6 burning Bengals questions that could finally get answers vs. Bears

The Cincinnati Bengals will get an extended look at their backups and the back end of their roster on Saturday night in Week 2 of the preseason when they host the Chicago Bears at Paycor Stadium. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced before a fruitful joint practice with the Bears that the starters would sit regardless of how Thursday's session went.

So while we'll have to wait until Week 1 to know what this starting lineup is truly made of, there are several burning questions still to answer in Cincinnati about what this initial 53-man roster might look like.

But before we dive deeper into all the players, let's begin by tackling the elephant in the locker room.

Is the running game from under center a true game-changer?

For the most part, we know that the Bengals will stick to their strengths on offense. They're returning all 11 starters, they execute at a high clip especially when Joe Burrow is in the lineup, and the system leans heavily on Burrow's ability to execute from the shotgun in true dropback pass sets.

But in order to better protect Burrow and further unlock Chase Brown's massive potential amid a contract year for the latter, the Bengals are going under center more often this year.

How effective that is remains to be seen. It wasn't looking too crisp in the preseason opener versus the Lions. Joe Flacco is a little more adept and experienced at that than Burrow, so perhaps the wily vet can better show the younger players (and Burrow) how it's done.

How rusty is Erick All Jr.? And is he considered a starter (who won't play)?

I honestly don't know if Zac Taylor and the coaching staff consider Erick All Jr. a starting tight end. He sure is getting plenty of run with the first-team offense in training camp, but because he's still working back from a knee injury, All sat out the exhibition win over Detroit.

It will not stop being hilarious to me that Drew Sample tops the tight end depth chart in Cincinnati. Please, football gods, intervene in Taylor's brain chemistry and force him to unleash All so that his dominance is so obvious that Sample, at long last, is cut loose.

At some point, All needs to see some live reps before the Bengals just shove him out there for the season opener and expect him to have a major role, right? What better time than Week 2 of the preseason? If not now, when?

What’s happening with the defensive line rotation?

This picture is a little cloudy due to Shemar Stewart's injury, yet his absence has created opportunities for others like rookie second-ronder Cashius Howell and incumbent defensive end Cedric Johnson.

We should get an extended look at Howell playing the "Viper" hybrid edge defender role in Al Golden's scheme. Howell is slated to back up Boye Mafe at that spot, yet he still has all the makings of a high-impact rookie.

Since we won't see Dexter Lawrence, Joanthan Allen, or B.J. Hill at defensive tackle (or so I'd assume), the rest of the defensive tackle rotation will be fascinating to keep an eye on. Seventh-round pick Landon Robinson could very well beat out 2024 second-round selection Kris Jenkins Jr. for the final spot on the d-line.

Another subplot in this vein: The No. 2 nose tackle role. T.J. Slaton has the clear inside track. I just wonder whether McKinnley Jackson could play well enough to convince Cincinnati to cut bait with Slaton, free up $6.66 million of cap room, and help the front office chase after another big-name acquisition.

Will Dohnte Meyers really challenge for a roster spot?

You gotta love Dohnte Meyers. In addition to pushing for more reps at wide receiver, Meyers has shown upside as a return man, too. The Bears joint practice saw Meyers break one where he could've scored in a game situation, per CBS Cincinnati's Yanni Tragellis.

Meyers went semi-viral for the story Burrow shared about him driving through the night from Atlanta to Cincinnati just to get a throwing session in. Joe didn't have to call him out like that. It goes to show that Meyers is earning mad respect in the Bengals locker room. And oh by the way, Meyers had a 13-yard run and three receptions in his NFL preseason debut. Looked darn good!

If I had to provide an answer to the burning question in question, yes, I do indeed believe as of now that Meyers will challenge for a roster spot. I feel like I've seen more positive training camp buzz on him any other Bengals receiver not named Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins.

Can Jack Endries keep the momentum going?

I know it sounds like I have a personal vendetta against Drew Sample. I appreciate his service over the years. That said, it's just time to let him go, because Jack Endries only continues to reinforce the notion that he was a steal in the seventh round of this year's draft.

After catching passes from Feranndo Mendoza and Arch Manning in college, Endries hauled in a touchdown from Joe Flacco in Week 1 of the preseason. He's also an exceptional athlete and a willing blocker with obvious pass-catching chops. I love me some Endries, y'all.

I will also boldly answer this question in advance in the affirmative. Assuming he gets the reps, Endries should dominate the inferior competition of the Bears backups and perhaps make a case to at least vault past Tanner Hudson on the depth chart.

A future 12 personnel package starring Endries and All has me super giddy. You could even flex it into 13 personnel technically if Mike Gesicki is on the field.

To effectively bookend this here article by linking the first burning question to the last, the more comfortable the Bengals can get with multiple tight ends on the field, the better off and more versatile their under-center running game and overall offense will become. And that'll only create more favorable situations for Burrow, Chase, and Higgins to generate explosive plays through the air.

Ooh, the interplay! Is it Week 1 of the regular season yet?

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