Knowing definitively which Cincinnati Bengals will play well and who won’t can be a crapshoot sometimes. Some Bengals we know will have a good season but many players can be inconsistent, even after a couple of good seasons.
Let’s take a look at three members of the 2021 Bengals who could be setting us up for disappointment this year.
Bengals Who Could Disappoint in 2021
3. Ja’Marr Chase – Wide Receiver
Most rookies shouldn’t have major expectations on them right away, unless they’re a first-round pick, especially a top-five pick. Ja’Marr Chase has plenty of pros and cons entering his rookie season with the biggest pro being that he won a national title with Joe Burrow at LSU in 2019.
Chase accumulated nearly 1,800 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in their 2019 championship campaign. He then opted out in 2020 due to Covid, presumably to stay safe and not ruin his NFL chances.
When the draft came around in 2021 people were wondering if Chase should be a high pick with him not playing for a year. The Bengals decided to take the risk, hoping that Burrow and Chase could recreate the magic they had at LSU. After Week 2 against Washington, it was clear Chase was having a dropping issue, which is certainly fixable, but still worrisome.
This could be a side effect of having sat for a year. Naturally, he’ll have game time rust that’ll need to be shaken off. This might be a larger issue; he could be the next Darius Heyward-Bey, who was a top draft pick with high hopes only to crumble at the professional level.
This also could be a result of not playing with Burrow. Brandon Allen won’t have the same timing and precision that Burrow will, so it might be as simple as that.
Don’t forget the Bengals have two good receivers as well in Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, who will be taking targets away from Chase. All of these factors could lead to a disappointing showing in 2021.
Bengals Who Could Disappoint in 2021
2. Jackson Carman – Right Guard
Jackson Carman has not had the best start to the season, as he was not in shape when he arrived at training camp. When the first depth chart was revealed, he was at third on the depth chart. It might be hard to argue that another rookie who was drafted in the second round could disappoint but this is why people may perceive his season as a disappointment.
First, when the Bengals got the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, many people including myself were hoping to get Penei Sewell out of Oregon. When they announced Ja’Marr Chase, I was confused. We didn’t need more depth at receiver. The Bengals’ main concern was the offensive line.
However, the Bengals front office and coaching staff clearly thought Chase and Burrow’s history at LSU could provide a spark on offense. So, the Bengals traded with the Patriots and moved down to 46th pick and added two extra fourth-round picks.
Chris Trapasso at CBS Sports gave out grades to first-round rookies and Chase and Sewell received nearly identical grades of D+ and D respectively. Maybe that pick won’t come back to haunt the Bengals but it is still early in eaches career to say definitively.
With the 46th pick, the Bengals took Jackson Carman. Some like Adam Haste of Cincy Jungle saying he was a reach, mainly due to surgery on his back. Carman maintained he was 100% and ready to go.
With Sewell being compared to Orlando Pace, he could’ve provided much-needed stability on the offensive line. Now, Bengals fans will compare Carman, Chase, and Sewell’s careers against each other.
Also, Jackson Carman played tackle in college and now he is being moved to guard. This will always present issues for any player who has to switches positions. It does look like he is beginning to understand his role at the guard position.
According to Stipe Hype’s Leigh Oleszczak, Jackson improved in Week 2 against Washington. Hopefully, this trend continues. Otherwise, Jackson will find himself sitting behind Michael Jordan and Xavier Su’a-Filo on the depth chart. A second-round rookie being third-string on the depth chart isn’t ideal.
Bengals Who Could Disappoint in 2021
1. Joe Mixon – Running Back
This may be a stretch to say that Joe Mixon could disappoint in 2021 considering his first two seasons in the backfield resulted in 1,000+ yards each. In 2020 a foot injury in Week 6, unfortunately, kept him out the rest of the season.
In doing some quick math prior to his injury, Mixon was still on pace to reach that 1,000+ yards averaging 71.3 yards per game. That was also behind a subpar line, now their line looks to be improving which also bodes well for Mixon if he can stay healthy. That could be the issue.
If Mixon begins to have health issues mixed with some antics during practice fighting with Germaine Pratt, which was a scuffle that was quickly broken up. This looks to be an isolated incident, but we know Mixon has had prior issues in college before being drafted.
If either of these issues begins to percolate then a bright-looking rookie may eat into his playing time. Another thing Mixon had going for him in his first three seasons is he really never had competition at running back.
Now, he has Jacques Patrick, who is third on the depth chart behind Mixon and Samaje Perine, but Patrick has looked rather good with the carries he has been given in the first two preseason games. Patrick had 51 yards on 17 carries against Tampa Bay and 42 yards on six carries against Washington.
Perine and Mixon have not had that many touches considering it is preseason but, with Patrick’s success he might start to eat into Mixon and Perine’s playing times. If this happens, not only will Mixon be hurting, so will his fantasy owners.
What do you guys think? Could any of these players end up disappointing this season?