The Cincinnati Bengalsbegin training camp for the 2020 NFL season on July 28 at at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. They finished 2-14 in the AFC North and missed the playoffs for the fourth season in a row. The Bengals return 18 starters from that team as well as head coach Zac Taylor and coordinators Brian Callahan (offense), Lou Anarumo (defense) and Darrin Simmons (special teams). Here's a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Joe Burrow, Ryan Finley and Jake Dolegala.
The Bengals opted not to sign any veterans and roll with Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, and two second-year players in Finley and Dolegala. The Bengals liked Dolegala enough to keep him rostered through all of 2019, so it makes sense that they will continue to hang on to him as he continues his development.
RUNNING BACK (4): Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard, Trayveon Williams and Jacques Patrick.
This could be one of the biggest battles going into training camp. The Bengals signed Patrick, who played in the short-lived XFL, to come in and potentially provide some depth. He could contend with Williams, a rookie who had no carries in 2019, and 2019 seventh-round pick Rodney Anderson, who has endured multiple knee injuries throughout his career.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross III, Tee Higgins, Scotty Washington and Auden Tate.
When healthy, this is the deepest unit on the roster. Green, Boyd and Ross are three strong options. Throw in second-round pick Higgins and the emerging Tate, and the Bengals have five solid options at wide receiver. That is needed considering the Bengals run 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) more than any other team in the league (75.3%, according to NFL Next Gen Stats). Veteran wide receiver Alex Erickson, who has been with the Bengals since he was an undrafted free agent in 2016, is at risk of getting cut. The unit gained quality depth this offseason as Erickson's role in the offense and on special teams diminished in 2019.
TIGHT END (3): C.J. Uzomah, Drew Sample and Cethan Carter.
Uzomah becomes the top veteran on the depth chart after the Bengals opted not to re-sign Tyler Eifert, who left to sign a multi-year deal with Jacksonville. Sample, the 2019 second-round pick, suffered a season-ending ankle injury right as his role started to increase in the offense. The Bengals will need Uzomah and Sample to be reliable pass-catching options.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Bobby Hart, Billy Price, Michael Jordan, Trey Hopkins, Alex Redmond, Xavier Su'a-Filo, Jonah Williams, Fred Johnson and Hakeem Adeniji.
Williams will step in as the starting left tackle after the 2019 first-round pick missed his entire rookie year with a shoulder injury. The Bengals added depth on the interior line by signing Su'a-Filo in free agency and drafted Adeniji in the sixth round. The battle for the vacancy at right guard is expected to be between Redmond, Su'a-Filo and Price. But it's always hard to predict how assistant coach Jim Turner will shape the line for Week 1.
DEFENSIVE END (4): Carlos Dunlap, Carl Lawson, Sam Hubbard and Khalid Kareem.
Dunlap is the Bengals' all-time sack leader and will be expected to consistently provide pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Hubbard and Lawson have been effective when healthy and will be needed to provide pressure off the edge.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE (4): Geno Atkins, Ryan Glasgow, D.J. Reader and Josh Tupou.
Atkins, the NFL 2010 All-Decade team selection and one of the top players in franchise history, will be looking for a bounce-back season after he mustered a mere 4.5 sacks in 2019. He'll have some help with the addition of Reader, who received a four-year contract in the offseason worth $53 million. Reader and a healthy Glasgow, who missed the last eight games of 2019 with injury, will help Atkins carry the workload that he shouldered too much of last season.
LINEBACKER (6): Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson, Josh Bynes, Austin Calitro, Akeem Davis-Gaither and Markus Bailey.
This unit is almost unrecognizable from the one a year ago. Of the players included in this roster projection, Pratt is the only one who was with the Bengals last season. The Bengals made it a point to overhaul the middle of the defense. Expect Wilson, the third-round pick out of Wyoming, to compete for a starting spot.
CORNERBACK (7): Trae Waynes, William Jackson III, Winston Rose, Darius Phillips, Mackensie Alexander Tony Brown and LeShaun Sims.
Waynes was the other high-priced addition in free agency. The former Minnesota Vikings cornerback agreed to a three-year deal worth $42 million. He'll be expected to be a starting outside cornerback opposite Jackson, who will need a big year as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. Alexander, another new signee, should see significant reps as an inside cornerback. Rose is one of the most intriguing players on the roster. He led the Canadian Football League in 2019 with nine interceptions.
SAFETY (4): Vonn Bell, Shawn Williams, Jessie Bates and Brandon Wilson.
The safeties should shoulder less of the defensive burdens in 2020 if the front seven improves as expected. Last year, Bates was essentially relegated as a safety valve in the back of the defense while Williams lined up at linebacker to help shore up the middle of the defense. Bell, who comes from New Orleans on a three-year deal worth $18 million, is projected to start alongside Bates at the back of the 3-4 defense.
SPECIALIST (3): Randy Bullock, Kevin Huber and Clark Harris.
This unit easily has the best job security on the team. Huber, the punter, and Harris, the long snapper, are established veterans who were terrific last season. Bullock, the kicker, has been subject to criticism over the years, but he's responded every time the Bengals have signed someone to compete with him. Last season, Bullock was 27-of-31 on field goals with a career long of 57 yards.