07-30-2007, 08:38 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Both of them
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,225
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Steinbach eager to face Bengals
Steinbach eager to face Bengals
Quote:
Eric Steinbach says he carries no grudge against his former team, the Cincinnati Bengals, and can't imagine they would for him.
But that doesn't mean he isn't anxious to line up against them. He won't have long to think about it. The Bengals visit Cleveland in Week 2.
"Can't wait," he said after Sunday's workout ended his first weekend of training camp with his new team. "I'll be circling that game on the calendar. That'll be a fun game."
Steinbach signed a seven-year, $49.5 million contract ($17 million guaranteed) with the Browns in the offseason and fits like a glove at left guard, alongside first-round draft pick Joe Thomas, the likely left tackle.
Free agency was Steinbach's chance to cash in after four years in the league, and he took advantage of it. But the Bengals did not exactly mount a big push to keep him, so who broke up with whom?
Does it matter? Steinbach only laughs when the subject is brought up.
"As a player whose contract is up, you've got to realize that teams are going to make their moves, and if you're not a part of the formula, you've got to move on," he said. "I don't think there's any rhyme or reason (for the Bengals' turning a cold shoulder).
"Every team is run differently. I had fun playing in Cincinnati, but after last season, I was ready for change, and here's the change. Obviously, it worked out well for me. I'm excited to be here."
The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Steinbach is known as an athletic lineman who excels at pulling and trapping but sometimes gets blown up at the point of attack. The negative aspect of that scouting report has been emphasized lately by the Bengals as they audition bulkier candidates for Steinbach's position.
"That's the only material they've got, so that's what they're going to say," Steinbach said, smiling. "That's the only thing they can dig up, that I'm a lighter lineman.
"I'm not losing too much sleep over it."
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Steinbach eager to face Bengals
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