Bengals 2025 Training Camp Preview: RB


Bengals Training Camp Preview: RB

Players:

30. Chase Brown

31. Zack Moss

34. Samaje Perine

25. Tahj Brooks

36. Kendall Milton

40. Quali Conley

32. Gary Brightwell

Unlike at the QB position, there is a bit more going on at RB. The Bengals had their mind set on making some changes, going into this offseason. They were able to accomplish a couple of things in free agency, before then further addressing the position during and after the draft.

Despite the changes, nothing will look different at the top. Brown is locked in as the team’s starter. While he might not get quite as heavy a workload as he did last year, he will still get the bulk of the touches.

The next few spots get interesting. While none of the remaining guys are your textbook definition locks, someone like Moss is hard to imagine being left off. After initially being projected as a cap casualty, he took a pay cut to stay. However, along with the pay cut came additional guaranteed money, which would incentivize the Bengals to keep him on the roster. At this point, I’d guess that he is the primary backup behind Brown.

Brown can catch passes, but we could see Perine get most of his work on passing downs, as he did during his last stint with the Bengals. He can make some plays after the catch, and is also reliable in pass protection. Perine is reliable in a general sense too, and the Bengals had been trying to get him back for a while. In fact, they didn’t even want him to leave in the first place. I expect that he’ll have a role, though it is hard to say just how much. Regardless, it is hard to see him being left off the roster.

Having three established veterans at the top of the depth chart means that Brooks is pushed down to fourth, at least for now. The power back doesn’t have much dynamic running ability, but can get those tough yards. He was also one of the best backs in college football as a pass protector. There are clearly some things that the coaching staff likes about him, but he’ll have to earn his reps, given the logjam above him. As a 6th round rookie, he isn’t a lock to make it, but right now I guess that he does. If he can’t jump Moss or Perine, his rookie year will be spent as an RB4, barring injury.

With the top four pretty well set, you have to figure that the rest are competing either for a spot on the practice squad, or a chance from another team. There isn’t much there to separate the remaining three, either.

Milton spent most of last season on the practice squad, with a brief stint on the roster. He was a solid college prospect last year, despite going undrafted. He’ll be competing with the rookie UDFA, Conley. Conley, like Milton, is more of a power runner. As college prospects, Milton had the better profile, but that doesn’t mean as much these days. Brightwell rounds out the competition. A 6th round pick in 2021, he has 164 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, and 92 receiving yards to his name. Brightwell spent the later portion of last season with the Bengals on the practice squad. This trip will be competing for a spot, or possibly two, on the practice squad.



Featured Image Via: Dinur (CC)

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