Bengals roster battle updates after Week 2 of preseason

The two battles for starting positions on the Cincinnati Bengals‘ roster have already been settled. Jonah Williams is going to play right tackle, and rookie sixth-round pick Brad Robbins is going to punt and hold kicks.

All that remains is splitting up roles for the rest of the depth chart, and that comes with making or potentially breaking some careers. These remaining roles are vital when going into any given week, and inevitable injuries will only heighten the importance of getting them right.

With just over a week left until cutdown day, here are the frontrunners for five notable battles on the Bengals’ roster.

Backup Quarterback

Current leader: Jake Browning
It’s certainly been a close race between Browning and Trevor Siemian. The younger Browning has had his fair share of mistakes but has also been more efficient and capable of working around pressure.

With a better offensive line in front of him, Browning would also likely perform better. How much better? Well…

Third Down Running Back

Current leader: Chris Evans
The shoes of Samaje Perine may not be filled by just one player, but Evans looks like the best candidate to do so if it comes to that.

Trayveon Williams—by no fault of his own—has become a backstory to the renaissance of Evans, who has looked competent as a runner, receiver, and pass blocker in the backfield. He’s gone from a player the coaches couldn’t trust to an all-purpose back eager for more.

Swing Tackle

Current leader: D’Ante Smith
If nothing else, the snaps speak for themselves. Smith started at left tackle in Week 1 before being the first right tackle off the bench in Week 2 after Jonah Williams got his preseason reps in.

He looked slightly better at left tackle, but his competition on either side has been lackluster in comparison. Jackson Carman can’t get anything going in pass protection, Hakeem Adeniji remains behind him in the pecking order, and Cody Ford is spending more time at guard.

Reserve Defensive Tackle

Current leader: Domenique Davis
With five edges and four interior guys essentially locked for the roster, a 10th defensive lineman is more likely to be an interior player, despite Raymond Johnson III balling out this month off the edge.

Davis has now stacked two quality games in a row and has certainly turned heads. His main competitor, Jay Tufele, shined in Week 1 and fell back to earth this weekend. Davis has the slight edge for now.

Reserve Cornerback

Current leader: DJ Ivey
He’s looked more human in preseason action than he’s looked in training camp, but the results are still promising for a rookie drafted in the seventh round.

On top of making a clutch pass breakup at the end of the second preseason game, Ivey actually played in the game unlike veteran competitor Sidney Jones IV, who had an underwhelming preseason debut in Week 1. Ivey is no worse than the sixth cornerback as of this moment.