Bengals news: Joe Mixon sees Cincinnati being a 'real-life contender' next season

The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to right the ship in 2019 as they've made some drastic changes, but Joe Mixon believes they'll do much more than that.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon considers his team a “real-life contender” in the 2019 NFL season.

Mixon also told SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper) on June 10 the Bengals are “gonna shock a lot of people.”

Everybody's starting to buy in. We're all excited to be there. Coach (Zac) Taylor, the tradition that he's trying to bring to us and things like that.

I believe that we're definitely going to be a real-life contender coming up here this next season. People sleep on us. That's fine, we'll let 'em sleep. At the same time, I believe we're gonna shock a lot of people.

.@Bengals RB Joe Mixon joined MTC to talk about his expectations for the 2019 season.

"We're gonna shock a lot of people"

🔽 Audio 🔽 pic.twitter.com/MluEYn3OOD

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) June 10, 2019

Taylor is just the Bengals' second head coach since 2003. He replaces Marvin Lewis, who mutually parted ways with the team on January 1. Cincinnati finished with a 6-10 win-loss record in the 2018 NFL season. The Bengals also missed the postseason for the third year in a row.

Free agent acquisitions such as cornerback B.W. Webb and right guard John Miller getting accustomed to the Bengals' system, per the Cincinnati Enquirer's Fletcher Page.

The Bengals also drafted offensive lineman Jonah Williams, tight end Drew Sample, outside linebacker Germaine Pratt, quarterback Ryan Finley, defensive tackle Renell Wren, offensive lineman Michael Jordan, running back Trayveon Williams, linebacker Deshaun Davis, running back Rodney Anderson, and cornerback Jordan Brown last April.