O-Line Opportunities
After releasing veteran offensive lineman Cody Ford on Monday, Cincinnati opened the door for a pair of younger contributors to vie for the swing tackle role. Jalen Rivers, who enters his second pro season, and Javon Foster, who spent last year on the Bengals’ practice squad, both saw substantial action in last week’s home preseason win over Chicago. Each player lined up for exactly 53 offensive snaps (85 percent of team’s total), with Rivers manning the left tackle spot for most of the game and Foster taking the right side.
When asked about the status of the swing tackle battle heading into Friday’s preseason finale, head coach Zac Taylor indicated it is “not concluded yet.”
“We still have time on our hands and are still waiting to see someone just grab some of those jobs and take them,” said Taylor.
Some other young O-lineman have made a strong impression on Taylor and the coaching staff through training camp, including fourth-round draft pick Connor Lew, who spent the early portion of camp recovering from a knee injury but started at center against the Bears. According to Taylor, Lew has made up for the valuable time lost while finishing his rehab.
“If you brought somebody in here that didn’t know the situation, they would think he looks like he’s been practicing for a while.”
Sixth-rounder Brian Parker II has played the most snaps of any member of the Cincinnati offense (119) thus far, including 100 percent of the share (62) versus Chicago.