This offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals overhauled its running back room. Long-time running back and former second-round pick Joe Mixon was shipped off for a seventh-round pick. In free agency, former Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills running back Zack Moss was brought in. Atop the depth chart, along with Moss, is second-year back Chase Brown. However, behind the duo at the top, there is now a hole.
On Thursday, the Bengals and Chicago Bears held a joint practice in preparation for this Saturday’s preseason matchup at Soldier Field. It was a wet mess of a practice and both sides were struggling to get things going. The real news of the day was the injuries. Trent Brown tweaked his back, D’Ante Smith was carted off, and Chris Evans was lost for the year with a torn patellar tendon.
Now, the Bengals have a question mark at RB3 and beyond.
The Cincinnati Bengals Running Back Depth Needs Help
Evans was a sixth-round pick for the Bengals’ 2021 NFL Draft class and has shown flashes in his time but never truly settled in as a regular contributor. In three seasons, he has totaled just 89 rushing yards and no touchdowns off 19 carries. As a receiver, he has hauled in 19 passes for 188 yards and three scores. Evans was also trusted with returning duties, returning 14 kicks for 22.4 yards a pop.
He was a dynamic player with the ball in his hands but never really got the opportunity to show it outside of the preseason. In his first two seasons in Cincinnati, he averaged 10.4 yards per reception. His most recent touchdown was an eight-yard game-winning score against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13 of 2022.
Depth on the Roster
Evans was battling with Trayveon Williams to be the third running back on the roster. Over the last two seasons, Williams has been the third-leading running back on the team behind Mixon and Brown last year, and Mixon and Samaje Perine in 2022. After missing his rookie season due to an injury, Williams has rushed for 307 yards without a touchdown off 62 carries. 157 of those yards came in 2020, however. As a receiver, he’s hauled in 15 passes for 74 yards.
In his time, Williams has made more of an impact as a kick returner and was battling with Evans for those reps as well. Williams returned 28 kicks over the last two seasons for an average of 23.1 yards per.
While Williams may have the inside track to be RB3 in Cincinnati, the Bengals have a pair of UDFA backs vying for a roster spot, Elijah Collins and Noah Cain.
Collins spent his first five seasons in college at Michigan State, rushing for 1,506 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best season was his sophomore year where he amassed 988 yards and five scores. Then, he transferred to Oklahoma State for the 2023 season and was the third option, rushing for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
Cain, meanwhile, was a highly-touted running back for Penn State. He missed almost the entire 2020 season but finished his Nittany Lions career with 806 yards and 12 touchdowns. Before the 2022 season, he transferred to LSU and ran for 590 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Both UDFAs will have the chance to make an impact in the final two preseason games. In the first game, Collins accounted for just six yards off of one rush. Cain did not register any stats.
Outside Names?
It’s very unlikely the Bengals running back room will feature a free agent signing at this point in the process. However, old friend Perine is a popular pick to be let go by the Denver Broncos and would slot in naturally.
There are a few free-agent running backs out there, led by Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, Kareem Hunt, and Jerick McKinnon. Plus, there will be a few running backs out there let go on cut-down day.
As of now, it’s not looking like the Bengals are going to go out and get a running back. Anything can happen, of course, it’s just unlikely.
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