hopkins as “below average,” which is a whole tier ahead of Westerman and Redmond. Hopkins doesn’t have the athleticism or pedigree of the other two guys, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t in the running for the starting guard spot.

Now that camp has started, I have done an about-face on this right guard competition. Before camp, I was touting Hopkins as the guy, and presumed Redmond would not make the 53-man roster. Redmond and Westerman have definitely impressed me enough during camp to move themselves ahead of Hopkins in my mind, though.