We'll have to keep an eye on Brown and Williams ball security (Brown struggled with it, and Williams has had problems holding onto the ball too) come preseason.

Also blocking back's are important in this offense, but they've started Mixon all these years and he is the worse blocker in the room so that can't be the (main) issue with Evans.

Athletic testing to me means little. Y’all remember that crazy Brian Leonard play against o think the Steelers? It was like a 3rd and 17 and he was slow Af but willed himself to the first. You can’t measure that at the combine

I mentioned when the Bengals sent their rookies down the FT Knox, that CE was one of 2 "vets" sent along and his body language was terrible.

No one knows what the day had entailed but he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else than on the field with those kids (Ft Knox Youth).

This one has to be completely on Evans.

He's flashed more than enough times to make me thing he very easily could have been Mixon's replacement. He broke long runs in preseason and then was a true weapon as receiver on 3rd downs. I was always shaking my head as to why he isn't playing a bigger role. In time we'll find out - and I'll put my money on off the field commitment to the team and playbook. And that's a shame, because he's obviously very talented.

(07-10-2023, 12:59 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: This one has to be completely on Evans.

He's flashed more than enough times to make me thing he very easily could have been Mixon's replacement.  He broke long runs in preseason and then was a true weapon as receiver on 3rd downs.  I was always shaking my head as to why he isn't playing a bigger role.  In time we'll find out - and I'll put my money on off the field commitment to the team and playbook.  And that's a shame, because he's obviously very talented.

When has he flashed? That 1 time he caught a pass for a TD against the Lions 2 years ago? 

(07-10-2023, 01:51 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: When has he flashed? That 1 time he caught a pass for a TD against the Lions 2 years ago? 

Preseason.  The crossing route he caught for a TD against the Chiefs last year.

Thing is, it's not at all surprising.  Kid lost a year due to academics at Michigan.  I know for a fact at Ohio State no football players get failed and declared academically intelligible without the head coach's say so.  I doubt Michigan or any other football power is any different. The one's that are are problems that coach is trying to pressure to transfer out so they can get that scholarship back.  It's really not surprising.

I feel like we are still missing a "big back". Mixon is "big" but he plays small.

Maybe having a big back is outdated. Bengals I feel like have always had one though so the spot feels empty.

(07-10-2023, 02:48 PM)jj22 Wrote: I feel like we are still missing a "big back". Mixon is "big" but he plays small.

Maybe having a big back is outdated. Bengals I feel like have always had one though so the spot feels empty.

In Solomon Wilcot’s podcast Zac says he helps Tee and Chase because he wears down the secondary by the fourth as you can see they want no part of him.

(07-10-2023, 12:59 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: This one has to be completely on Evans.

He's flashed more than enough times to make me thing he very easily could have been Mixon's replacement. He broke long runs in preseason and then was a true weapon as receiver on 3rd downs. I was always shaking my head as to why he isn't playing a bigger role. In time we'll find out - and I'll put my money on off the field commitment to the team and playbook. And that's a shame, because he's obviously very talented.

Yeah i just don’t get it



In my mind aren’t his rookie year i thought we’d roll out the 5 wide Chase, Evans, Hurst, Boyd, Tes formations and they just never really came to fruition.

(07-09-2023, 12:33 AM)TheFan Wrote: He ran a 4.44 compared to Trayveons 4.51. He had a couple really long runs in preseason, against mostly 1st string that got called back for holdings. I don't think lack of speed is his problem. That said, there's obviously something about his him the coaches aren't fond of. 

(07-09-2023, 12:50 AM)jj22 Wrote: His game speed doesn’t look 4.44

Evans' RAS page says his 40 was 4.52 - https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=19362
Evans' Pro Day he ran 4.48, but usually a Pro Day has ~0.05 faster than what players usually run at the Combine.

Evans definitely isn't a low 4.4's guy. He looks more like a low 4.5's guy.

(07-09-2023, 04:45 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Yeah, the only thing I think we can say is that he isn't good enough. No idea why, but there is some combination of things that keeps him off the field. 

That is what is a bit baffling, the little you see, he looks good. It is something else.

(07-09-2023, 08:42 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Who knows what it is ? Can't get the playbook down ? Missing assignments, they don't trust his blocking, hell Joe just doesn't trust him ?

Whatever it is it must be pretty bad. He didn't see many snaps last year.

I think you are onto it Bengalfan74 as usual. The playbook, missed assignments, his blocking, the things we cannot see is what 
has been holding Chris Evans back, not his speed.

(07-10-2023, 02:48 PM)jj22 Wrote: I feel like we are still missing a "big back". Mixon is "big" but he plays small.

Maybe having a big back is outdated. Bengals I feel like have always had one though so the spot feels empty.

I feel like Mixon is small but plays big...

(07-13-2023, 10:51 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I feel like Mixon is small but plays big...

Would not call him huge, but at 6'1" 220 Lbs 

he is little over 2" taller and 7 Lbs heavier than the average size for an NFL RB. 

Although his 40 time hits right about on the league average.

His blocking is way under the NFL below average mark for RB's though. 

Early in Mixon's career he didnt play to his size that isn't the case now. The last couple of years he hasn't looked as explosive.


I thought Chris Evan's last pre-season was reluctant to hit the primary read. I believe he caused some unnecessary holding penalties. I think I remember reading that the coaches werent happy with his development

(07-10-2023, 11:01 AM)jj22 Wrote: We'll have to keep an eye on Brown and Williams ball security (Brown struggled with it, and Williams has had problems holding onto the ball too) come preseason.

Also blocking back's are important in this offense, but they've started Mixon all these years and he is the worse blocker in the room so that can't be the (main) issue with Evans.

Trayveon Williams has just 1 fumble across 55 touches in the NFL.

In college, Williams had 7 fumbles (4 lost) across 666 touches.

Chase Brown had 8 fumbles (3 lost) across 735 touches in college.

Compare that to Chris Evans, who had 4 fumbles (2 lost) on 369 touches in college. Evans' fumble rate is basically the same as Chase Brown.

If ball security is the concern, I don't find Evans to be much better than either Williams or Brown.

(07-13-2023, 11:27 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Trayveon Williams has just 1 fumble across 55 touches in the NFL.

In college, Williams had 7 fumbles (4 lost) across 666 touches.

Chase Brown had 8 fumbles (3 lost) across 735 touches in college.

Compare that to Chris Evans, who had 4 fumbles (2 lost) on 369 touches in college. Evans' fumble rate is basically the same as Chase Brown.

If ball security is the concern, I don't find Evans to be much better than either Williams or Brown.

Could be the issue which would hold all of them back, which would mean we have questions after (including) Mixon at the RB position. 

(07-13-2023, 11:00 AM)Go Cards Wrote: Would not call him huge, but at 6'1" 220 Lbs 

he is little over 2" taller and 7 Lbs heavier than the average size for an NFL RB. 

Although his 40 time hits right about on the league average.

His blocking is way under the NFL below average mark for RB's though. 

When you see Mixon in practice, he looks way taller than all the other RB's for some reason. Don't know how anyone can say he is small.

His deal is he trips over his own feet which makes him play small lol

Meh, I'm not gonna throw Chris under the bus or call him a diva. From everything I've heard he's a real good kid. Could just be as simple as losing the fire to play football. It's been five years since he had a prominent role anywhere, and a lot has happened since then. His reel from 2018 is one of my favs, to be sure, but it doesn't mean he stays like that forever.

FWIW, I assume his academic issue had to do with plagiarism, cheating on an exam, or something along those lines that would've warranted expulsion for most students. I have no way of knowing whether that's true, but that always made the most sense to me in terms of how he and the program handled it. Either way, I know he was working three jobs during that year off (carpenter, dishwasher and high school coach, IINM) and started his own non-profit for kids. Plenty of opportunity for his mind to evolve away from football, which I've always felt was the risk of taking a flier on him.

Personally, I think he's done with the Bengals- he knows it, they know it, it just hasn't been made official. We'll see soon enough. I wish him well regardless.