Former Bengals post-Week 4 check-in: Joe Mixon to Seahawks steals the spotlight

The Cincinnati Bengals are having some trouble running the football of late, and they sure could use the skills of a prime Joe Mixon in their backfield to help the cause. Alas, Mixon was believed to be done playing until he just signed with the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad.

With rookie first-rounder Jadarian Price hitting injured reserve and Zach Charbonnet still not back in action, Mixon was a logical flier for Seattle, who'll rely on Emmanuel Wilson and George Holani in the meantime.

The Seahawks signing Mixon may mean nothing. They also scooped up Robert Henry Jr. from Washington's taxi squad. I was a big fan of Henry's coming out of UTSA.

To be honest, for the Bengals, I would take Wilson or Holani over whatever Chase Brown is doing as the Bengals' feature back. Brown is, like, anti-elusive by NFL standards.

Anyway. Check out the link above to see all about Brown's struggles to generate yardage after contact. Proceed for more on former Bengals.

Ex-Bengals progress report stars a rising Akeem Davis-Gaither

Colts linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither has reunited with former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo in Indy. It's working out quite well for him so far, as he's credited with 37 combined tackles and has missed only one, per PFF.

You know what the Bengals' admittedly improved defense is still struggling to do? Tackle.

ADG's tackling prowess, combined with the fact that Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. are having their share of struggles as second-year pros, is enough to get me on tilt.

Not like fans have been screaming for a linebacker upgrade since the end of last season. Anyway, to their credit, Cincinnati's front office at least upgraded lots of spots on defense, primarily the d-line.

Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai are beat up after free agency paydays

I always said the Bengals should pay whatever Trey Hendrickson asks, because they didn't demonstrate a prior willingness to, you know, pay quality players in free agency. The post-COVID offseason when Hendrickson came aboard was a one-off due to the salary cap sinking so low.

But yeah, the fact that Hendrickson was let free and Dexter Lawrence and others took his spot wound up working out beautifully. Hendrickson will still be a quality player for the Ravens despite only one sack thus far. However, he's out for the time being due to surgery on a broken finger. He broke it in the season opener, played through it, and should be better off after taking some time away.

Meanwhile, Joseph Ossai, who the New York Jets shelled out $34.5 million for on a three-year deal, has done little to nothing with his new team. Ossai clearly seems to be bothered by a foot injury from early September.

I always called Ossai "Waiting For Godot" because his annual breakout forecast never came to pass. He flashed some dominant play last season before getting hurt. I don't know. Just never thought he was That Guy.

My colleague at The Jet Press, Justin Fried, has some bleak Ossai numbers that, frankly, wouldn't surprise me even if he was fully healthy.

Bills have not activated Geno Stone for a single game this season

LOLOLOLOLOL. Can you believe this guy started for the Bengals for two whole seasons?

Geno Stone might be the worst safety in Bengals franchise history. The ball hawking prowess he flashed in Baltimore before signing in Cincinnati was nowhere to be found. His tackling is inferior to Jordan Battle, and that's saying something.

To not crack the Bills' active roster, after their team just got shredded by Drake "The Schedule" Maye, is an embarrassment.

You know what really grinds my gears? Based on what happened in the Bengals' Week 4 loss to Jacksonville, and how decent PJ Jules and Russ Yeast looked at safety with Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger sidelined, I'm convinced Cincinnati's secondary would've been better off just starting Jules from 2024 onward.

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