The interior of the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line has seen a notable upgrade this season, at least in part thanks to the steady presence of rookie left guard Cordell Volson.
And while Volson doesn’t get nearly as much hype as new arrivals Ted Karras and Alex Cappa, his contributions haven’t gone unnoticed.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com that quiet is good for the rookie.
“Whenever you say a lineman is quietly having a nice rookie season, that’s a good thing because you’re not hearing his name much,” Taylor said. “He’s just been really confident. I think that’s the key for a rookie. You see just this air of confidence on his face. When I see him walk into Frank’s (Pollack) meeting room or walk on the field for a practice rep or game rep, the guy knows he belongs. He knows he belongs as a rookie. And he’s just got a confidence about him that is really, really impressive to see in such a young player.”
Volson swiped the starting gig from second-round product Jackson Carman over the summer with relative ease and it wasn’t all just about Carman’s stunning fall from relevance.
It’s more about that steady play Bengals coaches talked up during the summer that has continued well into the season. By PFF‘s marks, Volson has only allowed three sacks over 600-plus snaps already. More importantly, he’s a piece of that upgraded interior while the tackles still struggle.
While Volson probably isn’t winning awards or anything dramatic by season’s end, the quiet is good, as Taylor says.
