The Cincinnati Bengals made an unexpected decision on Wednesday, releasing veteran running back Trayveon Williams.
As a result, the team now has only two running backs on their active roster: Chase Brown and Zach Moss.
Given their lack of depth at the position, this was a questionable move. However, Williams, himself, chimed in on X, formerly Twitter, to clarify the transaction.
Roster gymnastics everybody take a deep breath 😂 !
— Trayveon Williams (@TrayveonW) August 28, 2024
This makes more sense. Williams is not subject to waivers, so another team cannot claim him. This allows the Bengals to sign another player (defensive end KJ Henry) and still potentially bring Williams back.
The specifics remain unknown. They could move another player to the Reserve/Injured list to make room for him on the 53-man roster. They could simply sign him to the practice squad, as well.
Williams was selected by the Bengals in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Over the years, he has played sparingly but has been solid in his limited role.
Last season, he had 15 carries for 69 carries to go along with seven receptions for 10 yards. Despite a low workload, the running back has recorded nine broken tackles in his career.
Brown and Moss should see the lion's share of the workload this season, but Williams is an insurance option at a volatile position.
As the season progresses, I would not be surprised to see the front office target another running back with such limited depth.
They previously had running back Chris Evans (not Captain America) as an option but in August, he suffered a torn patella tendon and is out for the season.
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