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Dehner Jr.: Many Bengals' gaffes track back to this particular roster construction fail

18 December 2024Last Update :
Dehner Jr.: Many Bengals' gaffes track back to this particular roster construction fail

There’s an old adage around the NFL that for every rookie you play extended snaps, he will eventually cost you a game.

If the Bengals didn’t already subscribe to that theory, it’s hard to imagine they went through this season without considering posting the mantra on a wall.

Few teams have leaned heavier on rookies this year than the Bengals, but even more specifically, few have leaned heavier on rookies the rest of the league passed on multiple times.

The Bengals have given 1,645 snaps this season across offense, defense and special teams to players either drafted on Day 3 (fourth round or later) or undrafted altogether.

This is already 200-plus snaps clear of the previous high over the last four seasons. There are still three games remaining and a host of rookies and undrafted players filling the depth chart.

Bengals rookie snaps (Day 3/undrafted)
Year
  
Snaps
  
# with 50+ snaps
  
2024
1645
8
2023
1145
5
2022
1434
4
2021
1108
6
2020
1407
4
2019
1886
7

The best Bengals teams under coach Zac Taylor have limited the amount of snaps given to players of this background, as illustrated above. The 2021 team set the low mark in Taylor’s time and the 2022 team was nearly all gobbled up by 1,132 snaps for trustworthy fourth-rounder Cordell Volson.

It’s no surprise that those teams proved especially proficient at finding ways to win games — including a 10-game win streak — and, more importantly, rarely finding ways to lose them.

Last week alone, this group of players posted 149 total snaps. Three more games repeating that number would put the 2024 Bengals at 2,092 snaps from non-premium pick rookies, blowing away the previous high in Taylor’s tenure.

Playing a rookie like offensive tackle Amarius Mims is one thing. Mims, the 18th pick out of Georgia, excelled in his transition to the NFL but that makes sense. He was a first-round pick and players taken over the first three rounds should be able to contribute as rookies without much projection.

Once you cross over into the third day of the draft, however, projections and prospects with significant obstacles blanket the draft board. The idea of then turning around and asking those players to enter the league and not commit costly errors that pushed them down boards in the first place would be foolish.

Perhaps, that’s why the Bengals have looked foolish so often this season and sent an MVP-level and triple-crown-contending season from their quarterback and star receiver to the brink of irrelevance.

Here’s the list of qualifying players for the Bengals this season along with their snap counts thus far.

*Rookies only, players with a year or service even if they didn’t play don’t qualify (Devin Cochran, Jaxson Kirkland, Andrew Stueber, Shaka Heyward, etc)

Bengals rookie snaps (Day 3/undrafted)
Player
  
Snaps
  
Josh Newton
482
Maema Njongmeta
336
Erick All
305
Daijahn Anthony
138
Ryan Rehkow
116
Cedric Johnson
97
Matt Lee
89
Cam Grandy
66
Isaiah Williams
11
Kendall Milton
5

Many of those snaps have come on special teams, but debilitating mistakes can be authored there, too. There was the botched hold by Ryan Rehkow in the first game against Baltimore. Or Maema Njongmeta missing the block on a blocked punt that nearly blew the game.

There was cornerback Josh Newton not focusing on Justin Fields running at the end of the loss to Pittsburgh. Daijahn Anthony with the pass interference on fourth-and-16 against Kansas City. Cam Grandy with three false starts last week against Tennessee. Go down the list and nearly everyone filled the stat sheet with errors.

This group is responsible for one in every 6.7 penalties called against the Bengals this year, with 11 total penalties for 98 yards among them.

That’s to be expected of nearly every player from the late-round, undrafted profile seeing NFL action for the first time. It’s also largely the point.

The Bengals built a roster that cut corners at the mid-level, passing on veterans worth slightly more than the league minimum and instead replacing them with cheaper rookie versions. Sure, they’ve had injuries, but not a crazy amount. Most of their major players have stayed healthy for the majority of the season.

Take a look at the teams they are competing directly against both in the division and currently holding spots in the AFC playoff picture.

The difference in snaps given to this type of player is overwhelming. For all the understandable talk about the failure of defensive free agents, frustrations with protection and lack of pass rush, these numbers just as much tell the story of the 2024 Bengals as any.

2024 rookie snaps: Day 3 or undrafted
Team
  
Snaps
▼
# w/ 50+ snaps
  
Bengals
1645
8
Steelers
1436
2
Broncos
1355
6
Chargers
1320
3
Chiefs
1211
5
Bills
1001
5
Browns
800
5
Texans
722
3
Ravens
707
4

This is a team working at a decision-making disadvantage from the beginning.

Take a look at the Steelers here. They found two players they trusted enough to play (OL Mason McCormick and DB Beanie Bishop) and nobody else drafted late or undrafted has even touched the field. Otherwise, the Bengals have more snaps dedicated to non-premium rookies than the Ravens and Browns combined.

Now cross over to the NFC. The teams with the five best records are all under 1,000 snaps for that group with five or fewer players logging at least 50.

2024 rookie snaps: Day 3 or undrafted
Team
  
Snaps
  
# w/ 50+ snaps
  
W-L
  
Lions
779
5
12-2
Eagles
904
3
12-2
Vikings
448
3
12-2
Packers
738
2
10-4
Commanders
635
4
9-5

There are many reasons these numbers can escalate. Multiple injuries at a single position group can lead the way as can the construction of a specific draft class. The Bengals had six Day 3 selections this year on top of a crop of undrafted free agents, led by Njongmeta and Rehkow, who impressed in camp.

Anybody can pick and choose the primary blame for this development but there is no denying the reality.

The Bengals dedicated more snaps to rookies the league passed over multiple times than any of the teams they are in direct competition with. That’s a recipe for making mistakes that cost games. Nobody can deny that’s been a primary factor in this disappointing run. The kind of season that makes old adages new again.

(Photo of Daijahn Anthony being called for pass interference against the Chiefs: Scott Winters / Getty Images)

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