3 key positions of need for Bengals prior to the trade deadline

As we approach the midway point in the season, resiliency will be a major factor separating the good teams from the great. Unless a team is extraordinarily lucky, injuries will start piling up as the push for the playoffs starts to really heat up. The week-to-week grind becomes less about being dominant and more about how one can find ways to succeed despite the setbacks they may face, especially injuries.

One way to manage the unavoidable issue of injuries to key players is to have strong depth. While the superstars get all the love from the media and fans, having guys who can come off the bench and mitigate the damage when those superstars may have to be sidelined for a few games (or longer) is almost as important.

This is something Cincinnati has done pretty well recently. Jake Browning came in for Joe Burrow in 2023 and keeping things interesting, Trenton Irwin stepped up big when Ja'marr Chase missed time in 2022, and Samaje Perine took on an HB1 role for a few games after Joe Mixon went down that same season. Those are just a few examples.

That being said, it's hard to get great or even good depth across all positions. Between a cap that's often mostly taken up by two or three players and the 53-player roster limit, there are going to be some positions that are better equipped for if a starter goes down than others. With that in mind, here are three positions that the Bengals could use more depth at, whether it be through players on the market or by utilizing the trade deadline.

Running back

A lot of fans miss Joe Mixon, especially with how well he's doing down in Houston. However, don't let that take away from what the tandem of Zack Moss and especially Chase Brown are doing. The run game is more efficient than it has been in the last couple of years, and the Bengals are on pace to have their most productive rushing attack since 2021.

The second-year back out of Illinois, Brown, has been incredibly efficient with a 5.0 yards per carry average and a special burst out of the backfield, and while Moss does leave more to be desired as a pure running back, he is useful on third down situations and is great in pass protection.

However, if either one of them goes down, the running back depth looks very shaky. With Chris Evans on injured reserve, the only other running back currently on the roster is Trayveon Williams, who has only earned himself limited opportunities on offense in the last five years and hasn't done much with them outside of a few splash plays in 2022.

Given how often running backs seem to go down with an injury considering how much they get hit, it would be a good idea to invest a little bit of the $9 million they currently have in cap and sign a veteran, like Matt Breida or James Robinson, currently on the market to a small deal, just as insurance in case Moss or Brown have to miss some time.

Offensive Tackle

This has easily been the best offensive line Burrow has played behind in his career. While that isn't saying much, considering how bad pass protection has been, this year it has actually been pretty good. Orlando Brown Jr. is first among tackles in pass block win rate, and Ted Karras is in the top 20 in the same among interior offensive linemen, according to ESPN Analytics. Even Amarius Mims is looking composed for a rookie and should hopefully be the franchise tackle for the future.

That being said, we did have a scare with Brown on Sunday against the Browns, as he left the game early with what was later diagnosed as "tennis leg." Fortunately, he is good to go on Sunday according to Zac Taylor, but it was still a wake-up call. After Trent Brown was declared out for the season following an injury he suffered against the Commanders, the offensive tackle room is looking pretty thin.

Cody Ford didn't inspire much hope filling in for Brown Jr. against Cleveland, and the recently-signed Andrew Stueber has not played a single down of regular season football since being drafted by New England in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Hopefully Brown and Mims are able to stay healthy for the rest of the year, because neither of those alternatives are sustainable options at tackle if either of them were to go down. Fingers crossed.

Cornerback

Overall, Cincinnati's defense has pretty good depth -- a mix of young and hungry players looking to prove their worth, and more experienced veterans who can step up if needed. However, the cornerback room-- similar to the offensive tackle depth-- has been thinned out thanks to an extremely unfortunate injury to Dax Hill.

Besides starters Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner II, and Mike Hilton, the only other players at the position who are currently on the roster are rookie Josh Newton and DJ Ivey, who is coming fresh off an ACL tear. There is also Jalen Davis who they tend to call up from the practice squad a few times throughout the year, but even then the depth is scarce and is not all too reassuring.

There are some veteran names out there on the market who wouldn't cost too much and could be a nice addition off the bench. Tre Flowers is available. He was serviceable when he was in stripes previously. Patrick Peterson is out there too. Though, their best bet might be trying to trade for someone who isn't valued too highly and wouldn't cost too much. That's how they got B.J. Hill after all, and all it took was Billy Price.