The Cincinnati Bengals will have a new look at the running back position next season. Longtime Bengals back Joe Mixon has been replaced with newcomer Zack Moss, and second-year back Chase Brown is likely to have a larger workload next season.
While Moss is projected to be the starter, it remains to be seen how the carries will be split between he and Brown. But, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher did confirm that the team plans to utilize a timeshare approach in the backfield.
"It's definitely going to be collaborative," Pitcher said. "You look across the league at that position anymore, and I think you're best off when you're sharing the workload with multiple people. Whether it's two, three, four people. Everybody kind of fills their role. We'll figure it out, but it comes back to what I've been saying all offseason. 'What's it going to take this week?'"
While he might not have Moss' exact role ironed out yet, Pitcher is excited to see what the 26-year old can bring to the franchise.
"The thing I'm super excited about after meeting him is his approach," Pitcher said. "His professionalism, his maturity, his intelligence. Hearing him talk about how preparation is important to him. Like his pass protection and everything that goes into that. I think we've got a really good player and person who is going to contribute to the overall culture of the team."
Whatever his exact role ends up being Moss plans to be prepared to embrace it.
"However I can help this team," Moss said. "If it's catching the ball, running the ball, trying to keep Joe clean as much as I can with the big guys up front, whatever my role is being called of that week, that's what I'm going to try and do."
Time will tell if the Bengals will regret moving on from Mixon, but with Moss and Brown they appear to have a decent backup plan in place.