The Cincinnati Bengals don't play rookies.

That's one of the bigger myths that has followed the team in the Marvin Lewis era. The team has a reputation for essentially "redshirting" its rookies, giving them more time to develop in favor of letting veterans who know the system play.

Lewis would argue the opposite.

"Now, some people would argue it ... but we try to get the young players [involved], that's been part of our thing, get young players involved when we can," the Bengals coach said at the end of last season. "But, to me, it's got to be a competitive thing, and it's got to be, 'What does he know, what does he not know?' "

So what does this mean for the Bengals' most exciting additions, running back Joe Mixon and receiver John Ross?

As long as they can answer Lewis' question satisfactorily, history suggests they probably will play, and play quite a lot.

The Bengals' offensive rookies led all teams in snaps in 2011 and finished fifth in 2012. With the exception of 2015 (26th in offensive snaps), they have finished in the top half of the NFL in snaps every season since 2011.

The defensive rookies have been another story.

The Bengals drafted 10 offensive players and 10 defensive players in the first three rounds from 2011 to '16, but the playing time was different by a startling amount.

In that time period, the Bengals' defensive rookies have finished 31st or last in snaps four times, with the exception coming in 2012, when they ranked 14th. Of the nine rookies who saw significant playing time in Year 1, only one was on defense: undrafted linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

Bengals Rookie Snaps Since 2011 NFL rank out of 32 in parentheses. Offense Defense 2016 1,040 (16) 147 (31) 2015 569 (26) 176 (31) 2014 2,126 (7) 182 (32) 2013 1,247 (16) 217 (31) 2012 2,264 (5) 1,190 (14) 2011 2,284 (1st) 0 (32)

Burfict was considered a first-round talent who fell out of the draft because of character concerns. But he was one of the few players to make a long-term impression on Lewis in rookie minicamp. Another was former Ravens great Ray Lewis, who played for Marvin Lewis when he was Baltimore's defensive coordinator.

"I've been fortunate to have two or three that have done it. One played for about 15 years and won a couple of Super Bowls," Marvin Lewis said in May of players who impressed him during rookie minicamp. "And I thought Vontaze Burfict did the same thing in his time here."

Neither Mixon nor Ross was able to make that same impression early. Ross has not yet participated in practice due to a mixture of school obligations and recovery from offseason surgery. Lewis said Mixon needed to get back into shape following minicamp.

Mixon spent most of the draft process on the road visiting with teams to allay his own character concerns stemming from an incident in 2014, when, as an 18-year-old Oklahoma freshman, he punched a woman in the face and broke several bones in her jaw. Mixon, also considered a first-round talent, was taken by the Bengals in the second round.

But if Mixon and Ross can quickly get up to speed, that initial first impression should have no bearing on their playing time. The Bengals' might bring their defenders along slowly, but they've shown no inclination to do the same with their skill players.

With the exception of tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher, the offensive players selected in the first two rounds since 2011 were quick to get playing time. A.J. Green, Andy Dalton, Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill, Kevin Zeitler, Tyler Boyd and Tyler Eifert, all high picks, were significant contributors as rookies.

Despite missing one game in his first pro season, Green led all rookie wide receivers in receptions, yards and targets. Hill carried the ball 222 times as a rookie, ranking 13th among all NFL players that season.

Two factors will determine whether Mixon and Ross grab significant roles from day one: Ross' recovery from surgery and how quickly he and Mixon pick up the playbook.

Mixon will battle Hill and Bernard for playing time, but his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield could get him in that mix sooner. Bernard is still recovering after tearing his ACL in November, and probably will not be on the field until training camp at the earliest. Hill has been picking up a large part of Bernard's pass-catching role during the early part of OTAs, but some of those snaps will also go to Mixon.

Mixon rushed for 2,207 yards and caught 65 passes for 894 yards at Oklahoma. If he can display that same versatility in the NFL, it'll allow the Bengals to more liberally substitute their three running backs and keep defenses guessing. It would benefit Cincinnati to get him early playing time if possible, particularly if Bernard has any sort of extended recovery.

Ross is facing one of the more crowded groups of receivers the Bengals have had recently, with Green, Brandon LaFell, 2016 fourth-round pick Josh Malone and Boyd. Ross isn't expected to practice until training camp, so he could have a bigger learning curve at first.

Green told reporters there's enough talent on the team that there's no pressure to get Ross out there quickly.

"You know with John we're not going to rush him in," Green said. "... He's not going to have to be pressured to play right away. We've got a great receiving corps, so we're going to give him some of his plays and let him work himself in."

But like Mixon, Ross brings a dimension the Bengals were lacking last season. Ross ran a record 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, making him one of the fastest receivers in the league.

The Bengals don't have another player with the same kind of straight-line speed. Getting Ross involved early and often will give defenses something else to account for, and perhaps shift some of the coverage away from Green.

With so many scenarios possible for the two rookies, the Bengals would have no reason to hold them back. The only thing that would slow down that timeline is the players' knowledge of the offense.

"It's just how fast you can pick up the playbook," Green said. "And once you pick up the playbook, can you play fast? That's the biggest thing. I feel like with the regular receiving corps we have now, we don't have to put a lot pressure on John to come in to be that playmaker. We can draw up some plays for him to get him the ball and let him work his way in."