Things haven’t been off to a great start for the offensive line at Cincinnati Bengals training camp.
Some of that is the typical “defense starting faster than offense” theme of most camps. And it certainly doesn’t help that left guard is an open competition, right guard Alex Cappa has been slowly coming back from an injury and right tackle La’el Collins has yet to take a snap, either.
But new arrival Ted Karras is the exception.
While the line as a whole has struggled as expected against an elite defensive front, Karras has been a bright spot at center.
The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith captured one such moment:
Bengals center Ted Karras just made an incredible block, recognizing the edge rusher coming from the side, dropping back and burying him with a block to the ground.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) August 5, 2022
“He loves ball and it shows,” offensive line coach Frank Pollack said, according to Dan Hoard. “He has enthusiasm for the mundane tasks and takes pleasure in all of it.”
The nice thing in this scenario about having Karras as a tone-setter isn’t just his outright impact — it’s the fact the line around him should only get better as guys get healthier. And his presence should help make the left guard battle featuring Jackson Carman and Cordell Volson more manageable, too.
Written another way, it’s exactly why the Bengals were all over him early in free agency.
