To the outside observer at Cincinnati Bengals training camp, the right tackle battle between veteran Trent Brown and first-round pick Amarius Mims looks pretty close.
But not everything will be so cut and dry.
Take, for instance, the idea that the veteran Brown getting some preseason snaps matters at all.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor pushed back against such an idea recently.
“I’ve got enough game tape to know what type of player he is,” Taylor said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “If he doesn’t end up playing in a preseason game, that’s not the end of the world for me. It’s too early to say all that stuff.”
Translation: Brown getting in for a series or two during exhibitions won’t offer much in the way of a hint as to who might start at right tackle by Week 1.
As for Brown himself, he’s just focused on getting the little things in the offense down now that he’s finally activated.
“I’ve got to get some reps under my belt and work with the guys around me,” Brown said, per Hobson. “I’ve got a lot of reps under my belt already. It’ll be fine as long as I get the terminology down. Just like riding a horse or riding a bike.”
Mims has generated a ton of hype from teammates, coaches and fans for his performances with the first-team offense so far. But if it has provided him enough of a head start over a savvy veteran like Brown remains to be seen.
Given that the Bengals plan to play Joe Burrow and the starters in the first preseason game, even that lineup might not hint at the plans for Week 1, so it’s something to keep in mind about Mims vs. Brown despite the buzz it will generate.