After stops with the Bills, Browns and Steelers, five from Bengals training camp …
1) So much of the roster here is static, but one revelation has been all that veteran tight end Hayden Hurst can bring to the table as C.J. Uzomah’s replacement. Where Uzomah was incredibly savvy and versatile, Hurst’s athleticism and route-running should bring a different element to Cincinnati’s offense—they can use him as a matchup guy to exploit defenses geared to slow Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins while giving the Bengals a second threat inside to pair with Tyler Boyd. (While we’re there, Kwamie Lassiter, the son of the ex-Cardinals DB of the same name, has emerged as a dark horse to make the roster as an undrafted receiver).
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2) The other newcomers that stand to make a huge difference will be lining up in front of Joe Burrow, and the Bengals are pretty excited about what they’ve gotten from maybe the lowest profile of them, ex-Patriots center Ted Karras. He’s already got the nickname “Tenacious Ted” in the building, and has been exactly the kind of heady, consistent pivot man that Cincinnati wanted to sign to help accelerate the process of bringing together a revamped group up front.
3) That said, the biggest position battle on the roster remains in that area, and it’ll be for the left guard spot between 2021 second-round pick Jackson Carman and 2022 fourth-rounder Cordell Volson. Carman, to his credit, has taken a step forward in his approach, and is carrying himself as way more of a pro in Year 2. Volson has impressed teammates, coming from North Dakota State with a legit skill set, smarts and toughness.
4) The other area with a lot of moving parts is the secondary. With Jessie Bates staying away, for now, first-rounder Daxton Hill has taken all the first-team reps since being drafted in Bates’s place at free safety, which is important because he was almost exclusively a nickel corner last year at Michigan. His athleticism has shown up, as has his ability to pick up the playbook, and the staff plans to play him a lot in the preseason. Once Bates is back, they’ll have to find a role for him, but that’s a good issue to have to deal with. Also, second-round corner Cam Taylor-Britt is battling for playing time at corner, and fifth-round safety Tycen Anderson has flashed ability too.
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5) B.J. Hill’s going to be a pretty important figure for the Cincinnati defense. With Larry Ogunjobi gone, Hill now has to be the standard-bearer in the middle of the line after winning himself a nice contract following last year’s end-of-summer trade from the Giants. Depth along the defensive line, in general, will be worth watching, with the team hopeful that guys like Joseph Ossai come along over the next few weeks.
