The talent on the offensive side of the ball for the Cincinnati Bengals is hard to miss.
Andy Dalton is a capable quarterback. A.J. Green is a star. Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd are slowly morphing into the latter. Depth, especially at the skill positions, is impressive.
As such, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked the Bengals 13th in a new look at ranking the offensive arsenals around the NFL:
The emergence of Tyler Boyd as an above-average second wideout behind A.J. Green helps push the Bengals up, even as it seems less likely we’ll see much from former first-round picks Tyler Eifert and John Ross. Boyd, who was a healthy scratch at times in 2017, was on pace for a 98-1,240-10 season before Andy Dalton got hurt.
Keen observers know what isn’t mentioned — the offensive line. Indeed, the unit perhaps starting two new players at guard, hoping Billy Price turns out, hoping Bobby Hart turns it around and that Cordy Glenn can play well after the loss of first-round tackle Jonah Williams has the potential to blow everything up.
But on paper? A run-first attack via a deep stable of backs, which could in turn enable Dalton to thrive off play action, is hard to ignore. The idea an offensive mind like Zac Taylor can even eek something out of a prospect like John Ross paints a positive picture.
There is nothing guaranteed about the Bengals in 2019. But indeed the on-paper outlook like this certainly catches the eye.
