Bengals' plans at running back are clear following NFL Draft
Change was needed for the Cincinnati Bengals' run game after the 2022 season. Despite ending the season on a positive note, rushing efficiency for the offense was at a catastrophic low during the early portion of the year before the team ripped off 10-straight wins. Joe Mixon was at the focal point of that slow […]
Change was needed for the Cincinnati Bengals' run game after the 2022 season. Despite ending the season on a positive note, rushing efficiency for the offense was at a catastrophic low during the early portion of the year before the team ripped off 10-straight wins.
Joe Mixon was at the focal point of that slow start, as was the scheme and offensive line. The 2021 Pro Bowl back was not producing well enough relative to his salary, and only started to pick up steam once the playbook began shifting towards more favorable designs.
Mixon's down year became the base of speculation surrounding his probable release from the club this offseason, coupled with certain off-field storylines involving his name. Now that March and April have passed, the buzz has transitioned towards the former second-round pick sticking around for the upcoming season.
In a recent report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Bengals were focused on improving the running back room in terms of athleticism, and drafting fifth-round pick Chase Brown accomplished that. But there was also intrigue of adding through free agency. With Brown being the only addition, Mixon's roster spot is safe.
"As of now, Cincinnati's backfield appears set with Joe Mixon, Brown and Trayveon Williams. Mixon's future has been cloudy because of his $9.4 million salary, but Cincinnati's decision to draft a running back on Day 3 and not earlier suggests it's comfortable keeping a lead back." – Fowler on Bengals' plans at running back
Excitement surrounding Brown is palpable, but despite the value of individual running backs being minimal, entrusting a starter's role to a Day 3 selection is risky. The longer the Bengals waited to address the position, the more secure Mixon was in sticking around.
While Mixon should still be viewed as the best option to start for the team in 2023, there remains a possibility that the front office will request he take a pay cut to stick around. Mixon's ongoing legal case from an incident back in January is also a variable in how they proceed.
A pay cut comes down to ensuring as much cap space as possible for contract extensions the Bengals hope to get signed prior to the season starting. Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins are next up to put pen to paper, and with the way the front office structures large contracts, the year one cap hit usually sees a jump due to plenty of cash being front-loaded in the deal.
Factoring in the rookie pool that's set to kick in when Cincinnati's draftees sign their deals, the Bengals will have around $14 million in top-51 offseason cap space. A reduced salary for Mixon could get them to approximately $20 million, leaving ample room for front-loaded deals for Burrow, Higgins, and another 2020 draft pick in Logan Wilson.
Cap estimates aside, the Bengals' offseason played out in a way that made Mixon more valuable to their immediate plans. How he fares in 2023 will determine if he's to stick around for the remainder of his contract.
