Bengals' 53-man roster projection: Pre-Training Camp Edition
CINCINNATI — Veteran Bengals players are scheduled to report to Paul Brown Stadium on Tuesday, July 28.
The front office has completely remade this roster over the past few months. They committed over $130 million to eight players in free agency and selected Joe Burrow with the top pick in the NFL Draft.
After finishing 2-14 last season, they enter 2020 with more talent and much higher expectations.
Despite all of the additions, 18 starters remain from the 2019 roster. This team is much deeper than it was a season ago.
Here's a pre-training camp projection of their 53-man roster:
Quarterback (3): Joe Burrow, Ryan Finley, Jake Dolegala
Burrow is the clear cut starter, but head coach Zac Taylor believes in Finley and Dolegala. The Bengals didn't sign a veteran after releasing Andy Dalton, so it's reasonable to expect the Bengals to keep three quarterbacks on the roster like they did last season.
Running Back (3): Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard and Trayveon Williams
The Bengals take a risk here and only keep three running backs. Rodney Anderson flashed his potential in the preseason last year, before suffering a torn ACL. Injuries have prevented him from reaching his full potential. Semaje Perine and Jacques Patrick will both compete with Anderson for a potential fourth spot. Patrick had a successful stint in the XFL earlier this year. At some point the injury gods have to bless Anderson with a healthy season. The Bengals could easily keep four running backs, but Anderson, Patrick and Perine are all eligible for the practice squad. It wouldn't be surprising if they kept at least two running backs stashed away, since practice squads will be bigger in 2020.
Wide Receiver (7): A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross III, Tee Higgins, Auden Tate, Alex Erickson and Stanley Morgan Jr.
This is arguably the deepest position group on the roster. The Bengals signed Mike Thomas in free agency, but he enters training camp on the roster bubble. The first five spots are obvious, but then it gets a bit tricky. Some may think Erickson is in danger of being cut, but he's a great special teamer and is more than capable of playing meaningful snaps in the slot on offense. Morgan showed off his special teams value last season. Without preseason games, coaches could decide to stick with the sure thing. The Bengals have an idea of what they're getting from Erickson and Morgan. Thomas is eighth right now and could realistically earn a roster spot in training camp.
Tight End (3): C.J. Uzomah, Drew Sample, Cethan Carter
Expect the Bengals to keep three tight ends this year. Uzomah and Sample will both have roles in the passing game. Carter's blocking ability and role on special teams gives him an edge over the rest of the tight ends competing for a roster spot. Keep an eye on Mitchell Wilcox, who went undrafted before signing with the Bengals in April. He set multiple school records at USF, including most career receptions (100) and receiving yards (1,326) by a tight end. With practice squads expected to be expanded this season, Wilcox has a real chance to stick around and develop his game.
Offensive Line (9): Bobby Hart, Fred Johnson, Jonah Williams, Michael Jordan, Trey Hopkins, Xavier Su'a-Filo, Hakeem Adeniji, Billy Price and Alex Redmond
The offensive line is considered the weakest position group on the team, but they do have a lot of young players battling for a roster spot. This is a make-or-break year for Price, who's finally healthy after dealing with injuries in each of the past two seasons. He could push Su'a-Filo for the starting job, while Williams is expected to anchor the left side of the line. Isaiah Prince is another name to watch. The second-year tackle could sneak on to the final roster if he has a good camp.
Defensive End (4): Carlos Dunlap, Carl Lawson, Sam Hubbard and Khalid Kareem
Dunlap is 2.5 sacks away from becoming the Bengals' all-time sack leader. Lawson has shown flashes of potential when healthy and Hubbard leads the 2018 draft class with 14.5 sacks. They drafted Kareem to play the edge right away. Barring an injury, all four of these guys will be on the roster.
Defensive Tackle (5): Geno Atkins, D.J. Reader, Andrew Brown, Josh Tupou and Ryan Glasgow
Reader was the Bengals' biggest offseason addition not named Burrow. He's expected to make life much easier on Atkins, who played a career-high 816 snaps in 2019. Glasgow missed eight games last year, but he should also help alleviate some of the pressure on Atkins.
Linebacker (6): Josh Bynes, Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Jordan Evans and Markus Bailey
The Bengals have completely rebuilt their linebacker room this offseason. The first four on this list are all locks. Evans and Bailey will have to beat out Austin Calitro, who the Bengals claimed off of waivers this offseason.
Cornerback (6): William Jackson III, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, Darius Phillips, Torry McTyer and LeShaun Sims
Much like linebacker, the Bengals have a revamped secondary that includes Waynes and Alexander. They are hoping Jackson can return to his 2017 form after struggling for much of last season due to a shoulder injury. Winston Rose is one name to keep an eye on. He led the CFL with nine interceptions last season and is talented enough to push for a roster spot.
Safety (4): Vonn Bell, Jessie Bates, Shawn Williams and Brandon Wilson
Wilson's kick return ability gives him a real shot to make the roster. Bell and Bates will start at safety and Williams is forced to embrace a new role on this defense. He'll still get playing time, but he won't be on the field as much as he has been in recent seasons.
Specialist (3): Randy Bullock, Kevin Huber and Clark Harris
This is the easiest projection to make. Bullock made 27-of-31 field goals last season, including a 57-yarder, which set a new career-high. Harris is as reliable as they come and Huber had one of his better seasons.
