CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals open the 2023 NFL regular season at the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 10 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Bengals will look to get back to the Super Bowl for the second time in the last three seasons after getting bounced in the AFC Championship Game last season.
The big pieces for the roster that have contributed to the team's success remain intact for the upcoming year, including running back Joe Mixon, who agreed to a restructured deal and avoided becoming a salary cap casualty.
The battle to be his primary backup -- and whether someone can prove himself to be a starting option in 2024 -- will be something to watch throughout the season.
Here is a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (2): Joe Burrow, Trevor Siemian
For the first time since 2019, the Bengals have a new back-up quarterback. After Brandon Allen signed with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, the Bengals brought in Siemian. The veteran has a familiarity with offensive coordinator Brian Callahan dating back to their days in Denver. If he continues the form he showed in offseason workouts, he'll firmly be in the No. 2 spot ahead of Jake Browning.
RUNNING BACK (3): Joe Mixon, Trayveon Williams, Chase Brown
This is the position to watch in training camp. Mixon's renegotiated contract puts him as the starter for 2023. But with Samaje Perine now in Denver, the role of primary third-down back is up for grabs. Williams is a dependable veteran who has received increased responsibilities in recent years. Brown, the team's 2023 fifth-round draft pick, carried a heavy workload at Illinois. That could make the numbers tight for Chris Evans.
WIDE RECEIVER (7): Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Charlie Jones, Trenton Irwin, Stanley Morgan, Andrei Iosivas
The team will continue to be based around the passing offense. The top three spots are rock solid with Chase, Higgins and Boyd. So that means for another year, there is some competition to be the No. 4 receiver. Irwin stepped in and played well in spots last season. But the Bengals added Jones, a fourth-round pick out of Purdue, in this year's draft. Jones could show that he's a viable long-term replacement for Boyd, who's in the final year of his contract.
TIGHT END (3): Irv Smith Jr., Devin Asiasi, Drew Sample
For the third straight season, the Bengals will have a new starting tight end. Former Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. will take over for Hayden Hurst, who signed a multi-year deal with the Carolina Panthers this offseason. Sample, a 2019 second-round draft pick, remains an integral part of the team's run game.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Orlando Brown Jr., Alex Cappa, Ted Karras, Cordell Volson, Jonah Williams, Trey Hill, La'el Collins, Max Scharping, Hakeem Adeniji, Jackson Carman
Remember the Bengals offensive line from the 2021 season? Two years later, not a single starter from that line is playing the same position. The last holdover from that group, Williams, moves to right tackle after the Bengals made a big splash in free agency and signed Brown to be their left tackle. Solidifying the tackle positions could lift a Cincinnati offensive line that ranked 30th in pass block win rate, according to ESPN Analytics.
DEFENSIVE LINE (10): Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, DJ Reader, BJ Hill, Zach Carter, Josh Tupou, Myles Murphy, Cam Sample, Joseph Ossai, Tarell Basham
Cincinnati kept this unit largely intact. The lone big addition was Murphy, their first-round pick in April. Hendrickson remains the team's go-to pass-rusher while Hubbard is looking to build on last season, his best in the league. Murphy and Ossai can give the Bengals some rotational depth to help put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, especially deep into the playoffs. But Reader remains the most important player on the line and the most integral part of the defense.
LINEBACKER (4): Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Joe Bachie
This unit is surprisingly intact after the Bengals were able to afford giving Pratt a new, three-year contract worth more than $20 million. Pratt and Wilson are the mainstays in the middle of the defense, with Davis-Gaither and Bachie in depth roles.
CORNERBACK (6): Chidobe Awuzie, Cam Taylor-Britt, Mike Hilton, DJ Turner, Jalen Davis, DJ Ivey
Cornerback could be a big strength for the Bengals this season. Awuzie, who is coming off an ACL injury to his right knee that ended his season, was one of the league's top cover cornerbacks in 2022. Taylor-Britt showed significant growth as his rookie season progressed and is a solid option as the team's other outside cornerback. Look for Turner, this year's second-round selection out of Michigan, to learn the ropes as he prepares to potentially take Awuzie's spot in 2024.
SAFETY (5): Dax Hill, Nick Scott, Michael Thomas, Sidney Jones IV, Jordan Battle
This group is the biggest question mark on the roster. Hill replaces Jessie Bates III, who has started at free safety since 2018 and been one of the league's best. Scott, a former Los Angeles Rams safety, takes Vonn Bell's former spot. Thomas, a special teams captain in 2022, and Hill are the only ones in this group who were on the roster last season.
SPECIALISTS (3): K Evan McPherson, P Brad Robbins, LS Cal Adomitis
McPherson is looking for a bounce-back season after his field-goal percentage dropped and he missed four extra points in 2022. Robbins could give the Bengals some stability at punter after some uncertainty for the last two seasons. Between spending a draft pick on Robbins and Drue Chrisman's performance, Robbins should be a lock to start the season on the roster.