Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack's NFL career stretches back to when the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the sixth round. His first game came in the 1990 preseason opener as the starting right guard against the Los Angeles Raiders' star-studded defensive line of Pro Bowl nose tackle Bob Golic, Pro Bowl end and tackle Lyle Alzado and Pro Football Hall of Fame end and tackle Howie Long.
"Holy crap," Pollack mused after Wednesday's walk-through on the new Paycor Stadium turf. "First game against that Raiders defensive line."
Pollack's rich football history gives some important context if first-round pick Amarius Mims gets the expected start at right tackle in his first preseason game Saturday (7 p.m.-Cincinnati's FOX 19) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor.
The experienced offensive line coach said Mims is as outstanding as any rookie tackle he's seen.
"He's right up there as far as size and movement skills. Top of the list," Pollack said. "I've never (seen) a guy that big who can bend, sync, and move as quickly and as fluid as he can."
Specifically, Pollack has noticed the Georgia product's notetaking and work habits.
"If we're in a meeting and I correct something that was new to him, he takes great notes," Pollack said. "He's taking pride in what he's doing. You put pen to paper, pencil to paper, it just wires to your brain to lock it in when you have to write it down.
"We're harping on guys to take notes and he comes in right away and you can tell that was part of what he did at Georgia. And we've got a room full of vets that I'm sure remind him."
One of those vets is 10-year right tackle Trent Brown, a 100-game man in the NFL and a key contributor to Tom Brady's last ring in New England. Brown, who is in competition with Mims for the Opening Day start, returned to practice this week and has yet to take part in team drills.
Polllack has no qualms about starting Mims in the opener if that's how it plays out.
"Still a long way to go. We're worried about getting through the first preseason game and we've got a nice big work schedule against other opponents," said Pollack of joint practices against the Bears and Colts before those two final preseason games. "We're not limiting (Mims). He's going to earn the job if he gets it."
_Brown and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., both 6-8 and massive like Mims, have reminded the rookie to play as big as his size.
"He's shown a couple of times where he can engulf a good, quality-sized D-End like some of the guys we've got," Pollack said. "He can clamp them down and engulf them on the play-action pass using his size.
"His size and mass and ability to move his feet playing with foot quickness, he's been able to do that."
_Pollack also has no qualms about Trent Brown being ready for the opener despite just returning to practice.
"He's played a lot of football and played at a high level for a long time," Pollack said. "It's just keeping tabs as far as the language is concerned and any adjustments he did one way that we do another way. Just language and adjustments."
_Pollack also knows how much it means for his guys to take some snaps in a preseason game with the quarterback. Since Pollack returned to the Bengals in 2021, quarterback Joe Burrow has never worked in the preseason opener and has only taken three preseason snaps with his offensive line in his career. Head coach Zac Taylor has indicated that's going to change Saturday, however.
"If that's what the head ball coach decides," Pollack said. "It's always good to have those guys working together. They've had good work in camp, but it's always a good thing to go against another opponent in a game atmosphere and game tempo."
_Before Wednesday's practice on the Kettering Health Practice Fields, the Bengals made some moves that show where they're headed in the punting competition and how they're nicked on the defensive line.
Cincinnati cut college free agent punter Austin McNamara and college free agent wide receiver Tre Mosley and signed a pair of young defensive linemen: Andre Carter II and Joshua Pryor.
Carter, a 6-5, 270-pound end out of Indiana University, is a college free agent waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the spring. Pryor, a 6-4, 280-pound second-year college free agent tackle out of Bowie State University, played seven games for the Washington Commanders as a rookie last season, when all his snaps came on special teams.
The signings come in response to putting defensive end-tackle Cam Sample (torn Achilles) on season-ending injured reserve, while rookie defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson was carted off the field Monday with a leg injury.
McNamara signed after the draft, but fellow CFA punter Ryan Rehkow signed at the dawn of camp and won the right to compete with incumbent Brad Robbins.
