2023 Cincinnati Bengals Preview: Roster Moves, Depth Chart, Schedule, Storylines and More

This article is part of our Team Previews series.

Cincinnati Bengals

After decades of futility, the Bengals have graduated from being plucky underdogs to being one of the heavies in the AFC and on the short list to make it to the Super Bowl. This is a critical season for them, as it'll be the last season that Joe Burrow's contract will have a relatively low cap hit. Soon they'll have to make hard choices on who to surround the quarterback with, a process that already started with the departure of the team's two starting safeties.

2023 Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Room

• Veteran Additions: Trevor Siemian (from Bears)
• Draft Picks: None
• Departures: Brandon Allen (to 49ers)

For the first time in three years, Joe Burrow enters training camp without any health concerns. He won't be favoring a surgically-repaired knee, or missing training camp due to an appendectomy. Instead, he'll get a full set of practice reps with his bulked-up offensive line and additions to the receiving corps, including new starting tight end Irv Smith. The big question is whether Burrow will get the time to throw downfield more frequently, after throwing only 7.5 percent of his passes 20-plus yards in 2022 (30th in the NFL).

Burrow didn't regress but adjusted because last year's retooled O-line still struggled until later in the regular season. However, new addition Orlando Brown at left tackle should help considerably in that regard. Meanwhile, Burrow is mobile but not especially fast, so his five rushing touchdowns from last season are unlikely to repeat. Fortunately, he probably won't have to run as often. Siemian will compete with Jake Browning for backup duties.

2023 Cincinnati Bengals Backfield

• Veteran Additions: None
• Draft Picks: Chase Brown (Rd. 5, No. 163 – Illinois)
• Departures: Samaje Perine (to Broncos)

Joe Mixon had a rocky offseason, but it appears he's back again as the obvious lead back on a team that saw Perine, his top backup, depart via free agency. As of press time, there are still some high-profile free-agent RBs – Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette – but because Mixon restructured his contract, the Bengals are less likely to sign them. He faces another court date on Aug. 14, and there's a chance that Mixon could face discipline from the league after his legal case is concluded.

On the field, Mixon is a volume player, bringing back diminishing returns on a per-play basis, rushing for 3.9 yards per carry and boasting just four carries over 20 yards last season. That said, unless Brown, his rookie understudy, earns the trust of the coaching staff, there's not currently a threat on the roster to Mixon's workload.

You won't likely be able to get Mixon at his pre-June 1 fifth-round ADP, but he's still coming at a significant discount from the last two seasons. Brown and Trayveon Williams are Mixon's current backups, and Brown's pass-catching prowess at Illinois bears notice.

2023 Cincinnati Bengals Receiving Corps

• Veteran Additions: TE Irv Smith (from Vikings)
• Draft Picks: WRs Charlie Jones (Rd. 4, No. 131 – Purdue), Andrei Iosivas (Rd. 6, No. 206 – Princeton)
• Departures: TE Hayden Hurst (to Panthers)

The NFL salary cap forces teams to make difficult decisions once prized quarterbacks move off of their rookie contract. Recently, Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and A.J. Brown were traded due to the pressures of the salary cap. This illustrates the dilemma approaching the Bengals, as Joe Burrow will be in the last season of his rookie contract in 2024, and they have to decide how many of Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd the team can afford.

Though Higgins' turn will come up before Chase, Chase is more likely to get a max extension. Both players dealt with injury issues last year, with Chase's hip injury being the most severe of them. For Chase to earn a top-three pick in fantasy, the Bengals will have to throw deep to him more often than they did in 2022, but that seems more likely with Burrow healthier and Orlando Brown coming in at left tackle.

Higgins is often described as a second No. 1 receiver, and it follows that two of his four 100-yard games last year came when Chase was out. Jones and Iosivas were drafted in April in case either Higgins or Boyd part ways with the team in the offseason, but they're not guaranteed to beat out Trenton Irwin this year.

2023 Cincinnati Bengals Sleepers

⬆️  Sleeper: Irv Smith

Smith is the third Bengals starter at tight end in as many years, and he might have more receiving skills than predecessors C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst, both of whom provided top-15 value for the position in the last two seasons. Smith played only eight games last year after missing all of 2021 due to injury, so durability is his biggest concern. But he's an afterthought in most drafts (around TE20 in the NFFC) that could approach top-10 value at the position.

😴  Super Sleeper: Chase Brown

Brown is a little undersized at 5-10, 209, but his combine numbers and results at the University of Illinois suggest that he's capable of stepping in when needed, both running and catching the ball, with a combined 1,883 rushing and receiving yards in his final season. It'll be critical to read in camp how he's doing with pass protection, as playing on third downs is his primary path to playing time. He's a good bet to beat out Trayveon Williams as Joe Mixon's main backup.

2023 Cincinnati Bengals Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Zac Taylor (Year 5)

Offensive Coordinator: Brian Callahan (Year 5) – West Coast spread

Defensive Coordinator: Lou Anarumo (Year 5) – 4-3 scheme

2023 Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart

QB: Joe Burrow / Trevor Siemian / Jake Browning

RB: Joe Mixon / Chase Brown / Trayveon Williams / Chris Evans

WR1: Ja'Marr Chase / Trenton Irwin

WR2: Tee Higgins / Andrei Iosivas

WR3: Tyler Boyd / Charlie Jones / Trent Taylor

TE: Irv Smith / Mitchell Wilcox / Drew Sample

O-Line: LT Orlando Brown / LG Cordell Volson / C Ted Karras / RG Alex Cappa / RT Jonah Williams (RotoWire Rank: No. 12)

Kicker: Evan McPherson

Full 2023 Depth Chart

Stats to Know for the Cincinnati Bengals

2023 Projected Wins via FanDuel Sportsbook: 11.5 (T-1st)

2022 Record: 12-4

2022 Points Scored: 418 (8th)

2022 Points Allowed: 322 (5th)

2022 Point Differential: +96 (6th)

2022 Run-Play Rate: 37.7 percent (28th)

2022 Offensive Snaps: 1,053 (17th)

2022 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 28

Full 2022 Team Stats

2023 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule

Cincinnati Bengals Odds To Win Super Bowl LVIII

• Bengals Super Bowl 58 Odds: 11-1

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5:00 PM ET on July 26, 2023.