As training camp nears for the Cincinnati Bengals, we're going to take a look at the most intriguing positional battles all over the roster. Whether they're at the top or near the bottom of the depth chart, jobs will be on the line starting this month.

The dynamic at running back for the Cincinnati Bengals has changed. Samaje Perine is no longer the running mate of Joe Mixon in Cincinnati, and Mixon's future with the team is still up in the air to some extent.

For now, the 2021 Pro Bowl tailback is still leading the charge in the running game, and a new face has entered the picture to help complement him along with a couple roster mainstays. The battle to run alongside Mixon should be more fierce than it ever has been before.

Bengals Backup RB Competitors

Trayveon Williams

The trust Williams has slowly earned from the coaches has been almost been secretive. He emerged almost from nowhere as the kickoff returner last season, and fended off Chris Evans as RB3 despite the expectation of Evans taking the next step. 

Opportunities have been limited for Williams in the Fall, but the numbers are surprisingly really solid! In just 47 career carries, he boasts a 5.1 yards per carry average. Only four other Bengals in history with at least 40 carries averaged five yards a pop.

Williams has done enough every Summer to stick around, and with Perine out the door, he might just be the favorite to take his job. He'll get first dibs as the third down back, with pass protection and being an outlet for Joe Burrow being his main responsibilities.

Chase Brown

Four years ago it was Williams entering camp as a day three pick, now it’s Brown’s reality. The difference being Brown has a legit chance of playing significant snaps as a rookie with the power vacuum at the position. 

Despite his draft status as a fifth-round pick, Brown comes into the NFL very experienced and well versed in what the Bengals' offense will look like. He's comfortable running out of shotgun and getting downhill on gap-style runs. 

What can really can separate him from the pack is his elusiveness. Brown is packaged with low 4.4 speed and broke 83 tackles last season for Illinois. Whether he's in the open field, or with one tackler to beat, Brown will get the yards that the Bengals have been missing in recent years.

Chris Evans

The RB2 position doesn’t seem to be in Evans’ reach anymore. When he was expected to make a run at the role last year, he only fell in the depth chart. The few opportunities he received in 2022 weren’t good enough to justify more.

Evans' sole concern should be to just make the roster at this point, because a pass centric offense that spends 80% of the time in 11 personnel with three wide receivers doesn't have a lot of practical need for a fourth running back.

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When Perine jettisoned for a new start with the Denver Broncos, the Bengals were quick to re-sign Williams to a modest one-year deal. Having a veteran presence to pair with Mixon entering the draft was crucial, and allowed the team to wait until the right moment to pull the trigger on a rookie.

But Brown is not bound by anything this month. He'll be given meaningful reps to gauge how much he can do right away. If he proves to be useful in the passing game, both as a blocker and receiver, he can fend off Williams and start his career on the fast track. 

In all likelihood, the Bengals will use both players throughout the season for their different strengths. The beginning of the rotation will start when camp does.

Latest update on Bengals Pro Bowler is very telling

An interesting quote when reading between the lines.

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