Jim Owczarski

jowczarski@enquirer.com

Last Sunday marked the first time since Cedric Ogbuehi made his NFL debut against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 6, 2015 that the 2015 first-round pick stood on the Cincinnati Bengals sideline and did not participate in a game he was healthy for. The second-year tackle out of Texas A&M had begun the season as the team's starting right tackle, but his playing time had been reduced in a platoon with Eric Winston until last week when Winston was named the starter and then fellow second-year tackle Jake Fisher came on in relief.

Even when left tackle Andrew Whitworth missed some snaps with an injury, Ogbuehi stayed on the sideline.

In his first comments since the moves, Ogbuehi said Thursday that the team shifted him back to left tackle last week and that he was not going to be called upon in that spot because they wanted to give him practice there. He said that now he is Whitworth's backup on the left side.

"I think that’s my natural position and where I feel comfortable and we’ll just go from there," he said.

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On Wednesday, Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander said he was surprised that Ogbuehi did not develop as quickly as the coaches thought this season on the right side – but admitted that left tackle is perhaps more suited for the 6-foot, 5-inch, 300-pound lineman.

"Really, to be honest with you, I think the left maybe comes more natural to him because tackles are really, left tackles are really predominately right-handed people because they’re going to protect their inside with their right hand," Alexander said. "Right tackles are predominately left-handed people, ideally. In an ideal world. I think that probably comes a little bit easier for a right-handed guy. But there are better rushers over there so it’s a wash."

Ogbuehi agreed, saying he's a dominant right-hander and he seemed relieved to be moving back to a position he's more comfortable in – even if it means biding his time behind an All-Pro in Whitworth.

"It’s my natural position and I can just concentrate on left tackle knowing that’s my future position," Ogbuehi said. " I do think I was getting better, but where we’re at in the season I think they made what they thought was the right move and I just have to get better at left."