Bengals final 53-man roster prediction for the 2023 season
The next time we talk about the Cincinnati Bengals' roster, it will be down to 53 players. Three preseason games, several weeks of training camp, and several months of offseason have led to the Bengals trimming down to an initial 53-man roster, not a finalized roster. It will be tweaked, manipulated, reconfigured, and any other […]
The next time we talk about the Cincinnati Bengals' roster, it will be down to 53 players.
Three preseason games, several weeks of training camp, and several months of offseason have led to the Bengals trimming down to an initial 53-man roster, not a finalized roster. It will be tweaked, manipulated, reconfigured, and any other word you can find in a thesaurus. But this is how I predict the first iteration will look like. Compare it with our previous version as well!
Note: Players with single asterisk (*) are 2023 draft picks and players with double asterisks (**) are 2023 undrafted free agents.
Quarterback (2)
IN: Joe Burrow, Jake Browning
OUT: Trevor Siemian, Reid Sinnett
The skinny: Browning showed out in the preseason finale and was under center for two of the Bengals' three offensive touchdown drives this month. He's far from perfect, even as a backup, but he's done enough to edge out the veteran Siemian. I'm sure the Bengals would be interested in external options and stash Browning on the practice squad, but quality backups don't normally become available this time of year.
Running back (4)
IN: Joe Mixon, Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans, Chase Brown*
OUT: Jacob Saylors**, Calvin Tyler Jr.**,
The skinny: Shoutout to the undrafted rookies for showing some gruff Saturday night, but they were never cracking this top four. Evans didn't even play in the finale, signifying him as a lock. Brown had his best game, but the rookie is most likely to be inactive on Sundays. We'll see how soon Williams returns from injury and what the dynamic is for splitting reps behind Mixon.
Wide receiver (7)
IN: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, Stanley Morgan Jr., Charlie Jones*, Andrei Iosivas*,
OUT: Trent Taylor, Kwamie Lassiter II, Shedrick Jackson**, Malachi Carter**, Mac Hippenhammer**
The skinny: I'm just not comfortable leaving Morgan off here. It's a position where extra depth is needed considering how important the starting trio is, and no one can play gunner quite like Morgan on this team. Iosivas capped off a great preseason in Washington with a touchdown, but if he's not returning punts like Jones or taking Morgan's spot on punt teams, he likely won't dress until he's needed. Watch for Jackson and Lassiter to get brought back to the practice squad.
Tight end (3)
IN: Irv Smith Jr., Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson
OUT: Mitchell Wilcox, Devin Asiasi, Nick Bowers, Christian Trahan**
The skinny: There are two decisions that will be very tough for the Bengals to make. One of them is swapping out Wilcox for Hudson, who had a productive outing after missing last week with a concussion. Hudson has been impressive both in practice and under the lights while Wilcox only returned off the PUP list a week ago. His skillset makes him qualified to be a true backup for Smith, who needs to prove he can stay healthy for an entire season. Wilcox has special teams experience that will make him a virtual lock for the practice squad in this scenario.
Offensive line (9)
IN: Orlando Brown Jr., Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, Jonah Williams, D'Ante Smith, Max Scharping, Cody Ford, Jackson Carman
OUT: Hakeem Adeniji, Trey Hill, Nate Gilliam, Ben Brown, Jaxson Kirkland**
PUP: La'el Collins
IR: Devin Cochran
The skinny: Assuming Smith's shoulder injury is minor, he'll stay on the active roster as the swing tackle. Carman and Adeniji got plenty of reps in Washington, but only one is likely to stay. There just isn't a sense that this staff is ready to give up on Carman, the second-round pick from 2021. Scharping should have the edge over Hill as the interior swing reserve, and Ford rounds it out as a guard who can play emergency tackle. Collins will make the initial 53 only to be moved back to the active PUP list. At least two of the cuts will be retained on the practice squad.
Defensive line (10)
IN: Trey Hendrickson, DJ Reader, B.J. Hill, Sam Hubbard, Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample, Zach Carter, Josh Tupou, Myles Murphy*, Jay Tufele
OUT: Raymond Johnson III, Jeff Gunter, Domenique Davis, Owen Carney, Tautala Pesefea**
IR: Devonnsha Maxwell**
The skinny: Cutting Johnson for Tufele is the other tough choice here. It hurts to leave Johnson off like this, especially with Ossai now nursing what is hopefully just an ankle sprain, but Tufele remains trusted as a backup defensive tackle. It makes sense to go five on the edge and five on the interior (even if Johnson can slide inside every now and then). Johnson will be their highest priority to retain on the practice squad, and if Ossai does miss time, he would likely be elevated.
Linebacker (5)
IN: Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Markus Bailey, Joe Bachie
OUT: Keandre Jones, Shaka Heyward**, Jaylen Moody**, Tyler Murray**
The skinny: No notes. Typing a paragraph for this section was always a creative struggle.
Cornerback (6)
IN: Chidobe Awuzie, Cam Taylor-Britt, Mike Hilton, DJ Turner II*, Jalen Davis, DJ Ivey*
OUT: Sidney Jones IV, Allan George, Marvin Tell III
The skinny: While Jones missed his second preseason game, Ivey's only competition from Saturday was George, who continued to look underwhelming in his second preseason. Ivey would become the third Bengals rookie drafted in the seventh round to make the Week 1 roster since 2020 (Markus Bailey and Jeff Gunter). George may've even costed himself a practice squad invite for how bad he's been this month.
Safety (4)
IN: Dax Hill, Nick Scott, Jordan Battle*, Tycen Anderson
OUT: Michael Thomas, Yusuf Corker, Larry Brooks III**
The skinny: Thomas himself already passed the torch jersey after Saturday's game to Anderson, who is set to take over for Uncle Mike. The practice squad will absolutely be open for Thomas to return in that capacity.
Special Teams (3)
IN: Cal Adomitis (LS), Brad Robbins* (P), Evan McPherson (K)
OUT: Drue Chrisman (P)
The skinny: Robbins took a backseat to Chrisman in Washington for the sole purpose of giving Chrisman reps. He'll be finalizing his resume for other teams in need of a punter. If no one calls, the practice squad probably will.
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Featured image via © Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
