For me I want to see how much diverse the offense will look
I dont expect ZT to obviously show the whole playbook.
but I want to seeenough that I know the offenses of the last 3 years have been exorcised out of Cincy.
cant wait to see what Williams Sample will look like like.
and to see how those last few WR spots shake out.

If I see williams, that will be a blessing. But what I'm truly looking for is discipline and execution. Plus, since this is the new regime of coaching, I would like to see how they strategize for the W. I know W's and L's don't matter in preseason, and for gods sake don't want any injuries to players trying to achieve one, but curious how ZT will be running his show. Last think we need is another era of ML safe play to lose.

I want to see how Zac and the coaching staff handle game situations. How players are rotated, when they call time outs, how they react to presnap penalties, etc

I want to see the LB Corps develop into a cohesive unit. If injuries can be avoided, I can foresee Brown, Vigil, and Pratt being a pretty solid set of starters.

Offensive line play and who is playing where...

I want to see the them dominate the trenches on both sides of the ball from the 1st string to the 4th.

1. O-line
2. LBs
3. Ross and every WR other than Green and Boyd.

The line (obviously), and I'd like to see Sample get some usage, and then the defense as a whole (but specifically the linebackers and I'd also like to see if Wren can be as special as I think because he and Geno have me excited as a pair).

Mostly, and we may not see it fully in the preseason, is just the new energy and excitement that it seems like the players will have. They're excited to be playing for Zac and excited to put on the stripes, which is something that has been missing here for a long time.

(06-23-2019, 04:10 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I want to see the LB Corps develop into a cohesive unit.  If injuries can be avoided, I can foresee Brown, Vigil, and Pratt being a pretty solid set of starters.

(06-23-2019, 04:39 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: Offensive line play and who is playing where...

Yup

The LBers and Oline will be my biggest focus. But like others have said I'm also anxious to see just the overall O. How they use Mixon, Ross, Sample and so on. And again like others have said they're not gonna show the whole hand in preseason but still we should be able to get a bit of a feel. 

On D I want to see aggressiveness and again guys aren't gonna launch over the Oline in preseason but we should get some glimmers.

(06-23-2019, 04:10 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I want to see the LB Corps develop into a cohesive unit.  If injuries can be avoided, I can foresee Brown, Vigil, and Pratt being a pretty solid set of starters.

Yep.  LB coverage in particular may well tell us a lot about how the season is going to unfold.  There shouldn't be easy yards over the middle all the time.

It's the same for me every season... I wanna see the rookies. I don't think you can really tell much of anything in the preseason though.

I want to see positive play and a high energy level.

(06-23-2019, 04:10 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I want to see the LB Corps develop into a cohesive unit.  If injuries can be avoided, I can foresee Brown, Vigil, and Pratt being a pretty solid set of starters.

This (especially this), but also the general feel of the offense beginning with WR routes. I just want to see an offense that looks more fluid.

(06-23-2019, 06:20 PM)fredtoast Wrote: 1. O-line
2. LBs
3. Ross and every WR other than Green and Boyd.

This.

The offensive line. We'll have to look quick, I know, but I want to see all of them, right down the line. Also have special interested in Pratt, like a lot of others do also. If he's the real deal, that would be a tremendous point of improvement for our defense.

LB play
OL play
Playcalling
How the coaches handle game situations

(06-23-2019, 10:24 PM)Jakeypoo Wrote: I want to see positive play and a high energy level.

Bingo for me! I want to see a quicker offense getting ready for the next snap. Not really the no huddle, but getting to the line quicker and snap the ball.  Defensively, I want to see guys moving around, more than 4 guys blitzing at a time. 

Preseasons tend to be erratic indications of the regular season play, but I'd like to see good fundamentals, like tackling, and to escape injury free.

The OP specifically asked; "What's the ONE thing..."

So, why do most of you have a laundry list of things? Be bold, be balsy, commit to one glaring weakness and pay attention to it.

(06-23-2019, 04:10 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I want to see the LB Corps develop into a cohesive unit.  If injuries can be avoided, I can foresee Brown, Vigil, and Pratt being a pretty solid set of starters.

This

(06-23-2019, 04:39 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: Offensive line play and who is playing where...

And that