Final Bengals Preseason Takeaways After REVENGE WIN Over Rams And Initial 53-Man Roster Predictions

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Yes this feels good. No, it will never make up for the heartbreak of a Super Bowl loss…but you know what? Joe Burrow and the rest of the team have moved on and are turning the page to a new year. Thankfully everyone made it out of joint practice with the Rams without getting bludgeoned into oblivion by multiple-helmet-wielding rage monster Aaron Donald.

Diving right into Week 3 preseason notes and, yes, I went through the exercise of projecting the 53-man roster…which will inevitably feature a few external signings once all 31 other teams make their cuts. Hence the word "initial" in the headline. But still, nice to have a general framework. 

Any time you work in sports and have the chance to be highly accurate at predicting something, you gotta take it. Lots of these roster spots are obvious slam dunks. So…DON'T MIND IF I DO!!

Kendric Pryor should challenge for the WR4 spot

Sorry but I’ve seen enough (or rather I haven’t, hence this takeaway) of Mike Thomas the wide receiver, not to be confused with the safety who'll probably make the team.

Receiver Mike Thomas started his career with the Rams and Zac Taylor knows him from there. I understand familiarity with scheme to an extent. It’s getting to the point where if you keep Thomas, it's a coach's pet situation, and you’re stealing opportunities from other players who have more upside and can contribute more. Such as Kendric Pryor.

Shout out to PFF’s Mike Renner for this observation following Pryor’s preseason debut:

Some of the dinosaur, Woody Hayes three yards and a cloud of dust offense that still goes down in the Big Ten boggles my mind. Wisconsin had a pretty special talent at receiver for over half a decade and couldn't find a way to get him the damn ball. 

Pryor hauled in five of six targets for 65 yards on Saturday. I was digging around for his pro day numbers. You always have to be wary of those because you can get some friendly stopwatches and what not. HOWEVER, courtesy of SI.com, here's what Pryor put up in key drills, with his hypothetical Combine rankings among wideouts if he'd been invited:

• 20-yard shuttle: 3.92s (1st)
• 3-cone drill: 6.77s (3rd)
• Broad jump: 10'11" (6th)
• Vertical jump: 38.5" (t-6th)
• 40-yard dash: 4.38 (t-7th w/ Garrett Wilson)

Fellow UDFA Kwamie Lassiter II, Trenton Irwin and WR Mike Thomas sure as hell don't have that kind of athletic profile. Spare me the "BUT LASSITER IS A RETURN MAN THOUGH" argument for keeping him over Pryor or others. Kickoffs aren't a big deal given the prevalence of touchbacks, Chris Evans is the primary guy there anyway, and Trent Taylor is the punt returner as far as I'm aware. 

Spoiler alert: I'm picking Pryor for the final 53. NEXT.

2021 second-rounder Jackson Carman is a surprise cut candidate

You better believe it. This guy BLOWS. The left guard competition didn’t even extend to the preseason finale. Cordell Volson, a Round 4 selection out of North Dakota State this year, beat out the former Clemson standout Carman before Saturday’s kickoff.

While I still think Carman sticks on the 53 at first, I doubt he’s on the active 48-man roster on game days. He might be released once Cincinnati picks someone else up — or be traded away for minimal compensation. Carman is such a liability in pass protection, it makes me squirm bearing witness to his "technique" if you could call it that.

Just a shit show. This Bengals regime has been excellent drafting-wise overall. They whiffed on Carman. Taylor's postgame comments weren't exactly glowing with praise. Legitimately made me laugh out loud.

Defensive line depth definitely seems like a strength

Third-round pick Zach Carter forced a fumble, further cementing himself as an interior pass-rushing threat. Carter has more than justified his Day 2 draft status with consistent pocket pushing in the preseason.

Seventh-round selection Jeff Gunter continued to show he has burst and bend off the edge. He was in the backfield on that Carter sack-fumble. Those two rooks should make the 53, although Gunter may be destined for the practice squad in favor of Noah Spence. 

Regardless, we already know Joseph Ossai has intriguing physical tools and versatility. Cam Sample is rising in his own right entering Year 2. Khalid Kareem, if he makes the team, is a solid holdover from last year’s rotation who was banged up in camp.

We may have some new specialists on our hands!

Cal Adomitis was an All-American long snapper at Pitt, so I suspect the Bengals will go younger there and bid adieu to 38-year-old Clark Harris. That distinction Adomitis received in college has to count for something.

Another longtime special teams staple may be on his way out of Cincinnati, too, which will suck. Kevin Huber. For all the punting franchise records he owns and the special place he holds in Bengals fans' hearts, he just turned 37 in July. Cannon-legged Drue Chrisman is the hotshot camp challenger fresh out of Ohio State who seems poised to take over.

While you could advocate for Huber's directional punting prowess and superior experience, it feels like it's time to turn the page. Plus, it's doubtful the Bengals will be punting much in 2022. We're all thinking it.

And that's a nice little springboard into the next section…

2022 Cincinnati Bengals Projected Initial 53-Man Roster

Offense

QB: Joe Burrow / Brandon Allen

RB: Joe Mixon / Samaje Perine / Chris Evans 

WR1: Ja’Marr Chase / Tee Higgins / Tyler Boyd 

WR2: Kendric Pryor / Stanley Morgan Jr. / Trent Taylor / Trenton Irwin

TE: Hayden Hurst / Drew Sample / Thaddeus Moss

LT: Jonah Williams

LG: Cordell Volson / Jackson Carman

C: Ted Karras / Trey Hill

RG: Alex Cappa / Hakeem Adeniji

RT: La’el Collins

SWING T: D’Ante Smith

Defense

DE1: Trey Hendrickson / Joseph Ossai / Jeff Gunter

DT1: D.J. Reader / Zach Carter

DT2: B.J. Hill / Josh Tupou

DE2: Sam Hubbard / Cam Sample / Khalid Kareem

LB1: Logan Wilson / Markus Bailey / Clay Johnston

LB2: Germaine Pratt / Akeem Davis-Gaither

CB1: Chidobe Awuzie / Tre Flowers

CB2: Eli Apple / Cam Taylor-Britt

CB3: Mike Hilton / Allan George

FS: Jessie Bates / Dax Hill

SS: Vonn Bell / Mike Thomas / Tycen Anderson

Specialists

K: Evan McPherson

P: Drue Chrisman

LS: Cal Adomitis

Week 1 at home against the Steelers is soooooo close. Keep tracking all those freezing cold takes, Who Dey Nation. Take mental notes LeBron-style on the doubters who think a massive regression is coming. Myself? I'll keep cackling to no end at this…

Twitter @MattFitz_gerald