Bengals critical RG battle has clear leader, but Zac Taylor won't rule rookie out

Will the Cincinnati Bengals' real right guard please stand up?
Oct 8, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Cody Ford (61) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Oct 8, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Cody Ford (61) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Color me surprised that the Cincinnati Bengals have yet to determine a winner for their right guard job as that position's heated training camp derby rages on. And I mean that in the most sarcastic way possible.

For all the positive moves Cincinnati has made personnel-wise this offseason, neglecting to address such an obvious position of need is a genuine brain teaser. As is not extending Trey Hendrickson, but let's not dwell on that for purposes of this article.

To take the rosier view of this conundrum, competition is meant to bring out the best in everybody, so even if right guard is the clear weak link on the offensive line, somebody is bound to rise to the occasion and seize the starting gig.

According to the latest report out of the Queen City, it appears a certain roster incumbent has the clubhouse lead to be RG1 for Week 1 in Cleveland, though head coach Zac Taylor posited an interesting tidbit at the podium on Tuesday, too.

Cody Ford leads Lucas Patrick at right guard, but rookie could challenge

ESPN's Ben Baby does an exceptional job as the four-letter network's boots on the ground. His latest intel from a wide-spanning positional battle piece indicates that Cody Ford "safely has the inside track" at right guard over free-agent addition Lucas Patrick.

This news actually doesn't line up with the Bengals' first preseason depth chart, which featured Patrick at the RG1 spot ahead of Ford even as the former has battled an injury during camp.

Plain as day. Patrick is listed as the starter between surefire incumbents Amarius Mims and Ted Karras.

The Bengals also have a need at swing tackle in the event that Mims or Orlando Brown Jr. go down during the course of the 2025 campaign. When Taylor fielded questions from the media on Tuesday, he showered fifth-round rookie Jalen Rivers with praise, intimating that the Miami (FL) tackle could, in fact, be a factor in the RG race.

I was higher on Rivers than the consensus/where he was drafted. That said, I was somewhat perplexed as to why the Bengals didn't invest draft capital in a versatile offensive lineman who had experience on the right side, as opposed to the left.

Provided this latest information that Taylor won't rule out Rivers at guard, I wonder why he hasn't cross-trained more at that position in the early going. You probably don't want to put too much on a rookie's plate I suppose.

The main takeaway here should be that Rivers is handling everything thrown at him with aplomb. It seems he'd be up to the task at right guard. I say let this young man cook and make certain that, even at a position he's new to, he wouldn't be an upgrade over Ford or Patrick as of now.

As long as Dylan Fairchild lives up to the hype at left guard, regardless of who prevails at right guard, we could be looking at the best pass protection Joe Burrow has ever enjoyed in the NFL. That should be a scary thought for the rest of the league to entertain.

Ja'Marr Chase has publicly said "the sky's the limit" for this offense. It'd be a shame if the much-maligned o-line didn't hold up their end of the bargain to maximize the unit's collective potential. Perhaps Rivers is the solution to solidify this starting five. We still have about a month to find out!

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