The Cincinnati Bengals met the 53-man roster deadline in exciting fashion, which aligned well with general vibes surrounding the team under Zac Taylor.
There were some fun surprises: undrafted quarterback Jake Dolegala made it as the third on the depth chart. Eleven defensive linemen made it through.
But with those surprises on the 53 at the deadline came some surprises via omissions. These were the stunners from the cut-down process.
OL John Jerry
Jerry was brought on as a Jim Turner guy and was talked up as such all summer. His versatility on the field made it seem obvious he’d make the 53 too — he took snaps at both guard spots, right tackle and left tackle.
Unfortunately for Jerry, he had a disaster of a performance in the final preseason game at left tackle. That might have been enough to encourage the staff to surprisingly keep O’Shea Dugas on the 53 despite some obvious depth concerns at tackle.
WR Cody Core
On paper, it seemed like the conversation between Core and Josh Malone would come down to special teams. It did — but the coaches liked how Malone grew in that area.
Core was an important element of what the Bengals do on special teams and was enjoying a solid preseason on offense. But Malone’s blend of size and speed, atop some improvements on special teams, gave him the nod.
LB Malik Jefferson
This wouldn’t be too surprising on other teams. Jefferson looked lost on the field last year and continued the same trend this preseason.
But in the past, the Bengals wouldn’t have been comfortable cutting ties with a third-round pick so soon. That’s the silver lining here — missing a pick like this stinks, but removing ego from the equation and getting better-performing players in the door is progress.
LB Deshaun Davis
At one point, Davis had some hype, with even Takeo Spikes talking him up.
Reality hit though and Davis largely struggled until the fourth preseason game. It isn’t too shocking a late-round pick didn’t make the roster necessarily, but the terrible state of the unit overall makes it more surprising than it should be.
WR Stanley Morgan
Morgan had his preseason cut short due to injury. But the upside-minded movement under the new coaching staff figured to apply to him, regardless.
Instead, the Bengals went with Malone, Auden Tate and Damion Willis on the back end of the depth chart. Morgan had been praised by coaches for his blocking and he made a few big plays in that regard during the preseason, but the Bengals are likely hoping they can stash him on the practice squad.
