The way last season ended for the Cincinnati Bengals was mostly negative but, buried in the near playoff miss were a few positives, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. Between Joe Burrow's masterful year and the emergence of Chase Brown, Cincy had plenty to be optimistic about.
Speaking of Brown's emergence, the Bengals have officially placed all of their eggs into the Chase Brown basket. In the middle of training camp, the Bengals decided to cut running back Zack Moss.
A 2024 free agent signing, Moss ended up losing his job to Brown about midway through the season last year. Now, he is going to be looking for his next opportunity.
The Bengals cutting Zack Moss speaks volumes about their faith in another player not named Chase Brown
First and foremost, let's give Brown his flowers. The way he played over the second half of last season was about as good as any running back in football. He earned the right to be this team's bell cow after the way he shined in both the ground and passing attack.
But, the Bengals went and drafted Tahj Brooks in the sixth round this year, and the former Texas Tech standout has been making noise in camp so far. It appears he has made enough noise for the team to essentially give him the reins to be Brown's backup and a potential change-of-pace back.
Brooks has reportedly been impressive in the way he's catching the football. If he's able to give the Bengals a few solid touches per game, as a rookie, then this offense could reach even higher heights. That sounds absurd considering they were so good last year behind Burrow, Brown and the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Yet, it isn't impossible. These Bengals are probably going to have to score a whole lot of points, anyway, from the looks of that defense.
Brown is in line for a big season, but Brooks could be right there behind him ready to make an impact.