The Bengals left Week 2 of the preseason with plenty to like, but the part that should stick in their craw is the same part that usually decides whether a season holds together: the offensive line behind the starters.
Cincinnati rolled past Chicago 27-9 on Saturday, and the result came with a few clear markers. The defense kept the Bears out of the end zone.
Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford both moved the ball. Landon Robinson made his presence felt, giving the Bengals another reminder that the defensive tackle group looks deep.
Evan McPherson stayed sharp too, drilling kicks from 58 and 25 yards.
There was also another obvious takeaway: the Bengals are loaded at wide receiver. The group is not just elite at the top, it’s the best overall room in the NFL, and it’s not close.
But the game also exposed a problem that can’t be brushed aside. The backup offensive line - and the line depth overall - did not hold up. Cody Ford was so rough on Saturday night, posting a 0.0 pass-blocking score on 30 reps, that the Bengals released him Monday, a week before final cuts.
With one preseason game left before the 53-man roster has to be set, the Bengals still have three issues worth sorting through, starting with the one that matters most.
The first need is a new swing tackle.
Ford had been around because he could play multiple spots, which gave Cincinnati some flexibility. But on Saturday he started at right guard and struggled badly. The Bengals also opened with Javon Foster at left tackle and Brian Parker II at right tackle, and neither looked like a reliable answer if injury forces them into action.
That matters because Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims are both big bodies who have dealt with injuries before. In a 17-game season, banking on perfect health at tackle is a gamble the Bengals can’t afford to take.
The free-agent pool is thin, but roster cuts around the league are coming, and that should create some options. A trade is another possibility, especially if Cincinnati wants to use a piece from a crowded roster area to address a spot of need. Or, as the piece bluntly put it, they could sign Jonah Williams.
Cornerback is next on the list.
Cincinnati added Ja’Sir Taylor on a one-year deal and used a third-round pick on Tacario Davis, but the room still looks like it could use another veteran presence. Right now, Dax Hill, DJ Turner, and Jalen Davis are lined up as the starters, with Taylor and DJ Ivey available behind them.
The Bengals don’t necessarily need another corner who comes in and fights for a starting job. What they do need is someone who can steady the room if things go sideways.
Hill is working back from a training camp injury and is expected to be ready for the start of the season, but even injuries that don’t sound major can linger. Extra insurance never hurts.
Linebacker rounds out the list, though it has slipped a bit after the way Cincinnati’s front has looked recently.
A few weeks ago, this would have ranked higher. Now, the defensive line play has eased some of the pressure.
If the front keeps swallowing blockers, that helps the linebackers do their jobs more cleanly. The example is easy to understand: Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt were at their best when DJ Reader was occupying bodies in front of them.
Once that disappeared, their play dipped.
Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. were the worst starting linebacker duo in the league last year, according to the source article. They’ll have more experience now, and the defensive line in front of them is much better, but the Bengals could still use another veteran in the room. Joe Giles-Harris and Oren Burks are there, though the backups could stand to be upgraded.
If Cincinnati only gets one of these things done, the argument here is that it has to be the offensive tackle. The Bengals have spent the offseason swinging big, and they can’t let that work get undone by an injury up front that puts Joe Burrow at risk.
That’s the bottom line. The defense looks improved, but Burrow remains the engine.
If he’s healthy, the Bengals have a shot. If they can’t protect him, they’re playing with fire.
Then comes the week off, and after that, the real thing begins.
In Other News...
Bengals Have A Running Back Problem This Trade Could Solve
A training camp practice can expose a lot in a hurry, and one hard hit on Samaje Perine served as a reminder that the Bengals do not have much margin for error at running back. With Perine and Chase Brown both part of a depth picture that still feels unsettled, the conversation around the position has turned from what Cincinnati likes to what Cincinnati might need before the season gets rolling.
One possible answer sits in San Francisco, where Isaac Guerendo is on the PUP list while recovering from injury. The Bengals have shown in the past they are willing to look outside the building when a fit makes sense, and Guerendos blend of upside and scheme appeal makes him an interesting name to watch if Cincinnati decides it wants another back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A New 53-Man Roster Debate Fans Will Love
The Bengals have opened the preseason 2-0, and the early games have done more than just build a little momentum. They have also created a fresh roster conversation around a handful of players who have made a real impression while trying to push their way onto the 53-man squad. Dohnte Meyers, Colbie Young, Landon Robinson, Isaiah Foskey and Swayze Bozeman have all shown up in the right moments, turning what can be a sleepy August into a genuine competition.
With the final cutdown deadline set for Aug. 30, there is still time for the picture to change, but these performances have at least given the Bengals something to sort through. For a team that already has a few obvious locks, the intrigue now is in which of these preseason standouts can keep separating themselves when the margins get tighter and every snap starts to matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Just Got Another Possible Answer To A Lingering Tackle Need
The Bengals ongoing search for tackle help has taken another turn, with Miami releasing offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer after an injury settlement tied to the knee injury that landed him on season-ending injured reserve. Salyer is no stranger to NFL line work, either, having started 40 games for the Chargers before his brief stop in Miami, and he is expected to look for a new team during the season.
For Cincinnati, that makes him a name worth monitoring as the club continues to sort through possible answers at swing tackle. The Bengals have been weighing their options along the edge of the offensive line, and Salyers experience gives him a case as a veteran fallback if the team decides it wants another body with real game reps in the mix. [Read more 🡒]