Seven Cincinnati Bengals players are now officially on the Reserve/Injured list as both cornerback Dax Hill and guard Jaxson Kirkland will miss the rest of the 2024 season.
The Bengals announced both players have been placed on I.R. Monday, as well as the additions of offensive lineman Andrew Stueber to the active roster , and cornerback Micah Abraham to the practice squad.
Stueber's place on the depth chart is obvious as he will take Kirkland's spot as a swing guard/tackle and will be active on game days.
Abraham, on the other hand, was not signed to replace Hill. DJ Turner II will take over to start at corner in Hill's absence. Abraham does provide another player to take reps at the position in practice, but the Bengals still only have four corners on the active roster as of now. An addition to fill out the depth chart has not been made yet.
But that is surely coming soon, and it will likely come from inside the locker room.
Two practice squad cornerbacks look to be next up in Cincinnati's secondary
The Bengals have two likely options on their practice squad to be signed to the active roster. The most likely choice is Jalen Davis .
Davis made his 2024 debut for the Bengals this past weekend as he was elevated off the practice squad. He was elevated to help fill Mike Hilton's role as the starting nickelback while Hilton sat out with a knee injury.
The elevation confirmed that if another corner was needed to dress, Davis would get first dibs. It would make total sense for him to now be signed to the active roster for good.
The depth chart will likely be altered to account for Davis' inclusion. Turner, Hilton, and Cam Taylor-Britt would be the starting trio, while Davis would assume the role of Hilto's backup in the slot. The first cornerback off the bench to fill in for either Turner or Taylor-Britt would then become Josh Newton, the team's fifth-round pick from this year's NFL Draft . Newton has practice both outside and inside as a rookie, and Davis has almost exclusively repped in the slot during his five-year run in Cincinnati.
Davis was arguably the most surprising cut the Bengals made at the end of the offseason, but he was brought back to the practice squad for this purpose. His 400+ snaps on special teams in his ongoing Bengals career adds another reason to elevate him for good.
If Davis is not the guy for the promotion, then Nate Brooks would be the next alternative. Brooks was signed during training camp when there were still a handful of roster spots available. He's been acclimated in the system for much longer than Abraham, and his experience playing on the boundary makes him a good backup for Turner. 95 of his 99 career regular season snaps have been on the outside.
Elevating Brooks instead of Davis wouldn't shake up the depth chart as much as Newton would likely be the first corner off the bench to fill in on the outside or in the slot. Brooks would likely only see the field if Newton was already filling in for another spot already.
No matter which player the Bengals choose, the next man up is on the practice squad. A decision will surely be reached soon.
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