Cincinnati Bengals have options after Giovanni Bernard release
By Glenn Adams
B. The Draft:
There several RBs in the draft who could help fill the absence of Bernard.
1. Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis) First, can we just acknowledge what a wonderful name Gainwell is for a RB. Now, on to the important matters. At 5’11 201 pounds, Gainwell is a weapon. He can play RB as well as wide receiver. The off the charts production for Gainwell in 2019 was 231 carries for 1459 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Gainwell added 51 receptions for 601 yards and three TDs. Gainwell is going to be a matchup nightmare for defenses. It was reported that he ran a 4.42 40 yard dash on his pro day. If he’s available in the third round, the Bengals must consider him. But that is a big “if” as the saying goes.
Related Story. Bengals save $4.76 million cap hit releasing Giovanni Bernard. light
2. Chris Evans (Michigan) The 5’11 211 pound Wolverine RB has a lot to prove. On the field, Evans showed that he has some of the same traits as Bernard. Evans runs hard with good explosiveness. Evans displayed good hands when catching the ball out of the backfield. Evans does not have the production of other RBs.
The lack of production is partly due to an off-field issue, but it is also because Evans was a part of a three-back rotation at Michigan. Evans is going to be a good addition to a team and will surely exceed expectations. Look for Evans to come off the board in the fourth round.