Bengals observations: New skill position players are making an impact
At Cincinnati Bengals training camp on Thursday, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase made a leaping catch, stiff-armed cornerback Sidney Jones IV into the ground and sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown.
The Bengals have gotten used to these plays from the Pro Bowl receiver. They've gotten used to the slants to Tee Higgins and the throws over the middle to Tyler Boyd, which worked yet again on Thursday. But during the last few seasons, most notably during their AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals didn’t have enough depth that the offense could count on.
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The Bengals made it a priority to add depth at wide receiver during the offseason. On Thursday, that investment showed that it’s paying dividends.
“It’s one of the better receiver rooms, not just the top three but the entire group,” Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning said. “Look at a guy like Trenton Irwin. He’s unbelievable. It’s a good thing for a quarterback, even when you’re going with the second and third team. I always have guys who can win.”
Over the last few seasons, the Bengals didn’t get much receiving production from anyone other than their three stars. Head coach Zac Taylor didn’t have backup receivers who he was looking to get into games, so the Bengals made it a priority to build up the entire wide receiver room during the offseason.
Irwin, the Bengals’ breakout player from 2022, is back and is having the best training camp of his career. Fourth-round pick Charlie Jones and sixth-round pick Andrei Iosivas give the Bengals new skill sets that Taylor can maximize in specific roles.
The Bengals are known for having the best trio of starting receivers in the NFL. In 2023, they could be known for having the deepest wide receiver room in the NFL.
“It’s probably fair to say that it’s the best group of skill guys that I’ve been around in my time in the league,” said backup quarterback Trevor Siemian, who threw only one incompletion while working with the first-team offense on Thursday. “That’s top to bottom. Obviously, the first couple guys can play. But we have really good depth.”
Irwin made the play of camp in the back of the end-zone on Thursday against emerging cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. Siemian faced pressure and threw up a fade. Irwin used a move at the line of scrimmage to create an inch of separation, but he wasn’t in position to get both hands on Siemian’s throw.
So Irwin stuck up one arm and made a one-handed catch for a touchdown.
“Trenton has the ability to separate, toughness and he’s a savvy guy,” Siemian said. “He’s just a football player. That’s not the only play he has made all camp. He has been making plays all the way through. Sometimes you see these guys make plays and it’s like, how is that possible? He has been doing a lot of that in this camp.”
When the second-team offense took the field, the rookies took over the drill. Browning threw a slot fade to Jones, who raced past slot cornerback Jalen Davis near the left sideline. Jones laid out and made the diving catch.
Jones injured his shoulder on the play and left practice. Until he returns, the Bengals can rely on their new-found depth to fill his role as the backup slot receiver.
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Taking out the injury, Jones’ big catch on Thursday was a moment that showed exactly why the Bengals drafted him.
“I tried to give him a chance,” Browning said. “He’s a fast guy, so I knew I could lead him a little bit. I saw his speed. I saw him making a play on the ball. The play wasn’t supposed to go to him, but he was still going full speed so I took the shot.”
Jones got the Bengals inside the 5-yard line. Iosivas, who also caught a deep ball down the sideline on Thursday, got the Bengals a touchdown. Browning spent most of the play looking for an open receiver on the right side of the field. When he didn’t find one, he threw a pass up for Iosivas in the back-left corner of the end zone.
Iosivas high-pointed the ball, made the catch and then saw the entire Bengals' offense swarm him to celebrate the play.
“He got a good release, set himself up and made a play,” Browning said. “He’s the guy that has to win on that play against that coverage. He went up and did it.”
Last year, the Bengals had an unproven Irwin, Stanley Morgan Jr. and Trent Taylor as their backup receivers. After Boyd got injured in the AFC Championship Game, the Bengals offense struggled without a receiver who could regularly win one-on-one matchups over the middle.
The Bengals responded by drafting Jones and Iosivas and keeping the rest of their receiving core intact for 2023. Taylor is preparing niche roles for the Bengals’ backup receivers to play in 2023. Irwin, Jones and Iosivas all look like they’ll make some big catches this season.
Irv Smith Jr. has his best day as a Bengal
New Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr. operates at his best in the middle of the field. The Bengals ran more scripted plays for Smith on Thursday, and he shined as he found openings between the linebackers and the safeties.
One play, Smith cut to the sideline and out-ran a linebacker. The next, he’d keep going down the field, split the safeties and make a big catch down the seam.
“He’s a big dude with speed and athleticism, and he can catch,” Bengals safety Nick Scott said. “That’s what you want in a tight end. His speed shows up a good amount. He’s able to run away from linebackers and find open space. He has a lot of talent.”
It was just as important that Smith made two impact plays as a blocker. He had a good run-blocking rep against defensive end Sam Hubbard, and Smith also made a nice blitz pickup.
“As a tight end, you have to stretch the middle of the field and make plays down the field,” Smith said. “That’s something I pride myself on. I also pride myself on my blocking. I don’t want to be a one dimensional player. I want to impact the game in all areas.”
Chase Brown shows his biggest strength
Bengals rookie running back Chase Brown has been looking forward to the drill that the Bengals did on Thursday. In 3rd and 1 situations, the Bengals called power runs and gave the defense the ability to tackle the running back.
Brown showed his strength, speed and ability to read the line of scrimmage.
“With my speed, I was able to get upfield,” Brown said. “It’s short yardage, and I knew what I had to do. I put my shoulder down and made a play. I did that a lot in college. I was getting 25 or 30 carries a game in the Big Ten.”
Brown’s best play was a pitch to the left side. He sprinted around blitzing slot cornerback Mike Hilton, lowered his shoulder against Taylor-Britt and got the first down.
Pass protection and receiving have been big areas of focus for the rookie as he works to earn third down reps. Brown reminded the Bengals on Thursday that he can also make a big impact as a rusher.
“Doing this with the Bengals, it makes it so much sweeter,” Brown said. “I dreamed of playing in the NFL my entire life. I’m here playing with a bunch of talented guys.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals observations: New skill position players are making an impact
