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Clint Boling, the most experienced and versatile offensive lineman in the Bengals with a majority of his 109 starts at the left guard, announced his retirement on Monday at 30 after being sidelined throughout the weekend. spring because of a blood clot.
After meeting various specialists following the discovery of the clot in January, Boling felt like he had made the difficult decision, but the only decision he could make for his wife and his two daughters aged 20 and five months.
"There were discussions about the risks associated with playing again," said Boling. "In the end, I was unable to understand the situation with my family and two children. There is no doubt in my mind if I am 22, 23 years old without a wife, without children and it is just me who plays football, I take a different decision. But at this stage of my life, I have more important things to do than me. "
Boling, accompanied by his wife Kelly, returned to Paul Brown Stadium Monday morning to meet with Bengal President Mike Brown before the announcement of the end of the career of one of the building blocks of the Bengals' restart. in 2011, which ended in five consecutive games after the season. appearances. After taking AJ Green and Andy Dalton in the first and second rounds respectively of this draft, they chose Green's team mate for Georgia in the fourth round of Boling's 49-goal run in Athens, which included at least 11 games in three. different positions on the line.
Along with Green and Dalton, Boling started his first game in Cleveland, as well as the next two, in the right guard before veteran Bobbie Williams returned to training and left for left guard at of the first seven players since and three times. out of games as one of their most stable and intelligent players. With the line beaten over the past two seasons, Boling has been the left tackle for the last two games of 2017 and 2018, and has held up well in the last season of season 19 when he held Terrell Suggs to Ravens Dalton's foundry spot converted a fourth and 12-point 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyler Boyd 44 seconds from the end of the match.
This is one of those pieces that, hopefully, define his career.
"A guy who came and did his job every day," said Boling. "Do what you had to do to win. No additional motivation needed. Do everything I can to try to win a game. Just do my job and manage my stuff every day. "
Boling's retirement continues a two-year upheaval that began when he was the only starter to come back for the opening day of last season. This decision comes less than a month after the departure of rookie Jonah Williams, victim of a labrum torn at the end of the season. With Boling out of action, the Bengals replaced Cordy Glenn, the left goaltender, next to Williams, but he is back to the left tackle and the left-hand scrum has gone down several notches.
With Alex Redmond suspended by the NFL for the first four games, the Bengals have several options, but never tried. After Williams bowed in practice and Glenn returned to the left tackler, Christian Westerman, a fourth-year substitute with two starts, was called to the left guard of the mandatory minicamp. John Jerry did the same, a nine-year veteran who did not join a team last season who signed hours before the minicamp. Jerry made 32 starts at the right guard position for coach of the Bengals offensive line, Jim Turner, in 2012-13, while they were both with the Dolphins.
Also in the running, Trey Hopkins, a fourth-year substitute, played at least one game in the three indoor posts last season. Two of his 21 starts were at the left guard. Michael Jordan, the rookie of the state of Ohio, will be the youngest player of the Bengals.
Without Boling and Williams, the Bengals have an even more complex issue to solve behind Glenn and Bobby Hart on the right. Especially save the left side. The best option seems to be Kent Perkins, a 2017 non-referee free agent from Texas who has six NFL shots at the right tackle. Jordan is considered a guy who could eventually tackle if needed, but that's not why they traded him in the fourth round.
Boling was still a year old for this $ 26 million five year extension that he had signed before the 2015 season.
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