Training camp has arrived, and the next month will determine how the Bengals roster shakes out. The endpoint feels more set than at any time in the Zac Taylor era as the gutting of the Marvin Lewis holdovers is essentially complete.
This collection of players was drafted and acquired through the vision of Taylor and director of player personnel Duke Tobin. And this will serve as a make-or-break year for that vision. That doesn’t mean the next month will be devoid of roster battles. Important ones exist and jockeying through the depth of the roster will probably be the most important development of the next month outside of praying for no more injuries.
The schedule for cutdowns from 90 to 53 this year under the new CBA will proceed as follows:
Aug. 17: Must cut to 85
Aug. 24: Must cut to 80
Aug. 31: Must cut to 53
Here’s my first swipe at predicting where the 53-man roster lands when the calendar flips to September.
Offense (25)
Quarterback (2)
Starter: Joe Burrow
Reserve: Brandon Allen
Outside looking in: Kyle Shurmur, Eric Dungey
Outlook: Easiest position to predict on the entire roster, and the Bengals love it that way. Allen solidified himself as a capable backup during the conclusion to last season and, most important, built belief with his teammates that he can sling it and keep them in games should Burrow miss time. All expectations are for Burrow to be ready to go in the opener against Minnesota. That feels so sure it’s to the point his ACL barely feels like a storyline anymore considering what we saw in the offseason program. Shurmur and Dungey will battle for a spot on the practice squad.
Running Back (4)
Starter: Joe Mixon
Reserves: Semaje Perine, Chris Evans, Trayveon Williams
Outside looking in: Jacques Patrick
Outlook: Plenty of excitement about what Evans could bring given how well he caught the ball during the draft process and once he arrived for OTAs. A big showing in the preseason could earn him an immediate role in passing situations, spelling Mixon. It also could put Williams squarely on the bubble. He might be the last guy on the roster at this point, and not having a preseason hurt him last year. He has advocates in the building, but he needs to show well to hang on and force the Bengals to keep four.
Wide receiver (6)
Starters: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd
Reserves: Auden Tate, Mike Thomas, Trent Taylor
Outside looking in: Pooka Williams, Trenton Irwin, Riley Lees, Scotty Washington, Stanley Morgan
Outlook: The first five are solid, with Tate owning a situational role and the first off the bench and Thomas adding burst if an injury occurred on the outside. The battle here will be at the sixth spot, and it likely won’t come down as much to how they play at receiver as punt returner. Williams looks to carve out a hybrid receiver/running back/returner role that can create enough value for him to latch on as an undrafted free agent, but he’ll need to be dynamic in the preseason. The slightly better bet at this point would be Taylor, a veteran who has been a safe, solid returner in the league before and has shown the ability to step in and play the slot. All the other names will be fighting to make an impression but more likely would be practice squad candidates, with Morgan’s special-teams ability the most valuable asset of the lot.
Tight ends (3)
Starter: C.J. Uzomah
Reserves: Drew Sample, Thaddeus Moss
Outside looking in: Mason Schreck, Mitchell Wilcox, Pro Wells, Cheyenne O’Grady
Outlook: Maybe we see a veteran added to the back of this group in the final cuts or at some point during camp. The Bengals kept four tight ends/fullbacks for seven consecutive years before keeping only three last year. With the amount of 11 personnel we should expect and the fact a fullback won’t be walking through that door, a total of three looks likely again. Still, that’s a largely uninspiring group beyond the first two. Moss has potential given his connection with Burrow at LSU, but it’s hard to predict much from somebody who went undrafted in 2020 and is already on his second team. The final spot(s) here will be for anybody to take with a quality camp.
Offensive line (10)
Starters: LT Jonah Williams, LG Quinton Spain, C Trey Hopkins, RG Xavier Su’a-Filo, RT Riley Reiff
Reserves: Fred Johnson, D’Ante Smith, Michael Jordan, Jackson Carman, Billy Price
Outside looking in: Isaiah Prince, Keaton Sutherland, Trey Hill, Lamont Gaillard
Injured: Hakeem Adeniji (pectoral)
Outlook: We shall see how quickly Carman comes along, but at this point I foresee him opening the year as a backup. That might last only a few games, but plugging veterans in as Carman figures out how tough this league is would be a likely strategy. Beyond an addition coming from elsewhere, I think this feels like a solid 10. The question will be Hopkins’ health and if Hill could make enough impression and latch on. With Price here and the hope offensive line coach Frank Pollack can re-energize the 2018 first-round pick, I don’t see him going anywhere. He should be good to stash on the practice squad in case an injury occurs.
Defense (25)
Defensive line (10)
Starters: Sam Hubbard, D.J. Reader, Larry Ogunjobi, Trey Hendrickson
Reserves: Joseph Ossai, Tyler Shelvin, Mike Daniels, Cameron Sample, Josh Tupou, Khalid Kareem
Outside looking in: Renell Wren, Freedom Akinmoladun, Amani Bledsoe, Khalil McKenzie
Injured: Wyatt Hubert (pectoral)
Outlook: The injury to Hubert brings clarity to this roster battle. Kareem looked to be playing for his roster spot this preseason, but now he’s likely to stay safe. Questions about the health and quality from Wren need to be answered. He needs a big camp to hang around. Everyone will be wondering what we will see from Shelvin in terms of weight and explosiveness as a boom-or-bust fifth-rounder. It will also be interesting to track how Tupou returns after a year off from football. He was a solid backup defensive tackle in 2019.
Linebackers (5)
Starters: Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt
Reserves: Akeem Davis-Gaither, Jordan Evans, Markus Bailey
Outside looking in: Joe Bachie, Darius Hodge, Keandre Jones
Outlook: Bailey and Bachie, a college free agent last year who played four games for the Eagles, will battle for the final spot. This will be the year to determine how fast Bailey can play coming off his college injuries. Big camp for him. Elsewhere, Davis-Gaither and Wilson will be counted on to show a second-year jump at a position where the Bengals badly need improved play for what feels like the 87th consecutive season.
Cornerbacks (6)
Starters: Trae Waynes, Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton
Reserves: Darius Phillips, Eli Apple, Tony Brown
Outside looking in: Donnie Lewis, Jalen Davis, Winston Rose, Antonio Phillips
Outlook: The next month will be about that sixth spot. Brown held it down last year and earned stripes on special teams, but he’s far from untouchable if any of the others stand out in the preseason. Otherwise, the pecking order looks set unless Apple can outplay Phillips to be first off the bench. More than likely, Phillips, in a contract year, will fill in should anything happen to the starting three.
Safeties (4)
Starters: Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell
Reserves: Ricardo Allen, Brandon Wilson
Outside looking in: Trayvon Henderson, Kavon Frazier
Outlook: Safety ranks just below quarterback as the easiest to predict — only an injury will shake up this setup. Allen came over with versatility and football intelligence as a reliable backup, and Wilson might be the best kick returner in the NFL.
Specialists (3)
Starters: P Kevin Huber, LS Clark Harris, K Evan McPherson
Outside looking in: P Drue Chrisman, K Austin Seibert
Outlook: A hand injury will doom Chrisman’s bid to supplant Huber this year, but he’ll likely be able to show what he’s got on the practice squad and potentially fill the role next year. It would take a mammoth collapse for McPherson not to win the kicking competition, but it can happen, as Bengals fans and Jake Elliott know all too well.