MVN - Most Valuable Network

Earning Their Stripes: C Eric Ghiaciuc

While the off-season storylines have focused on WR Chad Johnson and to a lesser degree the comebacks attempts of Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry, the key to the Bengals offensive improvement may be the play of C Eric Ghiaciuc.  A 4th year C out of Central Michigan, Ghiaciuc has struggled in his two years in the middle of the Bengals offensive line.  At mini-camp a stir was caused when G Bobbie Williams took snaps at center.  Rumors quickly started that Williams could move over to make room for franchise G/T Stacy Andrews.   The coaches were quick to squelch the rumors stating Williams was the team’s emergency center.   While the move is intriquing it would probably be a stretch for Williams as the move from guard to center is not an easy one.    In addition, backup centers Dan Santucci and Kyle Cook have been slow to pick up the position as well meaning the team will likely sink or swim with Ghiaciuc.

It can take years to learn the center position and entering his third season as the starter, Ghiaciuc will face his stiffest test.  Division rival Cleveland added Big Shaun Rogers to fill out a strong DT contingent in the AFC North.  Out of division opponents will include Amobi Okoye (Hou), Albert Haynesworth (Ten), John Henderson (Jax), Mike Patterson (Phi) and even some Justin Tuck (NYGiants).   When you watched Ghiaciuc play last season, he was often pushed into his own backfield.  This inside push made for tough sledding between the tackles, esp. for an interior rusher like Rudi Johnson.  Ghiaciuc held up better in pass protection but he still need lots of help and the pocket collapsed taking away Carson’s ability to step up. 

Despite his struggles Ghiaciuc is far from a lost cause, centers often take years to develop due to the mental and physical demands of the position.  A good off-season in the weight room could pay huge dividends as well.  It is important for Ghiaciuc to take these next steps because improving the ground game and rediscovering offensive balance is one of the keys to the Bengals season.  While this improvement is a team effort, Ghiaciuc’s play will go a long way in determining the units success.  It is time for him to earn his stripes.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 at 6:58 pm and is filed under Bengal News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.