Team Profile
Cincinnati Bengals
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12% 10thOff DVOA
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33.8% 5thPassing DVOA
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-14.6% 27thRushing DVOA
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7.1% 26thDef DVOA
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13.4% 22ndDef Passing DVOA
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0.2% 23rdDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For27.1 5th
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Points Against26.3 26th
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Yards Per Game345.0 12th
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Yards Allowed Per Game348.0 23rd
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown remains the No. 2 option out of the backfield after the team opted not to select any competition in the NFL Draft. Cincinnati replaced Joe Mixon with Zack Moss last March, and while it seemed like they could upgrade their backfield in the draft, that wasn't the case. Instead, it appears Moss will be Cincinnati's primary running back, barring a surprise signing or trade. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic indicates that Moss has a leg up over Brown heading into the summer, including on third downs. This isn't necessarily a surprise given that Moss looked great in Indianapolis last year, but Brown also flashed promise as a rookie, totaling 335 yards and a touchdown. He enters the summer as Moss' backup but could push for more snaps with a strong camp.
The Cincinnati Bengals mildly surprised by not taking a single running back in this year's NFL draft, which means Zack Moss is in line for lead-back duties in his first year in Cincy in 2024. Moss will be the prime candidate to assume the third-down role with his extensive experience pass-blocking (68 opportunities last year, 15th in the NFL), and holding up relatively well. Chase Brown will also be involved as a complement to Moss, but after the Bengals didn't add a single RB in the draft, Moss' fantasy arrow continues to point up heading into 2024 after he impressed in Jonathan Taylor's absence with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. "No. 1, I think he'll be really good in the screen game because he's the kind of guy you get in space and has lateral quickness to make the first miss," offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Iowa tight end Erick All with the No. 115 overall selection in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday. All will join a tight end corps in Cincinnati that already includes newcomer Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample. All led Iowa in receiving yards (299) and touchdowns (three) last year despite missing half of the year due to a torn ACL. He also had spinal surgery in 2022, so there is a real injury concern with All at the next level. When he's healthy, though, he's an intriguing tight end prospect for a Bengals team that lacks any real big-name player at the position. Even if All is healthy in his rookie year in 2024, it's hard to envision him becoming a major player in an offense that already has plenty of mouths to feed.
The Bengals selected Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton with the No. 80 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The 22-year-old began his collegiate career at Georgia. However, he played at Alabama in the last two seasons. During his time with the Crimson Tide, he totaled 79 catches for 1,479 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also averaged 20.5 yards per catch as a senior. It will be tough for anyone to get consistently involved offensively with Ja'Marr Chase and potentially Tee Higgins in the equation. However, If Burton gets snaps, he could flourish catching passes from Joe Burrow, one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League.
The Cincinnati Bengals exercised the fifth-year option for wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase on Wednesday, as expected. Chase is now officially locked up through the 2025 season. The 24-year-old former fifth overall pick in 2021 out of LSU has made the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons in the NFL and set a career-high with 100 catches on 145 targets for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games in 2023, despite the fact that quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist) missed considerable time with a season-ending injury. Chase's seven touchdowns in 2023 were a career-low, but he should bounce back in that department in 2024 as long as Burrow can stay healthy all year. Chase's fantasy arrow continues to point up and he should be considered a top-tier WR1.