NFL insider says Bengals still looking to add talent at one position
Earlier this week, it was reported that free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed his list of preferred teams to the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, or Philadelphia Eagles. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor seemed to downplay any potential interest that Cincinnati might have in Elliott during a short interview this week at St. […]
Earlier this week, it was reported that free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed his list of preferred teams to the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, or Philadelphia Eagles.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor seemed to downplay any potential interest that Cincinnati might have in Elliott during a short interview this week at St. Xavier's 39th annual Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction.
“There’s a lot of great players that are available right now,” said Taylor when asked about the Elliott rumors. "We like our team as where it’s at right now. But it’s always funny when things get thrown around. Sometimes, it’s the first you hear of it. But that’s just the way life works.”
On Saturday morning during an appearance on Sportscenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler suggested that the feeling around the league is that Cincinnati is still looking for a running back to pair with Joe Mixon.
"Talking to people in the running back market and some other teams, they believe the Bengals might be the most viable option of those three (Bengals, Jets, and Eagles)," said Fowler. "They have Joe Mixon, they can pair a veteran running back with Mixon. They could always draft one. The feeling around the league is that Cincinnati is certainly looking to add to that position."
It might not be Elliott, but the Bengals will almost certainly be adding another running back to the roster at some point this offseason.
Fowler's report would also seem to indicate that Mixon will remain with the Bengals in 2023. Adding Elliott to the backfield with Mixon would give Joe Burrow and the Bengals' offense another potentially dynamic weapon. And it would allow Cincy to keep both running backs fresh for a deep playoff run.
Elliott is still just 27 years old (he turns 28 this summer) and he's only a year removed from a 1,000-yard rushing season. Perhaps a fresh start is all he needs to regain some of his old form.
It's hard to imagine a better "fresh start" than landing with Burrow and the Bengals.
