Players:
26. Trae Waynes
22. Chidobe Awuzie
21. Mike Hilton
23. Darius Phillips
20. Eli Apple
39. Winston Rose
27. Tony Brown
35. Jalen Davis
33. Donnie Lewis
29. Antonio Phillips
A lot has changed in the Bengals CB room this offseason. As a result, all three starting CB’s will be playing their first snaps with the Bengals this year, barring injury.
The Bengals were excited to hand out a big contract to Trae Waynes in free agency last year. Unfortunately, he ended up missing the season with a pectoral injury.
Since then, William Jackson is no longer on the team, and Waynes will now be relied on to be the team’s number one CB. While he certainly has the talent and has played great in some stretches, he has also been a bit inconsistent at times, throughout his career. He is somewhat of a boom/bust player for the Bengals secondary right now, considering the role that he will have.
Speaking of boom/bust, Chidobe Awuzie is penciled in as the number two, opposite of Waynes. The 26 year old is a former 2nd round pick of the Dallas Cowboys. He had a few solid seasons for the Cowboys from 2017-2019, but unfortunately took a big step back in 2020. In all fairness, he was held back largely due to injuries. He will need to prove that he can get back to his early career form.
Like Jackson, the Bengals also let Mackensie Alexander walk in free agency. They poached his replacement, Mike Hilton, from the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Hilton is a solid player and seemed to be a fan favourite in Pittsburgh. While Hilton is not really known for his ability in coverage, he was brought in for a reason. That reason is his ability as a blitzer. We have seen, over the past two seasons, Darius Phillips being used occasionally as a blitzer. Now, the Bengals get one of the best in that category. It is a signing that defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo surely played a big part in.
Darius Phillips, who was just mentioned, seems set to be fourth on the depth chart. He continues the boom/bust trend that was started by the top 2 guys on the depth chart. He is uber athletic and has shown ball hawking tendencies in the past. However, there have also been times where he has been burned down the field. With other guys above him on the depth chart, there will be less pressure on Phillips this year and he should continue to see some reps as a returner. It would not be a surprise to see him have a breakout year.
The Bengals signed former 1st round pick Eli Apple this offseason. Up to this point, he has been a bust, but the potential is still there. He is a solid reclamation project for the Bengals and could prove to be a nice depth piece in a year where he might have some extra motivation.
Winston Rose, Tony Brown, Jalen Davis, Donnie Lewis, and Antonio Phillips round out the rest of the group. Brown managed to find his way into 13 games, mostly playing special teams. He did, however, play a little on defence, most notably against the Steelers. He largely struggled in that game, and will have to fight for his roster spot. Rose will be hungry for his chance after the cancellation of the preseason last year took away his opportunity to get some game action. He was a ballhawk in the CFL before joining the Bengals, and could be one to watch. Davis played in six games last year. Like Brown, he saw more playing time in the road game against the Steelers. He also struggled. Lewis, meanwhile, spent time on the Bengals practice squad last year, while Antonio Phillips is a rookie UDFA. They are probably the longest shots to make it.
The Bengals are rolling the dice with a lot of new faces at the CB position. There is a lot of risk with some of the moves that have been made, but there is no doubt that there is also a lot of upside. If the young additions can play to their potential, it would be a major help to the pass rush get home. Furthermore, it would go a long way in helping the team make a push for the playoffs.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: Erik Drost (CC)