Cordell Volson vs. Jackson Carman battle takes interesting turn

There is no more interesting battle at Cincinnati Bengals training camp than the one between Jackson Carman and Cordell Volson for the guard at left job, the only spot on the offensive line up for grabs at all.

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Carman, the second-rounder from a year ago, struggled mightily during the preseason opener. Volson, a fourth-round rookie, then came in and showed he deserves some reps with the first team during practice.

And that’s exactly what he’s getting.

Volson had all the first-team reps on Sunday with Carman out. Carman returned on Monday, albeit with a brace on his arm for what is described as a minor issue — but only saw snaps with the second team when he took part in 11-on-11 work.

While Carman’s health could play a role in some of this, his technique issues and overall struggles during the preseason game while being the only starter on the field stuck out.

With coaches saying on Monday that they like the stability Volson has shown so far, there’s a clear path for him to really leave a mark this week and perhaps get out to a major lead in the battle.