Friday, September 10, 1999SEASON PREVIEW: OFFENSIVE LINE
Injuries put line on its heels
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati EnquirerAt the beginning of the season, the Bengals' offensive line was supposed to be one of the team's strong suits. But then training camp started.
Actually, before training camp started, right guard Brian DeMarco sprained his right shoulder when he flipped his all-terrain vehicle and missed the first 10 days of practice.
Then in the first practice, left tackle Kevin Sargent developed tingling in his hands and could never get back on the field before getting cut.
A backup tackle, Mike Doughty, badly sprained his foot in the last exhibition game and is supposed to miss the first six games. Yet another backup tackle, Jamain Stephens, has been suspended for the first four games because of a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Left tackle Rod Jones, a fourth-year player with eight career starts at left tackle, has come to the rescue. He has been arguably the best linemen in camp, but if he can't sustain it or if he goes down, the Bengals would be forced to do a a major re-shuffle.
Which is why they went out and got former Colts center Jay Leeuwenburg last week. Leeuwenburg has started in 37 straight games and in the next few weeks could beat out Rich Braham as he makes the move from left guard to center.
But the main reason he was signed was to answer the question if Jones can't play.
Right tackle Willie Anderson would move to left tackle, DeMarco would move to right tackle, and Leeuwenburg has played right guard before. Or he could move to center and Braham could move to left guard.
But no one wants to do that to left guard Matt O'Dwyer, who along with DeMarco gives the Bengals tough playoff guards off the free-agent shelf.
DeMarco and O'Dwyer were second-round picks in 1995 by the Jaguars and Jets, respectively. They show good power in the running game, it's time to wonder what would have happened if they didn't go get the two guards out of free agency.
They thought right guard Ken Blackman would be ready some time in training camp, but the articular cartilage graft in his knee hampered him enough that he was placed on the reserve physically unable to perform (PUP) list and will miss the first six games of the season.
Even though there is experience, the line is paper-thin, like much of the team. Anderson hasn't played on the left side since early in 1997, when he started at right tackle but moved to left in the first two games when Jones had trouble in pass protection.
The Bengals hope that doesn't happen this time around.
“It'd be hard to get back into it after practicing something else for two years,” Anderson said. “But wouldn't have a choice, You'd have to do it.”
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Injuries put line on its heels