The NFL preseason is officially over. The Cincinnati Bengals ended the season on Thursday night with a 27-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Paycor Stadium. The regular players were not used for the second week in a row and the Bengals’ substitutes faced the Colts’ regulars for much of the first half.
There were some solid performances on both sides of the ball, and some players on the fence provided good shots not only for the Bengals’ coaches, but for the other 31 teams as well. Layoff day is upon us, and there will be a lot of guys looking for jobs.
With that said, here is my final prediction for the Cincinnati Bengals 53-man roster:
More squad predictions for this summer:
quarterbacks (2)
Notes: There is no change here. It’s all the Burrows and Brownings.
Running back (3)
- Follow Braun
- Zack Moss
- Trayveon Williams
Notes: Williams had a LOT of work to do on Thursday night against the Colts. He carried the ball 11 times, while the next running back carried it three times. Brown and Moss will be the dynamic duo in the Bengals’ backfield, but I expect Williams to contribute as well, at least more than he has in the past.
I’ve been thinking about Elijah Collins, but I don’t know if he really gets enough playing time to deserve a spot.
Wide receiver (6)
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Tea Higgins
- Jermaine Burton
- Thomas E.
- Andrei Iosivas
- Charlie Jones
Notes: Again, no change. The Bengals are well-stocked with wide receivers and all of the above players will contribute to the offense or special teams in one way or another, especially in the case of Jones.
Killing one of these guys would have been a monumental feat.
- Mike Gesicki
- Drew Sample
- Erick All Jr.
- Tanner McLachlan
Notes: I like Tanner Hudson, but if I have to choose between Hudson and Tanner McLachlan, I’d always take the rookie. His contract is for four seasons, Hudson’s only for one, and he’s younger.
Hudson has more experience, but that experience will be with McLachlan as he prepares to negotiate his second contract in the league.
Offensive Line (9)
- Orlando Brown Jr.
- Cordell Volson
- Ted Karras
- Alex Cappa
- Trent Brown
- Amarius Mims
- Cody Ford
- Matt Lee
- Jaxson Kirkland
Notes: Again, not much changes. Hopefully Trent Brown will be 100 percent in a few weeks when the Bengals host the Patriots, because we know Mims won’t be. The Bengals seem happy with Ford and Kirkland as their two main backups, with Mims on the mend and Lee the backup center.
Jackson Carman is no longer a problem for the Bengals to worry about.
Defence line (10)
- Trey Hendrickson
- BJ Hill
- Sheldon Rankin
- Sam Hubbard
- Michael Murphy
- Joseph Ossai
- Kris Jenkins
- McKinley Jackson
- Zach Carter
- Cedric Johnson
Notes: For the second week in a row, the Bengals’ backup defense was tough against the other team’s starting offense. The Colts scored on their opening drive, but after that, the Bengals’ defense held firm until the fourth quarter. The only difference is the addition of a tenth defensive player, Johnson. He showed his potential several times against the Colts, and with Murphy recovering from a strain, he can help fill in for Hendrickson and Hubbard.
If the Bengals’ reserve players, who alternate with the starters, can play like they have at times in the last two preseason games, Lou Anarumo’s defense could make a huge comeback this year.
Linebackers (5)
- Logan Wilson
- Germaine Pratt
- Akeem Davis Gaither
- Joe Bachie
- Maema Njongmeta
Notes: Njongmeta may be a liability in coverage and he may be slow, but he has a feel for the football and is a solid linebacker who can stop long runs. He won’t be on the field often, but he will contribute on special teams and in short yardage situations.
No change here either.
Corner (6)
- Cam Taylor Britt
- DJ Turner II
- Michael Hilton
- Jalen Davis
- Dax Hill
- Josh Newton
Notes: This is the same list too. In fact, it’s been the same list for a few weeks now. CTB, Turner/Hill, and Hilton will start and play the vast majority of snaps. Davis will be Hilton’s backup, and then the corner who doesn’t start across from CTB and Newton will also be backups and rotation corners.
Security (5)
- Geno-Stone
- Vonn Bell
- Battle of Jordan
- Tyce Anderson
- Daijah Anthony
Notes: The same guys are back here too. Stone, Bell and Battle will be the three main players, and Anderson and Anthony will be on special teams. That position was heavily revamped after last season. Battle and Anderson are the only returning safeties, but Anderson didn’t even play last year.
The rear end of the secondary stage will have a completely new look in 2024.
Specialists (3)
- Evan McPherson
- Cal Adomitis
- Ryan Rehkow
Notes: I’m not sure about that, but Rehkow looked good against the Colts. If Robbins were healthy right now (and we really don’t know if he is), I’d say Rehkow didn’t do enough to convince me he won the job outright. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Sometimes ability beats availability.
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What do you think? Who was left out? Who was on the list when they should have been?
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