Cincinnati Bengals stock up, stock down after preseason opener

The Cincinnati Bengals saw plenty of stock movers during the team’s preseason opener on Friday night, a loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

And the biggest story is hard to ignore — the offensive line took a major stock dive.

That is, some key pieces on the line took a nosedive on a night where most of the team’s outright starters didn’t see the field. The battle at left guard hit some concerning notes and some of the depth pieces — some of whom started games, if not the Super Bowl last year — outright struggled against backups.

But it wasn’t all bad for the team and names trying to make the final roster. Here’s a look at stock risers and fallers.

Stock up: S Dax Hill

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It wasn’t all perfect from Hill, the first-rounder starting in place of Jessie Bates. But that’s to be expected and it’s quite a bit better than it being all bad. Hill had a few hiccups, but he also displayed that athletic range that Bates has and at one point broke up a couple of passes on key third downs. He already showed he can play the slot in three-safety looks, which is good to know for the regular season. He’s not going to be a starter during the regular season, but it’s a really good start to his pro career.

Stock down: OL Jackson Carman

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Carman had a brutal start and was eventually the only “starter” left on the field in the first half, which said quite a bit about what the coaching staff saw. While he entered camp with better habits than he did as a rookie, Carman is still too upright and stiff in his technique. He was struggling with the backups and making notable mistakes, so despite his second-round status, he might not be getting first-team reps much longer.

Stock up: RB Chris Evans

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Evans showed why he’s deserving of the No. 2 spot behind Joe Mixon, breaking two massive runs early, including one that should have gone for 70-plus yards — only to have both called back by flags. He’s shifty, versatile and ready to have that No. 2 spot as a sophomore.

Stock down: OL depth

(AP Photo/Emilee Chinn)

Besides Carman, most of the rest of the line was a mess. Hakeem Adeniji, a former starter, got bulldozed a few times. Trey Hill looked like a weak point in the middle. Isaiah Prince, also a former starter, looked…