The Cincinnati Bengals would agree with fans on at least one key point — the interior of the offensive line is an issue.
Granted, the Bengals agree with fans on other things, too, like needing to get Ja’Marr Chase an extension and prioritizing Trey Hendrickson.
But the offensive line came up during a recent discussion between Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway, too.
“We’re going to add to the position,” Tobin said. “For sure there will be competition at those positions, we have to evaluate who will come back and who will not come back. It’s a spot that we’re focused on.”
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While center Ted Karras might be free from serious scrutiny this offseason, the same doesn’t apply to the guard spots.
At left guard, Cordell Volson got benched and only returned to the lineup when necessary as injuries struck elsewhere. On the right side, Alex Cappa regressed dramatically, ending up as one of the worst overall graded linemen in the league. At this point, Cappa is one of the team’s top cut candidates alongside the likes of Sam Hubbard.
While Tobin did have plenty of praise for the coaching staff changes that impact the line and was hopeful it would help technique issues, it’s pretty clear that some heavy outside competition will join the roster soon.
