Frank Pollack Praises Cordell Volson, Bengals Left Guard Competition Far From Over
CINCINNATI — Jackson Carman was the frontrunner in the left guard competition going into the preseason opener, but that quickly changed following his performance against the Cardinals.
Cordell Volson took all of the first team reps on Sunday and Monday. Carman is dealing with a little bit of an elbow issue, but the coaching staff wanted to give the rookie a chance to prove himself.
Carman's elbow issue wasn't the only reason they gave Volson a shot.
“A little bit of both. A little bit of both," Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack said. "We’re just evaluating everybody, still seeing who’s the guy who’s going to take that job.”
Carman missed Sunday's session, but worked with the second team offense on Monday. He had a sleeve on his right elbow.
Volson had an impressive debut against the Cardinals and has followed that up with two quality practices.
"He does a good job anchoring in pass protection. When he locks up on somebody, he's a strong guy, he's got great grip and they have a tough time getting around him," head coach Zac Taylor said. "It's a good competition, both guys have shown really well and we're just looking for the overall consistency for someone to grab ahold of that job and move on with it."
Volson might be a fourth-round rookie, but he's making quite an impression on Pollack and the rest of the coaching staff.
"He definitely has sh-- in his neck," Pollack said with a smile. "He's hard on himself. He's a rookie. He's growing. He's learning. It's a big step to go from a smaller school to the NFL. I lived it myself and he's a much better player, much farther along. This is a man's game; a man's league. He's done a nice job. He's a professional. He's shown he's got plenty ability and strength to match with these guys at this level. It's just about sharpening that sword and fine-tuning his skill sets."
Volson appears to have the lead, but he isn't the only guy battling Carman for the left guard job. Pollack said Trey Hill is also in the mix.
"He's (Hill) doing a lot of good things. He's another guy that's competing for that left guard spot," Pollack said. "He's been valuable for us at center. He's starting to get some more guard reps. He's done a nice job. He's grown a lot as a player. He's right there in the mix with everyone else at that left guard spot."
Watch Pollack's entire interview below and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
Make sure you bookmark All Bengals for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
You May Also Like:
Bengals Bites: Cordell Volson Pushing Jackson Carman For Left Guard Job
Jackson Carman Dealing With Elbow Issue
Bengals Bites: Burrow's Back as Left Guard Battle Heats Up
Joe Burrow Returns to Practice Following Appendectomy
A.J. Green Praises Bengals in Return to Cincinnati
Trent Taylor and Kendric Pryor Flash in Crowded Receiver Room
Winners and Losers From Bengals' Loss to Cardinals
Postgame Observations: OL Struggles, Bengals Fall to Cards in Preseason Opener
Bengals OL Preview: Free Agent Haul Changes Landscape For Offense
An In-Depth Look at the Future of the Bengals' Safeties
Tee Higgins Has Hilarious Reaction to La'el Collins Getting Cleared
Joe Burrow Making Progress in Recovery
Tee Higgins Impresses During 1-on-1s
Bengals Release First Unofficial Depth Chart of 2022
Bengals Unveil Uniform Schedule for 2022 Regular Season
Ja'Marr Chase Striving For More After Record-Setting Rookie Season
Joe Burrow Projected to Lead NFL in Key Stat
Andrew Whitworth Offers Up BIG Praise For Jonah Williams
Running Back Preview: Joe Mixon Leads Way in Talented Backfield
Zac Taylor Shares Update About Alex Cappa and La'el Collins
Joe Burrow Back at Paul Brown Stadium Following Surgery
Joe Mixon Steals Show, Evan McPherson Drills 65-Yarder at Back Together Saturday
Three Observations From Day One of Bengals' Training Camp
Bengals Add Offensive Assistant Coach For 2022 Season
-----
Be sure to keep it locked on All Bengals all the time!
Subscribe to the All Bengals YouTube channel
Follow AllBengals on Twitter: @AllBengals