The 2025 Bengals Rosters Thread: Coaches & Players

[Essex Johnson]

(07-29-2025, 01:05 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I have no inside info, but here is my thinking on the roster, and, obviously, YMMV. 

First off, what is the minimum number we need to carry at each spot? Are there battles for those spots or are they clear cut? Then you have to make decisions on how to allocate the remaining spots on the roster: by player & position. 

Minimums: QB 2, RB 3, WR 5, TE 4, OL 9, DL 9, LB 5, CB 5, S 4, PL 1, P 1, LS 1 = 49. 23 O, 23 D, 3 ST.

That leaves 4 choices for other spots: QB3, RB4, WR 6, TE 5, OL10/11, DL 10/11, LB 6, CB 6, S 5. 

A. QB (2). Burrow; Browning. PS: Ridder.

Signing Ridder and releasing Woodside has some folk believing we could carry 3, or trade Browning to Tenn after Levis' injury. But I think we stick with Browning, he knows the system. If Burrow gets a knock, I'd much rather have Browning forca game ir teo than Ridder. 3 QBs is not impossible, though. Ridder to PS. Thorne is a camp body. 

RB (3). C. Brown, Perine, Brooks. PS: Brightwell. IR/PUP/NFI: Moss.

With Moss on the shelf, this is easy. With him available, keeping 4 is more probable, and I am not sure who the top 3 are if we keep only 3. Brown  obviously, plus I'd say Brooks (who we really like), with Perine & Moss battling for the last spot  which might be RB2, ironically. With Moss' restructure, the savings on cutting him or Perine is virtually identical ($1.242 vs $1.2 mil). I think we like Moss and want to do right by him, he might get IR'd. I don't think Brightwell, Milton, or Conley are serious threats to make the 53. That is a PS battle. If Perine or a healthy Moss are cut, they probably get signed somewhere. 

WR (5). Chsse, Higgins, Iosivas; Burron, C. Jones. PS: I. Williams, Pryor.

First 3 are obvious locks. Burton is as well if his head is on straight, and it looks like it is. I. Williams filled in nicely last year with Jones hurt and Burton AWOL. Both returning punts and in the slot. But I think Sizzle beats him out. 

I go light here with Gesicki & Hudson as de facto WRs, and Burton looking more dependable. Plus, I actually like some of the guys sitting 7 & lower on the depth chart (Pryor, Burgess, Mayes, Tinsley), so even if we loose Williams, I still feel OK about WR6 on the PS. I think we keep 2, or most likely 3 on the PS. Owens & Moore also battling for those spots.

TE (5). D. Sample, Gesicki, Grandy, Hudson, McLachlan. PS: None. 

I hate my decision here. But the one dimensional nature of our top TEs (Sample & Gesicki) and the lack of quality deeper on the roster, makes it too risky not to roster the deputies at each role (Grandy & Hudson). Cannot risk losing them. We rostered McLachlan all year, despite not even getting ST snaps. He was coming off injury, but we fid not want to risk losing him with a cut last year, has that changed? 

If he can play, maybe the dynamic changes. Though I do not know if we see him as more of a blocker or receiver (both?). Or if we decide he cannot play and try and stash him on the PS. Taylor is huge and could be Grandy cover. But I think he is PS at best. McLachlan is de facto PS here. 

Bringing in Fant shows we realize we need help. And him signing would be bad news for Hudson, as he is more of a receiver. Though possibly one of the others as well. Sample gettingvcut would save us $2.75 mil on the cap. Peanuts for the others. 

OL (9). OBJ, Fairchild, Karras, Patrick (G/C), Mims; Ford (T/G), Rivers (T/G), Volson (G), Lee (C/G). PS: Cochran, Kirkland. IR/PUP/NFI: McLaughlin.

I like to have 4 feasible OT options, 4 feasible G options, and 2 feasible C options, and think 3 C's is better. I think I can get there with only 9 guys, though it is easier if Ford isn't a starter, as he is OT3/OG3 for me.

OT: OBJ, Mims; Ford, Rivers
OG: Fairchild, Patrick; Ford, Volson, Rivers, Karras.
C: Karras, Lee, Patrick.

OBJ, Mims, and Karras are lock starters. Fairchild is being given every opportunity to start at LG. RG looks to be a battle between Ford & Patrick. Ford started at LG last year late (for Volson) and played LT and RT. Patrick has played both G spots and C, though he has done better at G. For my money, both guys are ere better suited as versatile backups rather than starters. And I prefer Ford as OT4/OG4 to OT3/OG3, or, heaven forbid, starting. But that is wishing & hoping. They are who we have now. That is clearly our top 6. 

I'd put Volson 7th. He has been LG only as a pro, and was our best run blocker last year  but he just whiffs too much snd was benched late. Peters must have seen something  because he eas not cut. He did restructure his contract, but still, $3 mil for G4 seems a bit pricey, though we'd only save $2.5 mil by cutting him now. I think he is safe unless we sign another FA OL snd need $$$.

Rivers is a lock for the roster. Most projected him as a G in the pros, though he played more OT at the U. We said we are starting him off at OT. If Ford is the starter at RG, that would make Rivers OT3. Either guy as OT3 scares me. But let's see how camp goes. 

Lee did play some as the 6th OL at OT/TE last year, in fact, ALL his snaps were there. I know the previous regime was high on him, but these are new OL coaches. 

We picked up the injured McLaughlin as an UDFA. If he was healthy, I thinknhe makes the 53. He'd have certainly been drafted if mot for the injury. Nation's top C last year in college. 

Speaking of the 53, Kirkland, Cochran, and Stueber were all on it last year. Kirkland before getting hurt (again) and Cochran later. With Cochran even starting a start or two, and playing both sides. Steuber a mid-season pickup that bounced between PS and 53 (got G snaps gere, not OT).

That is 13 guys I think who at least have a shot at the 53, and are NFL level (or at least practice squad worthy). 

Recent signee C Andrew Raym made Carolina's 53 out of camp as an UDFA, but spent most of the year on their PS. 

OT Coker was on our PS and OT Etienne an UDFA out of BYU. Either would be happy to stick on the PS.
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Damn, this is too long. And likely too early. 

Offensive summary so far: 

24 players: QB 2, RB 3, WR 5, TE 5, OL 9. 

Sketchiest inclusion: McLachlan 
Next sketch: Grandy/Hudson 
Toughest Cut: I. Williams 
Next toughest: Cochran, Kirkland 
Real shot if healthy: Moss, McLaughlin 

Cuts I'd want on my PS for sure, or would be willing to stash on IR/PUP/NFI: Moss (PS/IR), McLaughlin (PS/,IR), PS:  I. Williams, Cochran, Kirkland, Pryor, Ridder. 

I used on of my "extra" spots at TE, and kept McLachlan because we seemed to value him so much last year. I'd love to only keep 4 and use that spot elsewhere (WR6, OL10, RB4, S5, QB3). 

thanks for detailed info on the roster