Hart on mission to start all 16 games for Bengals

Things didn’t end well in New York for Bobby Hart, but the offensive tackle said he hoping for more than just a fresh start with the Cincinnati Bengals.

He wants a season full of starts.

"I want to start all 16 games this year," Hart said during an appearance on the Scoop B Radio Podcast with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson.

“I’m an athletic, hungry guy that’s smart and just willing to work,” Hart added. “I have a lot to prove at this point for myself, being an elite player in this league. Last year kind of got derailed early, getting hurt in the sixth, seventh play of the game. Being the player I am I’ve been trying to fight through it when I really should have just sat down, but it’s good because it’s a fresh start, a fresh beginning to do myself right for a lot of goals that I’ve set for myself.”

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A seventh-round pick of the Giants in 2015, Hart appeared in 33 games with 21 starts in three seasons. But the team waived him at the end of last season amid reports he had a lazy work ethic, poor attitude and was involved in a locker room fight .

“I don’t really pay attention to those things,” Hart said. “I know who I am as a player so, fair or unfair, people are going to say what they’re going to say. That’s that.”

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Hart is expected to compete with Jake Fisher for the starting job at right tackle. He’s been getting a lot of reps during OTAs with Fisher sitting out 11-on-11 drills after a heart issue, which he has since been rectified, ended his 2017 season.

Hart said prior to signing with the Bengals he had an encouraging meeting with Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. Hart said he felt as though Lewis understood the situation he was coming from and that he would given every opportunity to achieve his goal of winning the starting job.

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And since getting a chance to meet and compete with the other players on the roster, Hart said he feels as though his bigger goal is in play as well.

“This team as a whole, you just look around the locker room and there’s just so much talent,” he said. “The Super Bowl is definitely the goal, as I feel like it is for every team. But right now, we just have to continue to put the work in, and take one game at a time, and hopefully we’ll end up holding the Lombardi trophy.”

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