Bengals cut Kirk Barton; now offensive line is in really bad shape

by Josh Kirkendall on Apr 23, 2009 2:21 PM EDT in Analysis

On Thursday, the Bengals waived offensive lineman Kirk Barton. Joe Reedy calls him a guard. Chick Ludwig calls him a center. How does that shake up the roster, fully aware that cutting Barton hardly is "shaking up the roster". Right now, the Bengals have 12 offensive linemen; three centers, three tackles, three guards and three "tweeners".

Tackle	Guard	Center	Tweener
Levi Jones	Andrew Whitworth	Dan Santucci	Bobbie Williams - G/C
Anthony Collins	Nate Livings	Kyle Cook	Scott Kooistra - G/T
Dennis Roland	Evan Mathis	Andrew Crummey	Digger Bujnoch - C/G

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If you want a replacement...

PFT reports today that the Eagles are shopping Shawn Andrews…

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL @ Stacy!

by BeerRun on Apr 23, 2009 2:36 PM EDT reply actions

Mike Brown scores another point for being a visionary

If I spoke serious, press 1. If I spoke with sarcasm, press 2.

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Josh Kirkendall on Apr 23, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

How ’bout Levi and Chad for Shawn and Sheldon Brown or Leto Shepherd?

by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 23, 2009 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions

RE:

To be honest, I don’t see it. Looks great though.

I’m just not sure how much we can get for Levi and we’ve heard that Chad isn’t really that much in demand — especially w/ Boldin and Edwards on the trading block and Burress in FA. Plus the Eagles just traded for Jason Peters and signed Stacy to a long-term big-money deal.

What about Chad for Shepherd, straight up?

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Josh Kirkendall on Apr 23, 2009 8:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Andre Smith #6 pick to the Cincinnati Bengals...

This maybe will give Bengal fans a sigh of relief knowing they are making room for the addition of one of those stud OL coming out. I know Andre Smith is getting a bad rap right now for his offseason garbage but the more I watch tape of this guy. HOLY COW! I think Cedric Benson would highly demand someone of Andre’s caliber to open up a freakishly large hole for him to run through.

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by cincysportsfanatix.com on Apr 23, 2009 3:42 PM EDT reply actions

Id imagine the hole A. Smith would create for Benson, would be about the same size as the hole he came out of… Just think about it..

by 80%OFTHETIMEIMRIGHTEVERYTIME on Apr 23, 2009 5:00 PM EDT reply actions

WTF?!

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Josh Kirkendall on Apr 23, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Seeing this list of names on paper is a total bummer. This could be the weakest line in NFL history or, at least, the most unproven. It underscores need to draft a stud O-lineman. Anything else and the Bengals won’t win six games next year.

by Mike Boyd on Apr 23, 2009 5:03 PM EDT reply actions

"Seeing this list of names on paper is a total bummer"

That’s only because Eric Ghiaciuc is no longer on it. :-)

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Josh Kirkendall on Apr 23, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Didn’t Crummey play some guard last year late- and do pretty well at it?

Let’s see Bobbie, Whit, Collins as starters. Crummey and Livings are both serviceable backups, maybe Levi also- at least from an experience standpoint. All these years later, I still don’t know what to make of Kooistra. What I see is we’re a starting tackle- probably right side, and a center away. We get an Andre Smith and one of the top four centers to compete with Santucci and Cook, pick up a guard like Louis Vasquez- who’s more of an earthmover, later along with a tackle like Garrett Reynolds from Carolina, Lydon Murtha from Nebraska, or even Alex Boone in the later rounds? Who knows. If I were Carson, I’d have a loaded 357 aimed at Mike’s head every time our turn came around.

by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 23, 2009 7:11 PM EDT reply actions

"What I see is we’re a starting tackle- probably right side, and a center away"

I agree. Do that and we can push a need for guard once Bobbie Williams’ contract expires — which will open the door for Livings, who I think is could start, but still must make strides for improvement.

We could do it though. It’s not like rebuilding this line is a multi-year project. We have holes that can be filled this year.

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Josh Kirkendall on Apr 23, 2009 8:52 PM EDT reply actions