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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Chris Roling

Zac Taylor isn’t sweating the offensive line problem facing Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor isn’t among those worried about his team’s outlook in the offensive trenches despite repeated hits during the usually quiet summer months.

Taylor watched first-round pick Jonah Williams undergo likely season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. More recently, he watched Clint Boling — the team’s best lineman — retire at the age of 30 due to health concerns.

But let Taylor tell it: The next-man-up philosophy is alive and well.

“Cordy (Glenn) can move back to left tackle which is where he’s played his whole career,” Taylor said, via Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We have a lot of confidence in him there. It’s unfortunate to lose guys in their rookie year. He had high expectations for himself. But we’ll be good.”

He also focused on the battle to replace Boling: “The left guard spot will be a competition in training camp and we’ll be excited to see what happens there. We have a lot of good guys in the mix who we are counting on to step up and do their job.”

It is easy to succumb to pessimism given the circumstances. The offensive line, after all, should look quite a bit like the one that struggled mightily last year and played a role in derailing the season. Even worse, it will end up having less experience given the loss of Boling.

But on the other hand, few teams get to fall back on a player like Glenn at left tackle. And some of the names now competing at left guard, such as Christian Westerman, fans have clamored to see for a while now.

Perhaps above all else, Taylor and the front office’s belief that a new set of eyes on the roster and a new approach can help spur improvement is what drives the positivity despite adversity.

And if that turns out to be true, the offseason losses here could end up as speedbumps.

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