Three Cincinnati Bengals players who raised their stock following mandatory minicamp
When NFL teams practice in June, July, August, or really any month outside of the season, there are no real winners or losers. There's just the healthy and unhealthy. Fortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, health is at an abundance throughout the roster. Just a couple players are awaiting clearance to practice due to past injuries. Oh […]
When NFL teams practice in June, July, August, or really any month outside of the season, there are no real winners or losers. There's just the healthy and unhealthy.
Fortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, health is at an abundance throughout the roster. Just a couple players are awaiting clearance to practice due to past injuries. Oh yeah, and the quarterback is nearing 100% as well.
Joe Burrow being out on the field was a huge win for the Bengals as a whole, but which of his teammates did their best to raise their standing on the roster? Three names stand out as risers from the conclusion of offseason workouts.
RB Chase Brown
The signing of Zack Moss should not slow down the hype train fueled by Brown's upside. Brown enters his second season in Cincinnati's backfield primed to carry the ball much more and continue using his breakaway speed and agility in the pass game. Becoming more involved in the latter appears to be what the noise is saying about the 24-year old tailback.
"I have had multiple people mention to me Chase Brown without prompting," The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. revealed on an episode of The Growler. "And talking about running routes, and how drastically different and better he looks at that."
14 receptions for 156 yards and a 54-yard touchdown was just a glimpse of Brown's potential as a receiving option. More opportunities will come when Brown proves he's worthy, and it sounds like that has been confirmed.
WR Andrei Iosivas
While Tee Higgins was away from the team, Iosivas was one of the wideouts given reps to compensate for the franchise player's absence. All signs indicate that was a good choice by the team.
Iosivas has all the physical makings of a starting receiver, and he's now showcasing more refinement in his craft. A better understanding of where to be in his routes, timing, and all the nuances of his position can further unlock his valuable combination of size and speed.
And it was all visible thanks to Higgins not being around to take those reps. Iosivas continues to climb the ladder inside the wide receivers room, one added rep at a time.
CB Dax Hill
It might be too early to tell who has the lead for the starting cornerback job on the other side of the field from Cam Taylor-Britt, but no one would blink twice if you said Hill was ahead of DJ Turner II right now. Hill took plenty of reps with the first-team defense during the late days of OTAs and minicamp.
Cornerbacks and receivers can only get so physical this time of year. Hill will have to further validate his progress at his new position later on next month and in August to determine if he's truly ahead of Turner for the gig.
So far, he's certainly not far behind. That's a big step in the competition.
The ongoing journey for Bengals’ Dax Hill is far more interesting than the destination
Hill will be switching back to his natural position this offseason, which is the only way his career in Cincinnati can be salvaged.
