The Bengals Could See A Surprise Shake-Up At Running Back
Credit: Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
For the majority of the past seven years, the Cincinnati Bengals have headed into the regular season with Joe Mixon as their featured back. During that span, the former Oklahoma product put up 6,412 yards, which is third all-time in franchise history behind James Brooks and Corey Dillon. Mixon is second in rushing touchdowns, scoring 49 which is 15 fewer than former fullback Pete Johnson.
Mixon’s tenure with the Bengals ended this offseason when the Houston Texans acquired him for a seventh-round pick. Cincinnati was expected to release Mixon outright, but the Texans showed interest. Now Mixon has landed a three-year, $27 million contract extension with his new club. The Bengals, meanwhile, will turn to Zack Moss, who broke out in 2023 with the Indianapolis Colts.
A former third-round pick from Utah, Moss played for the Buffalo Bills from 2020 through roughly the first half of the 2022 season. He started eight games in place of Jonathan Taylor last year, finishing with 794 yards and five touchdowns. He did enough to warrant a two-year deal worth $8 million. He’s not expected to be able to carry an offense the way Mixon could but they needed to free up some money to pay their stars in the passing game.
Moss’ job won’t be threatened either, especially considering how Cincinnati’s running back stable has limited experience. Moss leads the pack with 484 rushing attempts and 75 receptions in his career. There’s not much to speak of, and behind him, there’s even less.
Trayveon Williams has been in the league longest, spending the past five seasons with the Bengals. Despite that length of tenure, he has played just 294 career snaps on offense. Williams has spent the majority of his career on special teams, getting 294 snaps in 2023 and 620 in his career. He’s joined by Chase Brown, a fifth-round pick from 2023 with 44 career carries, and Chris Evans, a sixth-round selection from 2021 who has 19 rushes and 19 receptions under his belt.
Even without much experience, Cincinnati decided against taking any running backs in the 2024 Draft. Instead, they signed two undrafted free agents whose collegiate careers aren’t particularly exciting. Having said that, these UDFAs find themselves in an excellent spot to make a surprise push — and both have something to offer.
Noah Cain could have returned to LSU for a sixth season in the NCAA but decided to make the jump to the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent following a subpar senior season where had just 181 yards and three touchdowns. The Bengals didn’t draft him because of his 2023 seasons, though. It was his 2022 campaign that showcases why the Bengals gave him a shot.
Cain — listed at 5-foot-10 and 237 pounds — shone as a short-yardage specialist for the Tigers. He racked up 10 touchdowns and 409 yards as a junior, finishing second on the team in rushing touchdowns behind Jayden Daniels. He was praised by head coach Brian Kelly, who appreciated his positive approach despite the drop in touches thanks to the emergence of Logan Diggs.
“It’s just a crowded backfield,” Kelly said of Cain’s situation following a three-touchdown night in November 2022. “Across college football, there’s really good backs that sometimes don’t get the carries, but when they get the opportunity to make the best of it. He did, we’ve always had faith in him.”
Cain will need to once again take advantage of whatever opportunities he can get in another crowded backfield in Cincinnati. With Zack Moss weighing roughly 215 pounds, someone with Cain’s size and ability to push the pile could be exactly what it takes to make the team.
Cincinnati’s other UDFA, Michigan State’s Elijah Collins, faces a long road to make the roster, but the Bengals seem to like him. While most players signed following the draft don’t receive a signing bonus, Aaron Wilson reported Collins was given an $8,000 signing bonus. That’s chump change in the NFL, so it’s not like they’ve invested so much in Collins that he has a better shot than anyone else to make the team. Still, it’s a sign that the front office clearly wanted to make sure his first chance at making a 53-man roster happened in Cincy.
Collins spent five years at Michigan State, compiling 1,506 yards and 11 touchdowns. He then transferred to Oklahoma State in his last year of eligibility, where he had 142 yards on 30 rushing attempts. He’s another power back who weighs over 220 pounds and put up a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash. There might have been enough teams looking at him that the Bengals felt the need to sweeten the pot with the bonus but at this point, it seems as though he’ll have to compete with Cain for a spot.
Having said that, both players have a golden opportunity ahead of them. Running back is one of the few ‘open’ positions on a Bengals roster that enjoys depth at most positions. A strong showing in the preseason could mean that they catch on and prove valuable in a niche role in 2024.
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