The Bengals will travel to play the Bills in their third preseason game Sunday, and it’s safe to assume Glenn carries a little chip on his shoulder as he makes his first trip back to New Era Field since Buffalo traded him to Cincinnati in March.
»RELATED: Nothing settled on Bengals O-line after first game
“Anytime guys play for different teams and go play against that team in a new spot I think there is naturally a little bit of a chip on your shoulder and you want to go out in those games and play well and almost let those guys know what they’re missing,” left guard and former University of Georgia teammate Clint Boling said.
Cincinnati acquired Glenn in exchange for draft positioning March 14, and the move caught Glenn off-guard, he said at the time.
The 6-foot-6, 345-pound tackle went on injured reserve in mid-December with foot and ankle injuries and had no inkling he wouldn’t be back with the Bills in 2018.
»RELATED: Bengals rookie safety eager to take on starting role
“I guess it was shocking,” Glenn said in his first interview with Cincinnati media the day of the trade. “It was kind of just a lot of different emotions going on. It just kind of came out of left field. I wasn’t expecting it, but I was just excited, excited to be brought in by the Bengals and excited to be a part of the franchise.
“They want me here, and I think that’s big just to know you are wanted somewhere.”
Glenn, a seven-year veteran, has been a welcome addition to the Bengals’ offensive line, which has been retooled under new position coach Frank Pollack.
»RELATED: Iloka’s release ‘a real shocker’ to Bengals teammates
The left tackle spot particularly was an issue last year after veteran Andrew Whitworth left for the Los Angeles Rams, but Cincinnati also brought in Bobby Hart from the New York Giants as an option at right tackle and selected former Ohio State University center Billy Price with their first pick in the draft this spring. Boling and Trey Hopkins, the probable starter at right guard, are the only returners on the first-team line.
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said “there is no doubt about it” he feels much better with the offensive line compared to this time last year, and Glenn is a big reason why.
»RELATED: Dalton giving back to Buffalo community
“We know we have one side of the line taken care of (with Glenn),” Lewis said. “He’s got experience. I think he’s got great comfort over there, he and Clint have spent a lot of time together. They are reunited in kind of opposite positions but they are comfortable with each other, and that’s good.
“I love his mentality. Every time he’s answered the bell, it’s just been great from when we’re making the trade for him, talking on the phone and he’s in an airport in Appleton (N.Y.), and everything through it — to being here, to going through the offseason program, to how he approached training camp to then seeing the light come on to now it’s time to play against another team. It’s good to see. You like what he’s brought that way, the maturity level and the ability to just go out and do his job as well.”
»RELATED: Less is more for strong safety Williams
Bengals linebacker and former Bills teammate Preston Brown said Glenn wasn’t appreciated enough in Buffalo.
“They don’t like him up there,” Brown said. “They’re going to boo him. I think if I play well, I might get booed, but they will boo him as soon as he steps on the field.”
Glenn, a second-round draft pick by the Bills in 2012, made 77 starts in 78 games over six seasons with Buffalo, including playing six of the first eight games in 2017 before injuries limited his playing time and eventually ended his season Dec. 15.
He’s stepped in with Cincinnati and quietly gone about his business. All the while, he’s consistently performed in practices and through two preseason games, in which he allowed zero total pressures across 27 offensive snaps, according to ProFootballFocus.com.
Boling said the Bengals can expect that same kind of performance all season. He played alongside Glenn for three seasons at Georgia before graduating in 2011, though Glenn was a guard and Boling a tackle for most of that time.
“Cordy is a guy that’s played a lot of football,” Boling said. “He played a lot of good football up there in Buffalo, he was solid at Georgia, so we’re looking for him to do those same kind of things here. He’s been coming along really well, and I think we can expect good things out of him this year.”
SUNDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Bills, 4 p.m., Fox, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
About the Author