Frank Pollack – Syndication Server

Bengals’ Frank Pollack confident Jonah Williams can learn right tackle

The Bengals aren’t worried about the position change for Frank Pollack.

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What’s interesting about the conversation around the Cincinnati Bengals moving Jonah Williams to right tackle is that nobody has ever really seemed to doubt his ability to make it work.

Yes, Williams and his reps put in a quick trade request after the team signed Orlando Brown Jr. and made it clear he would move.

But offensive line coach Frank Pollack said this week what the organization has said all along — there’s little worry that Williams will have problems on the right side.

“He’s a very good athlete and he’s smart. He’s already been working on stuff where he is now in California,” Pollack said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “He’s kind of been focusing on his rehab and getting strong all the way back from an explosive standpoint. From what I’ve been hearing it’s coming along great.”

As of now, the Bengals plan to start Williams on that right side while Jackson Carman and Cody Ford also get to compete for it this summer.

La’el Collins is technically the starter there, though, and he just looked really good in a practice video as he continues to aim for a Week 1 return.

No matter who ends up starting there, the Bengals sound confident the summer battle will produce the best man for the job.

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Frank Pollack confirms Alex Cappa would have played in Super Bowl

Frank Pollack confirms the Alex Cappa-Super Bowl idea.

Cincinnati Bengals fans already knew right guard Alex Cappa might have been able to return from injury had the team advanced to the Super Bowl.

Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack has now confirmed that idea while chatting with reporters at the scouting combine, saying Cappa was “hellbent” on getting out there.

“He was gonna be back if we made it to the final game,” Pollack said, according to CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia. “He might have been a little limited that week in practice, but he was going to be out there.”

Pollack also heaped praise on Cappa, who he says was playing at a Pro Bowl level before the injury.

As an aside, Pollack also said left tackle Jonah Williams would have also potentially been available for the Super Bowl. Notably, Williams also recently came up in a discussion with another Bengals coach who confirmed they won’t make him move positions next year, his final season under contract.

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Frank Pollack explains the slow start for La’el Collins

More fun — and important — comments from Frank Pollack.

New Cincinnati Bengals right tackle La’el Collins got off to a slow start this season despite big-time hype over his arrival.

Granted, that slow start wasn’t much of a shock after Collins missed the majority of training camp while battling a back issue. And it’s one issue he continues to fight this season while — at a minimum — getting rest days on Wednesday.

Naturally, Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack mused along similar lines on Thursday when asked about Collins’ play so far.

“Really, it’s just him getting his camp legs out of him and now he’s getting his season legs,” Pollack said, according to Mike Petraglia of CLNS Media. “He missed all of training camp. You can’t do that. I don’t care who you are. I don’t want to knock other sports but man, football you put pads on and you’ve got grown-ass men running into you. That takes getting your body calloused and keeping your feet and moving your feet…

“…And so, I think his feet, he’s just getting more comfortable and having his feet underneath him with all the contact. And he’s just getting his hands (in position). He punched way better this last game with independent punching and when he does that, they’re devastating. He’s just got to continue to progress and keep his feet at the top of the rush, and that’s what he’s been doing every week. He’s been getting better in that regard.”

Collins played by far his best game of the season last weekend during the win over the Saints while shutting out the likes of elite defenders such as Cam Jordan.

Quietly, the entire offensive line has been mostly very good in pass protection so far this year, with the running game lagging behind.

But Collins is key in both areas and as he or Pollack will tell onlookers, this upswing was only a matter of time and should continue, health provided.

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Bengals’ Frank Pollack scouted waiver claim Max Scharping while with Jets

Frank Pollack was more than familiar with the team’s waiver wire claim.

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The Cincinnati Bengals added offensive lineman Max Scharping as one of three claims on the waiver wire right after meeting the NFL’s 53-man cutdown deadline.

And it wasn’t a claim in the dark by any means.

In fact, Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack and assistant line coach Derek Frazier scouted Scharping out of college while members of the New York Jets, with the latter even attending his pro day in person.

So yes, the line coaches like the new arrival and clearly had input.

“We liked his work ethic. He’s smart,” Pollack said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “He plays squarely and has stoutness in his movements and obviously he has a lot of tape in the league playing games. It’s nice to get another vet in the mix.” …

At least for now, rookie Cordell Volson has won the starting left guard job over second-round product Jackson Carman. But Scharping comes over as a veteran the coaches like and he’s safely considered immediate depth should the team need him.

For what it’s worth, while Pollack might be thrilled, the Texans certainly didn’t sound happy about losing Scharping.

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Bengals’ Frank Pollack dropped another epic quote after drafting Cordell Volson

Another one in the “glass-eater” range from Frank Pollack.

The hits just keep coming from Cincinnati Bengals offenisve line coach Frank Pollack.

And no, we’re not referring to his wins along the offensive line in free agency this year.

Rather, we’re talking about his epic quotes. Not too long ago, he dropped that amazing “glass-eaters” quote when talking about what he looks for in his offensive linemen.

Saturday, after the Bengals took North Dakota State offensive lineman Cordell Volson in the fourth round, he dropped another quote-nugget on everyone by saying he wants guys who have some “s*** in their neck.”

Sounds painful, but it’s apparently a good thing.

Pollack explained, as captured by ESPN’s Ben Baby:

“You gotta have a little something in your neck to give them a little shove at the end of the block, not let them give you the shove, you know? …No one gives a s—. It doesn’t matter. You’re playing against grown-ass men. You’re trying to take their job. These guys are married with kids. They don’t care if you’re some hotshot 22-year-old.”

Which is Pollack’s way of saying they really like Volson. We liked the pick when breaking it down too, though aren’t nearly as creative as one of NFL’s most respected trench coaches.

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Bengals turning to a former Tiger?

Heading into his second NFL season, a former Clemson standout is in the mix for a starting spot on the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line. Jackson Carman experienced his share of struggles as a rookie last season after being selected by the Bengals …

Heading into his second NFL season, a former Clemson standout is in the mix for a starting spot on the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line.

Jackson Carman experienced his share of struggles as a rookie last season after being selected by the Bengals in the second round (46th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.

After being named a second-team All-American by CBS Sports and a second-team All-ACC honoree as a junior at Clemson in 2020, Carman dealt with a lot after declaring for the NFL Draft and being taken by the Bengals — he was recovering from back surgery, got moved from left tackle to right guard and fought to find his right playing weight, according to Bengals.com.

Overall, Carman received a 56.3 grade from Pro Football Focus as a rookie and lost his starting right guard job two times. However, based on recent comments from Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack, Carman appears to be making progress this offseason as he tries to take the next step in his development going into the 2022 season.

“He’s invested in himself on his approach this offseason,” Pollack said, via Bengals.com‘s Geoff Hobson. “I was proud of some of the choices he’s making to better himself as a professional in that area.”

Quinton Spain was the Bengals’ starting left guard last year, but he is now a free agent and it remains to be seen whether Cincinnati will re-sign him.

So, could the Bengals turn to Carman as their starting left guard next season? According to Pollack, he “is definitely a guy competing for that spot.”

“The good news is I’ve got some time before the first game,” Pollack said of his lineup. “I think there are still a lot of things in motion. It’s kind of hard to say. You have to be flexible. Jackson is definitely a guy competing for that spot. No question about it. His learning curve and growth he showed last year definitely puts him in position to be guy that’s going to compete for it.”

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Frank Pollack offers revealing comment on idea of moving Jonah Williams

Could the Bengals move Jonah Williams around?

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It sounds like the Cincinnati Bengals could lean into the trade market and even spend big on one of free agency’s biggest names in an effort to fix the offensive line in front of Joe Burrow.

And it sounds like moving Jonah Williams could be on the table, too.

The idea of moving the former first-round pick out of his spot at left tackle has been a controversial one for a few years now. Even in the past, coaches have said it’s mostly a non-starter — they drafted him that high to put him at a premium spot.

But offensive line coach Frank Pollack kept an open mind when asked about the subject at the scouting combine, per Geoff Hobson of the team’s website.

“I don’t think anything is crazy talk,” Pollack said. “You should always look to improve on wherever those discussions take you to think outside of the box to do stuff like that. Not at all (crazy).”

The team likely wouldn’t be able to move Williams to center given the degree of difficulty in making that sort of change. But kicking him inside to guard isn’t all that unrealistic if the team can get over the draft-value conversation, as guards aren’t usually borderline top 10 picks. He might be more productive there, too.

Either way, the discussion of moving Williams implies getting a better player at left tackle. He’s pretty good, and one of the only notable upgrades out there would be doing something blockbuster-ish like trading for a Laremy Tunsil or Terron Armstead in free agency.

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Bengals’ Frank Pollack wants ‘glass eaters’ on his offensive line

That’s one way to fix an offensive line.

We know the Cincinnati Bengals will do whatever it takes to fix the offensive line in front of Joe Burrow this offseason, with Duke Tobin even saying trades could be on the table.

So what kind of player might line coach Frank Pollack and others be looking for?

Glass eaters, of course.

Speaking with the media at the scouting combine on Wednesday, Pollack dropped what will probably go down as the quote of the entire combine by suggesting he’s looking for those types of players.

ESPN’s Jeff Legwold and Jeremy Willis explained this footballism a few years ago:

A bad dude. The rest of us might just be avocado toast eaters, or avocado ice cream eaters in Tom Brady’s case, but these guys literally eat glass to get ready for NFL games and that makes them extra, extra tough. Usually reserved for offensive linemen.

See also: plays with a mean streak

The moment, courtesy of ESPN’s Ben Baby:

Bengals OL coach Frank Pollack with a peak quote. Said the offensive line can always use a ton of “glass eaters.” pic.twitter.com/pXC1riD9HO

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) March 2, 2022

We’ll have to wait which prospects (or free agents), if any, get this sort of descriptor put on their scouting reports. But with Pollack on the hunt for major upgrades, this could make for some pretty interesting prospect interview stories.

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Bengals credit Frank Pollack with more physical mindset in running game

Bengals players on both sides of the ball sense a big change this summer.

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Recently, a Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman had big praise for returning line coach Frank Pollack.

And for good reason — players say the attitude and teaching has received an overhaul with Pollack’s return. Players on both sides of the ball, too, say things are so much more physical in the running game.

Take star running back Joe Mixon’s comments on the new-feeling mindset, for example, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“The line was getting push, the tight ends were blocking, getting physical. Just finishing the play. A thousand percent. With Frank, the mindset is you basically have to bully whoever is on the defense. I love everything about that. That mentality, our approach has changed and we as backs do whatever we can to match that intensity.”

How does the defense feel about the change? Comments from veteran defensive tackle Mike Daniels say it all.

“Coach Pollack has definitely instituted a more physical minded run game. Absolutely,” Daniels said.

The Bengals have already made it clear Mixon will have a bigger role than ever if he’s healthy thanks to his newfound prowess as a pass-blocker. But it’s easy to think he’ll at least match his stellar recent season under Pollack, too.

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Another Bengals OL has big, telling praise for Frank Pollack

More praise for a change the Bengals made this offseason.

It isn’t a day around the Cincinnati Bengals without seemingly hearing some praise for offensive line coach Frank Pollack.

Offensive tackle Fred Johnson led the team in this regard after a recent practice, explaining to onlookers some things that have changed or been emphasized under Pollack.

From Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“Technique, for sure. Technique has to be to a tee what Pollack wants. You try to do everything correct the first time. I say, ‘You do it right, you do it light. You do it wrong, you do it long.’

“Just the way the offensive line unit moves throughout the building, on the field, outside of the building, guys coming together to be a unit that is all together and not individuals. That just translates to on the field; you’ve got to play nasty, you’ve got to play with an attitude, you’ve got to have a certain swagger about you and that’s just what comes along with it.”

Johnson is just getting back in the mix and healthy as he looks to be the primary backup tackle again. But he’s far from the first player this summer to note the dramatically different — and positive — approach to the offensive line with Pollack back in command.

While the interior starters remain a big question mark, it’s clear from Johnson’s comments that the majority of the players in the unit feel like they’re in a great position to succeed this summer.

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