The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have long to trim the roster to 53 players.
Exiting the preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Zac Taylor and the Bengals will need to comply with NFL rules on roster cuts by Sunday evening.
In our Bengals final roster prediction, some of the toughest calls involved fan favorites and crossing the fingers that some cuts can wind up back on the practice squad.
These were the toughest cuts.
Bengals final roster projection's toughest cuts
WRs Mitch Tinsley, Kendric Pryor
Talk about a brutal scene at wideout. The big two make it. So does rookie Colbie Young and summer breakout Dohnte Meyers. A few others. Mitch Tinsley and Kendric Pryor have shown they can play in the base offense, too. And throwing them off the 53 risks that another team signs them, rather than slipping them onto the practice
squad. So it goes when a team has an embarrassment of riches at a position, though.
TE Jack Endries
Admission: This cut is probably unlikely. The Bengals will probably try to find some way to keep the rookie with upside. But they only have so many roster spots and all-around players like Erick All and Tanner Hudson, who fit the 12 and 13 personnel from under center, need to make the roster.
DE Isaiah Foskey
Isaiah Foskey has been a fun surprise this summer, adding 1.5 sacks in the preseason finale. He’s consistent in adding pressure. But he also plays a spot that has Shemar Stewart, Myles Murphy, Boye Mafe and others. Meaning, major investments and some proven depth, too. Letting him go exposes him to getting grabbed up by other teams, but there are only so many final roster spots.
CB Josh Newton
No fun seeing Josh Newton go. He was a fun upside draft pick by the Bengals in recent years who looked like he could climb up to starter status. But even this summer, practice flashes have turned into in-game mistakes and they need more reliable depth at a premium position. He could still be back on the practice squad.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: 5 toughest cuts from our final Bengals 53-man roster projection
