Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced what could be a new left side of the offensive line for Sunday's game (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) in Baltimore when he said right guard Alex Redmond is a candidate to start at left tackle if Andre Smith (ankle) can't go. He also said Billy Price gets the start at left guard in place of rookie Michael Jordan.
Price, the club's 2018 first-round pick, started for the injured Jordan Sept. 22 in Buffalo, but with Jordan looking to find his feet after his first four NFL starts, Taylor has turned to Price in against the NFL's No. 10 rush defense.
"It's not one person," said Taylor of the offensive struggles before Wednesday's practice. "We've got guard depth. We've always had a lot of confidence in (Price). We've got a lot of confidence in Mike Jordan. It's just something we wanted to look at this week. Billy has continued to earn an opportunity."
Smith, in a walking boot Wednesday after missing pretty much the last three quarters against Arizona, reiterated Wednesday he'll play. Putting Redmond into the mix at left tackle raised some eyebrows, since John Jerry appeared to play well for Smith. Redmond didn't work at left tackle in training camp before he missed the first four games because of an NFL suspension.
The 6-5, 320-pound Redmond, who returned to practice last week, started 15 games at right guard, but appeared to get his first work at tackle in two practices last week. He had 11 penalties last season, six of which were holding calls.
"What I like about Alex Redmond is that he's physical, he's dialed in," Taylor said. "He's spent a lot of extra time lately making sure he knows what his role is. He's done a good job getting reacquainted with our offense. He's up to the challenge."
- Bengals rookie running back Rodney Anderson had absolutely no thoughts of calling it a career after he tore the same ACL that cost him his final year at Oklahoma in the Bengals pre-season finale. Anderson has stayed in Cincinnati and on Thursday it's going to be three weeks since Bengals medical director Marc Galloway performed reconstructive right knee surgery.
It's the fourth season-ending injury he's suffered in the last five years.
"I wouldn't say it crossed my mind," said Anderson of not playing. "You get tired of rehabbing, but I want to play football. It's what I want to do. All I know is God's got a plan for me and I'm going to follow it."
Anderson said they gave him a nine-month window for his return and if goes like his last rehab he'll be ready for the third pre-season game. He said they're taking it a little slower than the last rehab, "to make sure the graft heals so it won't happen again." He said the angle might have been slightly different, but it was pretty much the same cut that caused the non-contact injury last year at Oklahoma.
"Right after I made the cut, I think I knew deep in my mind," Anderson said. "But I was thinking, 'Please just let it be something little like a sprain.' But when I got to the sideline and they did the test, at that point I knew."
- Safety Shawn Williams (general banged up) is day-to-day, but Taylor says he expects him to play in Baltimore. Andre Smith (ankle) and defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow (knee) are day-to-day but not as definitive in his mind. Taylor also classified wide receiver Alex Erickson (concussion) as day-to-day even though he's still in protocol.
