CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals open training camp on Wednesday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The Bengals finished the 2020 season with a 4-11-1 record to finish last in the AFC West for the third straight year. Cincinnati is looking for its first playoff berth since 2015 and hasn't won a playoff game since January 1991.
The Bengals return 17 players who were starters from last year's team. Head coach Zac Taylor is entering his third year with the Bengals. The coordinators are Brian Callahan (offense), Lou Anarumo (defense) and Darrin Simmons (special teams).
Here's a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (2): Joe Burrow, Brandon Allen
Allen's performances after Burrow went down with his knee injury, specifically in leading the team to victory over Houston, were enough to make him the backup quarterback at the end of last season. With Burrow on track to play Week 1, Cincinnati doesn't need a third quarterback on the 53-man roster.
RUNNING BACK (4): Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine, Chris Evans, Pooka Williams
A couple of rookies will be in the mix to fill out the depth behind starter Mixon and his primary relief, Perine. Evans, a sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan, could start the year at RB3. Williams, who had a couple of good years at Kansas, has started to make himself valuable in special teams, which might help him earn one of the last roster spots.
WIDE RECEIVER (7): Tyler Boyd, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Stanley Morgan, Auden Tate, Trent Taylor, Mike Thomas
The starting trio of Boyd, Chase and Higgins has the potential to be one of the best receiver combinations in the AFC, if not the whole league. Chase, the fifth overall pick in this year's draft, will take over for the departed A.J. Green at the "X" spot in the formation. Taylor will be useful as a backup slot receiver, filling the void left by Alex Erickson, and also be an option as a punt returner.
TIGHT END (3): Thaddeus Moss, Drew Sample, C.J. Uzomah
Uzomah is coming off an Achilles injury that he suffered on Week 2 of last season. Sample, a 2019 second-round pick, made great strides in his game and has been a capable pass-catching option. Moss is another player on the roster who played with Burrow at LSU and was part of the team that won the College Football Playoff for the 2019 season.
INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE (5): Jackson Carman, Trey Hopkins, Billy Price, Quinton Spain, Trey Hill
Carman, a second-round pick, is moving from his college position of left tackle to right guard, where the Bengals are looking for some interior stability under new assistant coach Frank Pollack. Hopkins is working to be back for Week 1 after tearing an ACL in the 2020 season finale. If Spain continues to have the inside track for the starting spot at left guard, it could potentially put Xavier Su'a-Filo at risk of being cut this offseason.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE (4): Fred Johnson, Riley Reiff, D'Ante Smith, Jonah Williams
Even though Williams has battled injuries in his first two years, the Bengals liked what they saw to keep him at left tackle and pass on Oregon's Penei Sewell in this year's draft. Reiff, who was previously in Minnesota, is penciled in as the starting right tackle. Smith and Johnson will provide depth on the edges.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE (5): Mike Daniels, Larry Ogunjobi, D.J. Reader, Tyler Shelvin, Josh Tupou
Cincinnati's interior depth was tested last year because of injuries and Tupou's opt-out because of COVID-19. Tupou is back and the Bengals' big 2020 free-agent signing, Reader, is also scheduled to return from a season-ending quad injury. Ogunjobi gives the Bengals some necessary interior pass rush that has lacked in recent years.
DEFENSIVE END (5): Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Wyatt Hubert, Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample
Hubbard is the lone defensive end from last year's team that is included in this projection. Hendrickson was signed to a four-year deal worth $60 million after posting 13.5 sacks with the New Orleans Saints last season. Cincinnati had the NFL's lowest sack total in 2020 and addressed the unit in the draft. Ossai and Sample were selected in the third and fourth rounds, respectively, while Hubert was added on Day 3.
LINEBACKERS (5): Akeem Davis-Gaither, Jordan Evans, Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson, Markus Bailey
Second-year player Wilson will take over as the starting middle linebacker after learning the ropes from Josh Bynes last season. Pratt appears to be holding on to the other linebacker spot when the Bengals are in a 4-2-5 formation. Cincinnati has struggled with quality linebacker play in previous years but Wilson's three pass deflections and two interceptions showed he can be disruptive and effective in the middle of the defense.
CORNERBACK (6): Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton, Darius Phillips, Trae Waynes, Eli Apple, Tony Brown
The Bengals have spent the past two years revamping their secondary. Phillips is the only player who was on the roster when the new coaching staff arrived in February 2019. Waynes, one of the big acquisitions in the 2020 free agency cycle, is fully healthy after missing all of last season with a pectoral injury. Awuzie was signed to be the other outside corner. But perhaps the most unheralded pick-up? Hilton leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers to come to his former AFC North rival. Hilton is considered to be one of the better slot corners in the league.
SAFETY (4): Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell, Kavon Frazier, Brandon Wilson
This unit is one of the strongest on Cincinnati's roster. Bates is arguably the best Bengal and has played like one of the NFL's top safeties. Bell had some good moments in his first season with the Bengals, while Wilson provides depth and is also their primary kick returner. Frazier comes to Cincinnati after spending last season with the Miami Dolphins.
SPECIALIST (3): Evan McPherson (K), Kevin Huber (P), Clark Harris (LS)
McPherson is the big newcomer to this group. The former Florida kicker was drafted in the fifth round to give the Bengals some stability after a rocky 2020. The Bengals brought punter Drue Chrisman as an undrafted free agent but Kevin Huber still slotted as the starting punter.