It’s Cordell Volson appreciation week for the Cincinnati Bengals, it seems.
Volson was the unexpected highest-graded player for the Bengals outright during the team’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now he’s got one of the NFL’s best interior offensive linemen suggesting he’s got decade-long staying power.
Center Ted Karras noted that Volson’s footwork and hand placement are his biggest areas of improvement since his arrival as a fourth-round rookie over the summer.
“He’s a long-time guard. A decade of excellence at the position,” Karras said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “He still has a lot of work to do. But look at the players he’s played and how he’s adapted to the scheme and league and it’s a home-run pick. He’s the type of guy you want to build a team with. It’s a testament to the people in the front office that found this guy. He’s a big reason we’re winning games and he’s playing at a really high level of football.”
Volson has been surprisingly sturdy for a rookie, especially as the fourth and only non-veteran upgrade to the offensive line and in the face of some brutally tough matchups against the likes of Cam Heyward.
Still, he’s allowed just four sacks all season and continues to get better by the week, suggesting he’s an unexpected long-term solution. And if anyone should know, it’s Karras.
Not bad for a rookie who entered training camp just projected to battle Jackson Carman for the spot and anything after winning it was an unexpected boon.
