Bengals 2026 Training Camp Preview: LB
Players:
44. Demetrius Knight
49. Barrett Carter
42. Oren Burks
50. Shaka Heyward
43. Joe Giles-Harris
58. Eric Gentry
59. Jack Dingle
47. Swayze Bozeman
45. Liam Anderson
Of all the position groups on the team, LB is probably the weakest. Last year was a new phase at the position. Germaine Pratt was released in the offseason, while Logan Wilson was shipped off in a trade to Dallas prior to the deadline. It was the end of an era, as the two had been pillars of the Bengals defence for a number of years, including when they made it to the Super Bowl at the end of the 2021 season.
Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter were thrown into starting roles as rookies, and struggled mightily. The lack of impact from the DL didn’t help them, but the rookies clearly needed a lot of work.
The Bengals made some significant changes in some areas during the offseason, but surprisingly, LB has not been addressed. This means that, barring a late addition, they will be running it back with the same group.
Knight and Carter figure to be the starters. Knight is more of a downhill guy, and I’m hoping the Bengals use him this way, rather than dropping him in coverage a lot and having him go sideline to sideline. His processing was a bit of an issue last year and, which wasn’t great for a rookie that was on the older side. Because of this, there is a bit more pressure on him to figure things out.
Carter is also quite raw, but maybe gets a bit more benefit of the doubt because pre-draft, there was some acknowledgment that he’d need time. He wasn’t expected to start right away. His athletic upside offers hope that he can still be a quality player, if he is able to develop the mental side of his game.
Oren Burks has been scarcely talked about, for some reason. The veteran LB came to Cincy as a free agent after winning a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. The expectations were decently high, but he disappointed as well. The younger guys are expected to get a run as the starters, and rightfully so. But if he can bounce back and one of Knight or Carter continues to struggle, don’t be surprised to see Burks in one of those starting positions.
The depth really gets thin as we continue down the depth chart, though I do like Shaka Heyward. He is athletic and has a sturdy frame. Good special teamer with some upside to maybe do well in a bigger role. But he hasn’t seen much playing time, and isn’t really someone you can count on. I’d expect him to make the roster and land somewhere in the LB4-5 range.
If the Bengals go with only 5 on the roster, we could have the rest fighting for just one more spot. And that is if they don’t bring in another signing or make a trade.
Giles-Harris is a veteran with proven ability on special teams. He was decent last preseason as well. He’ll be in play. I could see him battling with Eric Gentry, a rookie UDFA. Gentry is kind of a different player. Off the ball LB with the length of an edge guy, but undersized (in terms of mass) even for a LB. He’ll definitely need to get stronger, but he has enough traits to work with that the Bengals may still choose to keep him on the roster. He’s one to watch.
Jack Dingle is a fellow rookie UDFA. I see him challenging for a spot on the practice squad, but is a decent sized long shot for the roster. Bozeman was an offseason waiver claim from the Giants. He has 9 games of regular season experience, but the 2024 UDFA will still have to show something to even challenge for a practice squad spot. If the Bengals only keep 5 LB’s on the roster, there is a good chance we see two LB’s on the practice squad. The battle at the backend might not be as intense as some others where spots are limited, but they will still have to show something to fend off potential waiver claims.
Liam Anderson rounds out the group. He has 4 games of NFL experience, and joined the Bengals practice squad last October. I’d expect him to factor into the battle with guys like Dingle and Bozeman. Even with Giles-Harris and Gentry too. None of these guys are guaranteed anything, so a standout showing would set one apart from another. Special teams will be a factor for all of the back-end guys.
While LB remains the weakest position on the team for now, we’ll see if a late move is made to try to change that.
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