Three Things to Watch For in Cincinnati Bengals Joint Practice With Green Bay Packers

Cincinnati hosts Green Bay in the preseason opener on Friday, but the starters will face off on Wednesday in practice.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Aug 9, 2023 7:15 AM EDT

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are hosting the Packers on Wednesday in their first and only joint practice of training camp.

There are plenty of storylines to monitor, even though Joe Burrow is still recovering from his calf strain.

Here are the three things I'll be watching for on Wednesday afternoon:

Will Jonah Williams Continue to Thrive at Right Tackle?

Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Jonah Williams (73) walks between drills during an off-season workout inside Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. — © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jonah Williams has made a smooth transition to right tackle. It's one thing to have success in practice against your teammates. Going out there and doing it against a different team is another story.

Will Williams hold up at right tackle? Will Alex Cappa be on the field after suffering a minor "tweak" during Sunday's practice?

How will Orlando Brown Jr. and Cordell Volson play together?

These are all questions that will be answered on Wednesday, but Williams is under the most pressure to continue to play at a high level.

Running Back Pass Blocking

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28), far right, participates in running back drills during NFL training camp practice, Monday, July 31, 2023, in Cincinnati. — © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Joe Mixon had some solid reps as a pass blocker on Sunday and Monday. Will that theme continue against the Packers?

Trayveon Williams won't participate due to an ankle sprain, which leaves the door open for Chase Brown and Chris Evans to show that they can be reliable in pass protection.

This is the biggest question mark remaining on the Bengals' offensive depth chart.

Mixon, Brown and Evans will be tested on Wednesday. It'll give coaches an idea of where each player is at as a pass blocker. They need someone to emerge to help fill the void that Samaje Perine left behind when he signed with the Broncos in March.

Bengals Secondary

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (29) reacts to a defensive play during the team s training camp practice, Friday, July 28, 2023, in Cincinnati. — © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

This will be our first look at Cincinnati's remade safety room, led by Nick Scott and Dax Hill.

Will Scott serve as the deep safety like Jessie Bates did in recent seasons? How often Hill going to be in man-to-man coverage situations? Will rookie Jordan Battle be in the mix with the first-team defense?

This is also a great test for Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner II. Both guys are having outstanding camps. Now they'll get to face Christian Watson, who is considered one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL.

Other Things I'll Be Watching For

Where does Myles Murphy fit in the defensive line rotation? Will they move him around? Will he take reps at end and tackle like he has in recent days?

Charlie Jones is dealing with a shoulder issue. Will he sit out of team drills in hopes of playing in Friday night's preseason opener?

Will late round picks like Andrei Iosivas and DJ Ivey continue to impress after having a successful training camp up to this point?

Trevor Siemian may have a slight edge on Jake Browning in the backup quarterback competition. Will they rotate with the first-team offense? The guy that performs the best could start on Friday against the Packers.

We'll have plenty of notes, insight and highlights following Wednesday's session.

Catch NFL football on fuboTV throughout the 2023 season! Start your free trial here.

For more on the Bengals, watch the video below and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Make sure you bookmark All Bengals for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

You May Also Like:

Former Bengals Star T.J. Houshmandzadeh Offers Update on Joe Burrow: He's 'Good to Go'

Bengals Training Camp Takeaways: Trevor Siemian Impresses, Charlie Jones Injured, Irv Smith Shines

Orlando Brown Jr. Praises Frank Pollack's Coaching Style: 'So Much I've Learned'

Look: Bengals Ranked Near Bottom of NFL in Latest Pregame Fan Experience Study

Joe Mixon Discusses Accepting Pay Cut Ahead of 2023 Season: 'I See The Bigger Picture'

Irv Smith Jr. Not Sweating Joe Burrow's Absence: The Quarterback 'Is Very Active' in Cincinnati's Facility

Look: Ja'Marr Chase Ranked Among Top-40 Players on NFL Top 100