by Scott Priestle, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH , The Columbus Dispatch

"Basically, as soon as I said that, I started hurting," Jones said yesterday.

His surgically repaired knees have held up, but seemingly everything else has ached, beginning with his back and cascading down his legs. As the season nears its end, Jones finds himself in virtually the same spot Willie Anderson was in a year ago: confident he can still play at a high level, struggling to get healthy enough to prove it, signed for four more years but unsure where he will be playing next year.

On the latter point, he is not alone. Right tackle Stacy Andrews is eligible for Free Agency after the season, center Eric Ghiaciuc has struggled against bigger defensive tackles, and rookies Anthony Collins and Nate Livings have only been so-so in recent auditions.

With a rich crop of tackle prospects at the top of the draft, Cincinnati's offensive line would seem to be ripe for change.

"You never can guess what's going to happen around here," Jones said.

The Bengals placed the franchise tag on Andrews last winter to prevent him from leaving in Free Agency, and they kept Anderson on the roster through training camp before releasing him. The line has struggled since day one, allowing 48 sacks and producing only 3.4 yards per rush, second worst in the NFL in both categories.

If the Bengals place the franchise tag on Andrews again, it will be because they still believe in his potential. He is one of the best athletes on the team, and his limited experience in the game suggests there is room to grow. But he has not performed up to his $7.455 million salary this season, which ranks among the highest in the league for a tackle.

"He's done a lot of good things, but then you see once in a while some things that his inexperience in Football shows up a little bit," coach Marvin Lewis said.

Andrews said the coaches have stressed the importance of consistently playing with proper technique.

"Like everybody, I'm still learning," he said.

Jones would seem to be a candidate to be released, considering his mounting ailments and Collins' presence. He senses as much.

"Marvin's MO has always been to get younger," Jones said, "so ... "

He did not finish the thought. There was no need.

As Anderson did in recent years, Jones has impressed his teammates with his willingness to help Collins and his attempts to play through the pain. He left the game against Philadelphia on Nov. 16 because of pain in his legs but returned when Andrew Whitworth suffered a season-ending injury. Jones played the final 30 minutes despite suffering a sprained ankle and a bruised rib.

"I couldn't breathe, I couldn't walk, I couldn't move, and I was still out there trying to get it done," Jones said.

He has not played since. The pain has come and gone, but the fatigue, frustration and uncertainty are constant.

spriestle@dispatch.com

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