Tag: Frank Pollack

Bengals LT Jonah Williams bulked up because of Frank Pollack

Frank Pollack has a plan for Jonah Williams.

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Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Jonah Williams is a bigger player this year after offensive line coach Frank Pollack suggested he put on weight.

It was a bit of a surprise to see an even bigger Williams to start Bengals training camp. Friday, he explained Pollack considers him a little undersized for left tackle and that 10ish pounds of mass would help him better combat pro rushers.

“I think that can help me in my game,” Williams said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “The combination of being bigger, being stronger, and still maintaining the same quickness. Then if I can put those things together with good technique, I think I can be a pretty good player.”

Williams says he now checks in around 315 pounds, up from 305 last year.

Based on the way Bengals offensive linemen have talked glowingly about Pollack’s return, it isn’t any surprise to hear Williams got a recommendation from him and is happy to make it happen.

It will be interesting to see if Pollack’s plan for Williams helps the left tackle not only become the player the franchise desperately needs on the left edge, but helps him stay healthy after only appearing in 10 games over his first two pro seasons.

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Frank Pollack throws out revealing quote about Bengals’ offensive line

The new Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach had quite the telling quote.

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The Cincinnati Bengals made a big change this offseason, swapping out Jim Turner for the returning Frank Pollack as offensive line coach.

While many stumped for the Bengals to draft a guy like Penei Sewell to fix the offensive line, Cincinnati hopes the simple change along the coaching staff has an even bigger impact.

And it could.

We’ve long slammed the table that Pollack should have never left when Zac Taylor took over in 2018 and equally slammed the table that Jim Turner was a bad hire at the time.

A recent comment by Pollack himself, unintentional or not, sort of lines up with this idea, via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“We’ve got a lot of good players still developing. I can’t wait to get them out on the grass and teaching guys different techniques that may be they haven’t been exposed to the last two years.”

The Bengals had multiple retirements along the offensive line when the Turner era began and it was clear the majority of the guys weren’t taking major steps in their careers. One of Pollack’s strengths, on the other hand, has been properly evaluating and developing talent. Heck, in 2018, Pollack even brought on new machines to practice with that the team had never used in the past.

So call it a new era again, even if it’s the Bengals admitting a mistake and going back to Pollack. He’ll get his hands on Jonah Williams, not to mention high-upside draft picks like D’Ante Smith. And even Pollack himself sounds like he expects the unit to be better right away.

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Bengals interviewed three coaches before reuniting with Frank Pollack

The Cincinnati Bengals looked at some interesting names in the hiring process.

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The Cincinnati Bengals had a quick, effective search for a new offensive line coach in the wake of Jim Turner leaving the team.

Cincinnati settled on Frank Pollack, the man who coached the line to quality results in 2018 before leaving when Zac Taylor’s staff came aboard in a shift for the franchise.

But the Bengals didn’t perform one interview and call it a day. According to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., the team interviewed three total names:

“Pollack was one of three offensive line coaches the Bengals interviewed his week, along with Hank Fraley, who worked with the Lions this season, and Phillip Rauscher, who is still under contract as the assistant offensive line coach with the Vikings.”

We knew about Hank Fraley, a former pro player with plenty of playing experience and good coaching results in Detroit recently.

Phillip Rauscher is an interesting name though, as he’s worked with coaches like Gary Kubiak in the past and was most recently a coach in Minnesota. Interestingly, he was also line coach for Washington recently, which means he had a connection with free-agent guard Brandon Scherff, one of this year’s top names set to hit the open market.

It seemed hard for the Bengals to ignore the allure of Pollack though, who probably should have never been permitted to leave town in the first place. And he’s already of a mind to make some additions to the line this offseason.

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Bengals’ Frank Pollack talks making additions to offensive line this offseason

The Cincinnati Bengals and Frank Pollack have a plan to fix the line.

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The Cincinnati Bengals admitted the problem that is the offensive line this week with the reveal that Jim Turner won’t be back as coach of the unit, re-hiring Frank Pollack in his place.

And Pollack appears to have some plans for fixing the issue.

Speaking after the Bengals announced the move, Pollack made it clear there are some things he wouldn’t mind doing to speed up the process, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“There’ll be some changes. Some things will be the same. You don’t want to have change for change sake. Those guys have a lot of good stuff already in our offense. I’m sure there’ll be a couple of things I’d like to maybe add. Working with Zac, if he feels good about it and think it’s the right direction for us, that’s what we’ll do. Whatever we can do to make our offense better, that’s what we’ll do.”

When it comes to additions, it would make sense if the team went out and spent big in free agency to shore up a guard or tackle spot. Big-name guards like Joe Thuney and Brandon Scherff come to mind.

Pollack also figures to lobby plenty for an offensive tackle like Penei Sewell with the fifth pick in the draft, though whether a prospect of his caliber falls that far is up for debate — that’s why someone like Mel Kiper Jr. wants to see the Bengals trade up from five.

Either way, it’s clear Pollack liked what he heard from the Bengals and vice versa and now they’ll forge ahead together, trying to fix the line in front of Joe Burrow.

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Bengals hire ex-Jets OL coach Frank Pollack

The Bengals have hired former Jets offensive line coach Frank Pollack to the same position.

A member of Adam Gase’s Jets staff has found a new job.

Frank Pollack, the Jets offensive line coach the last two seasons, was hired by the Cincinnati Bengals to the same position on Saturday. In addition to being Cincinnati’s offensive line coach, he will also be the run game coordinator.

Pollack served as the Jets’ offensive line coach for the last two seasons under Gase. Under Pollack’s direction, the Jets’ offensive line often looked porous.

In 2019, the Jets had the 31st ranked rushing attack, averaging just 78.6 yards per game on the ground. In pass protection, the Jets’ offensive line allowed 52 sacks, good for fourth-worst in the league.

This season the Jets offensive line played slightly better. The Jets improved in the running game, averaging 105.2 yards per game. New York’s rushing attacked ranked 23rd this year. In terms of sacks allowed, the Jets only gave up 43 sacks this season. They were 23rd in the league in that category.

Prior to joining the Jets in 2019, Pollack was Cincinnati’s offensive line coach in 2018. He’s also served as an offensive line coach for the Cowboys and Raiders.

4 right guards the Jets should avoid in free agency

The Jets need right guard support if they decide to cut Brian Winters. Here are four guards the Jets should avoid when replacing Winters.

The Jets have a decision to make a right guard this offseason.

The team needs to decide whether or not to retain Brian Winters, who has struggled to stay healthy over the past two seasons. By cutting Winters, the Jets would save over $7 million, which would enable Joe Douglas to find his replacement in free agency.

The market for right guards will start heating up with the position being very top-heavy. We at Jets Wire already listed four guards the Jets should target in free agency. Now, here are four guards the Jets should definitely avoid.

Ronald Leary

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The Broncos are not expected to bring back veteran right guard Ronald Leary on his current deal.

This is the last year on Leary’s contract and it comes with a team option. If the Broncos don’t pick up the option, he becomes a free agent and the team would create $8.5 million in cap space. Still, even with Leary on the market, the Jets shouldn’t be interested in bringing him in to replace Brian Winters, who appears to be an eventual cap casualty himself.

The connections that would lead Leary to New York are set in place. Leary’s former offensive line coach when he was with the Dallas Cowboys, Frank Pollack, is now in the same position on Adam Gase’s staff.

Leary’s stay in Denver was marred with injuries, though. In his first season in the Mile High City, Leary started 11 games at right guard before suffering a back injury and being placed on injured reserve. The following season, Leary was moved to left guard, where he started six games before suffering a torn Achilles. In 2019, Leary only played in 12 games with a concussion shortening his presumable last season in Denver.

With younger and more healthy options on the market, it would be a mistake for the Jets to target Leary as a reclamation project.

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Joe Mixon gave a game ball to former line coach Frank Pollack after win

The Bengals RB shared a special moment with a Jets coach.

Sunday was unorthodox in many ways for the Cincinanti Bengals.

The team won for the first time in almost a year. Andy Dalton, newly appointed as starter again, gave a game ball to new head coach Zac Taylor and vice versa.

And running back Joe Mixon sought out a New York Jets coach by the name of Frank Pollack to gift him a game ball too as a symbol of his appreciation for how the former Bengals line coach helped change his approach to the game.

Mixon gifted him the ball he scored a touchdown with during the win over the Jets.

“I thought it meant a lot to him,” Mixon said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I could see some tears in his eyes a little bit. I’ve definitely been planning that out.”

It’s no secret Mixon wasn’t a fan of the Bengals letting Pollack get away this past offseason. When Taylor arrived, he encouraged the move while bringing aboard Jim Turner.

If nothing else, this is a small, great note lost amid a bevy of feel-good vibes for a group of players and coaches that deserved to finally win. Count Mixon as a guy who doesn’t just up and forget those who helped him on his way to where he’s going.

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