HEAD COACH MARVIN LEWIS AND OFFENSIVE LINE COACH PAUL ALEXANDERInitial comments:ML: "Clint Boling has been a guy who has had a lot of versatility there at Georgia. I really feel like his strengths coming here give us a guy who will compete on the interior of the offensive line. There at Georgia, he played both the guard and tackle positions, so he has shown versatility there. He's a big man, he's got some strength, and he really is a competitor. I feel he'll come to Cincinnati and both add some depth and have the chance to compete on the interior of the line. He was in Mobile (for the Senior Bowl) on the other team (the South), so we got some exposure to him personally down there as well."
Did you guys peg Boling as the guy you wanted before the day began?ML: "He was in one of the group of guys that we had been talking about. We wanted to try to address some spots there. I think he's a good, young prospect, and he has played a lot of football there at Georgia. Now, it's just about coming here and being able to take it and transition to the next level."
He played several different positions on the line during college. Where do you envision him playing here?ML: "Probably at guard. That's where we would start him out."
How much of him did you guys get to see of him during the Senior Bowl?PA: "He was on the other team, so we didn't get to see the practices much because we were meeting while they were practicing. But we got to interview and meet him and we had lunch in the same room, so you got to see what kind of kid he is. He's a high-quality kid — very smart, competitive, and a leader. He has all the intangibles you're looking for. We think he's a solid person."
A.J. Green said last night that he couldn't believe Boling was still available after the end of the third round. Were you as surprised? Did he go around the spot you thought he would go?PA: "I think he went about the range we thought he'd go."
ML: "Yeah, this is probably about where we thought he'd go — fourth or fifth round, depending on the other guys and who was left at other spots."
CLINT BOLINGBoth you and A.J. Green are coming as rookies to Cincinnati by way of Georgia:CB: "Yeah, and there are a couple other guys from Georgia up there, too. Dennis Roland, Geno Atkins, and A.J. just got drafted, so we've got a couple of guys up there. I'm just really excited to be a Bengal."
USC and Texas have been the school that have dominated the Cincinnati roster over the last few years, but now Georgia seems to be rivaling those two schools:CB: "Yeah. It's definitely exciting. There are a lot of Georgia guys there now, which is good. I'm just really excited right now."
You played a lot of different positions at Georgia. Where do you prefer playing? What position do you feel is your strength?CB: "I moved around a lot. I played left tackle, right tackle and right guard. As long as I can get on the field, whether it's at tackle or guard, I just really want to get the opportunity to play."
What was the toughest part of switching positions so much?CB: "At first it got a little confusing just moving from the left to right side, having to flip the plays in your head and the with the numbers. But after a little while you get used to it, and I feel like I did a good job understanding the playbook and moving around."
Most of the reasons you moved so much was because of injuries to other players, correct?CB: "Yeah. I got brought into a couple of different situations just because injuries, so that definitely tough. Last year, I think our coach was trying to keep guys fresh. I was used as a swing guy to move around."
What's the biggest adjustment for you when moving from tackle to guard?CB: "It's a lot different when you're playing tackle and working in space a little bit more. You're a little more on an island. With guard you're a little more inside and compact. There's some differences and similarities."
What are some of your strengths and weaknesses? Where do you think he can make an impact?CB: "Some of my strengths are versatility — I feel like I'm a really smart football player — and I like to play hard and finish blocks. One of the things I can work on is probably just becoming more explosive."
