Bengals: 3 position battles to watch in Week 1 of preseason
By Alex Austin
Cincinnati Bengals Position Battles to Watch – No. 1: Offensive Line
Cincinnati has come into the season needing someone to step up on the offensive line to ensure Joe Burrow has adequate protection.
Last season, the guard spots were manned by Michael Jordan and Quinton Spain primarily and the results were shaky, to say the least. This year, the Bengals are putting those two players in competition with Xavier Su’a-Filo and Jackson Carman. This will be one of the battles that have the biggest effect on Burrow and the rest of the Bengals’ offense.
Out of the four players, it seems like Cincinnati would want Carman to succeed. As a rookie, he would have the most longevity to become a staple on the line. However, transitioning from tackle to guard could take some time and he may not be ready for the switch by Week 1.
Su’a-Filo spent most of his time injured last year while Spain and Jordan tried their best but the results weren’t great. Out of this group, it seems that Spain would have the inside edge to start at left guard and the first depth chart proved just that. Su’a-Filo and Jordan provide some depth and the ability to try their second-round draft choice out at left guard to start the season.
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These are the position battles to watch as the Bengals face the Buccaneers on Saturday night.