What to expect from Bengals rookies in Week 1 vs. Vikings

These players will likely ride the bench for the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend.

The path to a starter in the NFL is a long road. For many players, especially those drafted in later rounds, their time on an NFL roster may be as a backup for the first few years before they really get their shot. The Bengals have a few players on the roster that fit this description.

The offensive line is a place where backups usually do not play unless there is an injury. It is less common to see a team rotating in players unless a particular player is really struggling.

In the first game of the season, I would guess that the coaching staff will roll out their starters and try to give them as much practice playing together unless there is a huge issue. Because of this, Jackson Carman, D’Ante Smtih, and Trey Hill are not likely to see the field much, if at all.

In a similar situation where a player is too far down the depth chart to contribute much, Chris Evans, Cam Sample, and Tyler Shelvin will probably not gain many meaningful snaps. They may see the field for a play or two but probably won’t have a big impact on the game since there are multiple players ahead on the depth chart.