Termine » dn’t add to through the draft

— Bobby Hart tops the Bengals‘ initial depth chart as the starting right tackle http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/rod-smith-jersey , but it’s more of a first draft than a final report.

No part of the team will be under closer scrutiny than the offensive line when Cincinnati hosts the Bears on Thursday.

The line became the offseason priority after the Bengals (7-9) finished last in the NFL on offense for the first time in franchise history. The line was the biggest problem, creating few holes for running backs and giving Andy Dalton little time to throw.

Two weeks of training camp started sorting it out, with Hart listed as a starter for the moment. That could change quickly with a bad performance, dropping someone to the second unit.

“There is not a ‘first’ offensive line,” coach Marvin Lewis said Tuesday.

Hart was the first move in changing the line. The Bengals signed him Feb. 14 as a free agent from the Giants, where he started 21 games at tackle over the past three seasons. He’s competing with Cedric Ogbuehi at the spot.

Ogbuehi was a first-round pick in 2015 when he was recovering from a torn ACL. He started 12 games in 2016 at right tackle and 13 last season at left tackle, but struggled at both spots. His competition with Hart at right tackle will come down to how they perform in the preseason games.

Hart’s experience helped him get the early edge.

“He’s got the experience and the chip on his shoulder,” Lewis said. “He’s a guy battling for a job, battling to be a starter. He’s still a very young player, a good athlete, a big man Quenton Nelson Jersey , still has development ahead of him. That was the attraction to Bobby.”

One of Cincinnati’s biggest moves in the offseason was trading first-round draft slots with Buffalo to obtain left tackle Cordy Glenn . He’s backed up by Jake Fisher, a second-round pick in 2015 who started seven games at right tackle last season before a heart condition required a procedure.

Left guard Clint Boling is the main holdover on the line, entering his eighth season — the past six as a starter. Trey Hopkins returns at right tackle, where he started the last 11 games last season.

The Bengals’ other big move to upgrade the line came in the draft. They took Ohio State center Billy Price in the first round and installed him as the starter. He had some problems with snaps early in camp.

“Billy still has to go out there and earn the job,” Lewis said. “We are giving him the first crack at it.”

The coaches would like to have the competition sort out so they can get their starters enough playing time together during the preseason.

“That area has to play as one,” said Duke Tobin, director of player personnel. “You can’t have five individuals up there. There’s still a lot of work to find out who that five are going to be and get them playing as one unit.”

DARK CLOUD OVERHEAD: A downpour 45 minutes into practice forced drenched players to head for cover at Paul Brown Stadium. Practice resumed about an hour later in a steady rain. The Bengals are the only northern NFL franchise without their own covered practice field.

NO BURFICT: Lewis said Vontaze Burfict won’t play Thursday. The linebacker wasn’t cleared to practice until Monday because of a hamstring problem. Burfict is suspended for the first four games of the season because he violated the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers.

WHAT ABOUT EIFERT?: Lewis declined to say whether tight end Tyler Eifert will play against the Bears. He was held out of the start of camp as he recovers from chronic back problems that limited him to two games last season.

In Brian Gaine’s first draft as the general manager of the Houston Texans, he wanted to add three things to the offensive and defensive side of the ball – speed, athleticism and explosiveness.

In doing that with his eight picks, Gaine also added competition to multiple positions on the Texans roster.

”The one thing I want people to understand is that we’re always going to be trying to add competition to the roster regardless of the position whenever it makes sense,” Gaine said. ”Any players we added to the roster this year through the draft we think has a chance to make the team.”

Gaine worked his way through the past two days http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/dion-sims-jersey , not making any draft day trades, and addressed his team’s needs.

Gaine admitted the opportunities to make trades were there and he did come close to making some moves.

”Always tempted,” Gaine said about making a trade. ”I’m always looking for an opportunity to improve the team. At every turn and every opportunity when we were selecting, I’m evaluating the pros and cons of going up to get a player or sitting tight or the opportunity to move back.”

Heading into the draft, the Texans’ deepest needs were on the offensive line, in the secondary and at tight end.

Gaine utilized four of his eight picks to bolster the secondary and the tight end spot.

In the third round, Gaine drafted University of Central Florida tight end Jordan Akins. Then in the sixth round, Gaine selected Mississippi State tight end Jordan Thomas.

”It’s important, especially in our offense at tight end because we have different roles and different jobs as it relates to the composition of the group, in terms of the Y and the F and how we use those guys,” Gaines said about adding depth to the tight end position.

”Ideally we want them to be fully dimensional Rigoberto Sanchez Jersey , but we like having versatile tight ends who can do different jobs.”

SECONDARY IS PRIMARY

Gaine bookended his first draft with a pair of picks to help the secondary.

With his first pick in the third round, Gaine took Stanford safety Justin Reid and with his final pick in the seventh round selected San Jose State cornerback Jermaine Kelly.

”We want to have a versatile secondary because of the variations of things we do in sub-package defense,” Gaine said.

ADDING TO O-LINE

Gaine filled the Texans’ need on the offensive line with Mississippi State tackle Martinas Rankin in the third round.

Gaine’s other three picks were spent on wide receiver and outside linebacker.

”With the additions we made in this draft on the offensive side we feel like we added more weapons to surround Deshaun Watson with,” Gaine said. ”We also did add offensive linemen through free agency and the draft.”

With his lone pick of the fourth round, Gaine scooped up Texas Tech wide receiver Keke Coutee with the 103rd overall pick.

Texans offensive and special teams assistant Wes Welker also played his college football at Texas Tech before playing 12 years in the NFL.

”We’ve been in contact a lot throughout this whole process,” Coutee said. ”He worked me out in my private workout, so just being able to work with him and him teaching me the game a little more and how to run routes is really good.”

GETTING DEFENSIVE

After the Coutee pick, two of the Texans’ final four picks were spent on outside linebackers.

Gaine drafted Wake Forest’s Duke Ejiofor with his 177th overall pick and Stanford’s Peter Kalambayi with the 214th overall pick.

Ejiofor finished his Wake Forest career with 128 tackles and 23 sacks. He also had 41 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and six pass deflections.

Ejiofor and Kalambayi join a defensive unit that includes J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus.

”This is a dream come true http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/taco-charlton-jersey ,” Ejiofor said. ”I’ve watched J.J. Watt, Clowney and Whitney Mercilus. This is crazy, I can’t believe I’m about to join them and learn so much from them.”

Ejiofor is recovering from right shoulder labrum surgery, but said he will be ready for training camp.

STLL NEED

The one area the Texans didn’t add to through the draft was at quarterback.

Houston has three quarterbacks on the roster in Watson, Brandon Weeden and Joe Webb III.

”We feel comfortable with the group we have at the moment,” Gaine said.

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