Is It Getting Late Early For Bengals Offensive Lineman Jackson Carman?

CINCINNATI – Jackson Carman said all the right things Tuesday when he spoke to reporters for the first time since Super Bowl LVI and the first time since a story about ugly sexual allegations arose during his time at Clemson.

Carman made himself available to discuss what he believes is his best chance to prove the Bengals right for choosing him with their second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

In his rookie year, Carman started six of 17 regular season games and had his biggest impact in the AFC Championship, when he played in 35 of 69 offensive snaps at Kansas City. But his back acted up late in the season and impacted him in the Super Bowl, limiting him to just four special teams snaps and none on offense against the Rams.

Carman said he is looking forward to the competition with rookie Cordell Volson, Hakeem Adeniji and the three undrafted free agents that have been brought in to fight for jobs.

Carman just turned 22 on Jan. 22 and yet it feels like this is already his last chance to convince the Bengals that they can depend on him.

Understand this much, Carman is not concerned with public perception at this point. He can only change that through the way he handles his business in his second year. If he shows a dedication to his craft and his body that indicate he is serious about helping protect Joe Burrow, then, and only then, will the second part of that change.

From now until the season begins, Carman must take advantage of every rep he gets with the first unit, which is where the Bengals have placed him to start offseason practices.

Carman is on the front line with left tackle Jonah Williams, center Ted Karras, right guard Alex Cappa and right tackle La’el Collins.

Until the Bengals put the pads on in training camp in late July and play preseason games in August, there’s not much to take away from air drills in shorts. One thing Carman can do is show he’s committed to training the right way, and that starts with the right diet and training.

Carman said Tuesday that he weighs in right now at 323 pounds, right where the coaching staff wants the 6-foot-5 lineman.

“It was a combination of everything: diet, nutrition, exercise, mobility, all those things,” Carman said of his offseason regiment. “The diet hasn’t really been that hard at all. I really enjoy food. I’m kind of a foodie, so it’s been kind of a good process for me.”

Carman is a self-professed cook, someone who admittedly enjoys making meals for himself.

“One thing I’ve really been enjoying making is a cauliflower pizza. Low carbs, but still tastes the same,” Carman said of the pies, which he adorns with spinach, plant-based sausage, and low-fat mozzarella.

Eating the right way and addressing the media are sincerely good steps on the path. But it’s a path that Carman must prove to the coaching staff he can stay steadfastly on. That was the biggest issue in his rookie year, where inconsistent effort and performance combined with a lack of conditioning and a nagging back severely impeded his growth.

“Coming in, I wouldn’t say 100 percent, but I’m definitely light years beyond where I was at the end of the season,” Carman said Tuesday.

The coaching staff, even in the middle of a playoff run, wanted to give Carman as many chances as they could for Carman to prove his value to the organization. Those chances won’t be nearly numerous or willing in his sophomore year in the NFL.

Does Carman feel more mature and ready to play this year?

“Definitely,” Carman told me. “I think that year of experience really helped me. I didn’t really have any set expectations, but I obviously expected it to be difficult.

“It’s top of the world competition so wherever you’re competing top of the world it’s going to be difficult.”

Carman has shown a bit more mobility and agility so far in the shirts and shorts part of offseason, getting out and blocking on the edge. He looks a step quicker to the naked eye.

But perhaps the biggest thing Carman must adjust to in Year 2 is expectations. His expectations have to rise exponentially just like the team’s has after a run that ended 85 seconds from a Super Bowl victory.

To that end, Alex Cappa, Ted Karras and La’el Collins have been brought in to overhaul the offensive line and raise its collective performance in protecting Burrow.

“Alex and Ted and La’el are all guys that have been through a lot of adversity and had a lot of challenges throughout their careers,” Carman said. “And they all overcame those things and they’ve all done great things, Super Bowls, top of the league.

“So, just being able to learn for those guys, just even the things that they don’t necessarily tell you, just like how they walk around and being able to learn the little things like how they take care of their bodies, how they study, how they do all those things are really good to be able to learn.”

And the biggest lesson they’ve taught Carman about adversity?

“Just like pushing through, just having a really good sense of self and self-awareness, and also being able to rely and lean on your brothers and stuff like that,” Carman said.

After his rookie year filled with trial-by-fire moments, his biggest hurdle came on April 28 this year, in the hours before the 2022 draft, and two days before the Bengals used their only offensive draft pick on Cordell Volson, an offensive lineman out of North Dakota State that figures to challenge him this summer for the left guard spot.

That’s when the story from Defector.com broke about sexual assault allegations against the second-year NFL lineman.

On Tuesday, Carman did not address the story that broke in April from Defector.com about his alleged sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl when he was a 17-year-old offensive lineman and Clemson. No charges were filed in the alleged incident and the Bengals have not made any public statement acknowledging the story or police report on the matter.

“I learned a lot, a tremendous amount,” added Carman. “Anything from off-field stuff and how to be a professional to being on the field learning techniques and just learning more socially, interacting with my teammates, my coaches. I learned a lot.”

Offensive line coach Frank Pollack has spoken often this offseason about the need for “glass-eaters” in his group. Guys that will show not only physical toughness but mental fortitude in preparing for every game and every snap.

That’s where Carman needs to prove he’s really grown up. Maybe that’s a lot to expect from a kid who still just 22 but that’s the deal Carman finds himself in with the Bengals. Prove to us that you’re still that talent we saw at Clemson. Quiet your numerous doubters by showing up every day, ready to take on your job.

Read what you will into the fact that Carman is still on the roster after everything that’s taken place with the kid from Fairfield High. The Bengals could have cut bait with Carman but, as often has been the case with Mike Brown, they have chosen to put the most faith in the work they put in on the player himself.

They are clearly giving Carman this one final opportunity.

For the time being, Carman has the chance to show on the field that he has learned how to handle his business and justify the faith the Bengals have placed in him.

Core Issues:

Alex Cappa, signed during free agency for four years and $35 million ($11 million guaranteed) to be the starting right guard, has been sidelined by what coach Zac Taylor said Tuesday was core muscle issue and will likely be unavailable for the next couple of weeks as he gets it treated.

“He’s getting evaluated for a core muscle deal,” Taylor said after Tuesday practice. “It’ll keep him out a couple of weeks but nothing of real concern.”

Taylor said Cappa was not on the field Monday or Tuesday. Taking Cappa’s spot at right guard was Hakeem Adeniji took his place at right guard with the first unit of Jonah Williams, Carman, Ted Karras and La’el Collins.

On schedule:

Taylor said he is hopeful that receiver Tee Higgins (shoulder), Logan Wilson (shoulder) and Joseph Ossai (knee) will be ready to fully participate in training camp in late July.

“Yeah, I think that’s the timeline we’re expecting,” Taylor said Tuesday. “You don’t want to make a prediction on May 24 but I think there’s a possibility that works out for them.”

Friendly fire:

Taylor confirmed Tuesday that the Bengals and Rams will not only have a Super Bowl rematch that will be nationally televised (Aug. 27 6 p.m. ET) at Paul Brown Stadium, the two head coaches and good friends will hold joint practices in the days leading up to that contest.

“I think we’re at a good point here where the guys are comfortable in their systems so it’s going to be a great opportunity. We have a normal training camp finally, to get some work against another opponent. As we get going moving forward, (we’re) playing our starters less and less in the actual (preseason) games.

“So, I think these joint practices allow us to control the practice, manufacture some situations you can’t always manufacture in games, get good work against a really good opponent that we’ve obviously got a lot of familiarity with and the coaching staff. So, to manage the practice, we feel really good about that and is a really good opportunity for our guys.”

Taylor’s familiarity with Sean McVay – and vice versa – plays an obvious role in the comfort level in the two teams working against each other. Taylor served as McVay’s quarterback coach in 2018 when the two were together on the Rams team that lost to the Patriots, 13-3, in Super Bowl LIII.

“Every time I’ve ever done it, the head coaches have always had good relationships, were able to manage the teams, go about it the right way,” Taylor said. “We know what we’re going to get from them from a practice structure-wise, they know how ours is. So, it’s not different philosophies. I think it’ll be good for both clubs.”