3 Bengals who are tumbling down the depth chart after preseason opener vs Packers

Football is back in the Queen City, and there was a lot to take away from the preseason game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers. Some of what we got from the evening was positive and a harbinger of good things to come. Other observations were less optimistic.

One thing we can take away is that there will be a reshuffling of the Bengals’ depth chart going forward. Or at least there should be.

Some players will not enjoy the new look of the depth chart. In some cases, it has little to do with their performance. In other situations, players might have no one to blame but themselves. 

Nevertheless, here are three Bengals who are tumbling down the depth chart after the preseason opener versus the Packers. 

Jackson Carman 

Unfortunately for Jackson Carman, he is the player who most stood out for having an awful night. He played poorly against the Green Bay Packers. While many will focus on his fourth quarter, Carman’s first quarter was also far from ideal. 

Facing players likely to end up as backups or practice squad guys, you would hope that your experienced tackle would fair better against or even dominate his competition. Instead, you have to question if there is a place for him on the roster. 

This is unfortunate for the Bengals as well. The team spent a lot of draft capital on a player who was widely panned as a reach in the second round. Also, the team traded back, costing themselves other players who could have made a positive impact. 

So now, where do the Bengals go from here with Carman? Maybe they could try to trade him on cutdown day. Perhaps they still value him and will keep him as a backup or on the practice squad.

Either way, he will not be one of the starting five offensive linemen for the Bengals and could be losing his grip as the primary backup tackle.

Carman is listed as the second-string right tackle on the Bengals’ official depth chart. That should change now that he is tumbling down the roster’s hierarchy. The only question is: How far will he fall?

Now the Bengals must hope that players like Hakeem Adeniji and D’Ante Smith can step up and show they are better options than Carman while La’el Collins is out with an injury. If they do not, the depth along the offensive line becomes a concern and a liability.

The team may have to look for outside help via the waiver wire or trade.