Over the past few seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver room has been renowned as one of the best position groups in the NFL. By starting two second round picks in Tee Higgins (33rd) and Tyler Boyd (55th) as well as one top five pick in Ja’Marr Chase (5th), Cincinnati has been able to field one of the most heavily invested in units in the league.
What is most impressive with this unit is the level of balance: Chase has developed into a terrific deep threat, Higgins provides the size and length to be one of the better target men in the entire league and Boyd is arguably the best slot receiver in the NFL. They really do check all of the boxes and give a three pronged attack against even the most talented defenses in the league. Unfortunately, the Bengals must also follow the most basic economic principles that unbelievable talent must exact an unbelievable financial price.
Cincinnati Bengals Will Turn to Late Draft Pick to Replace Superstar Receiver
In the first week of free agency, Cincinnati made the decision that they would at least fight to keep Higgins around for the foreseeable future. It is still possible that he could get traded but at least for the moment, he is under contract for 2024. The same cannot be said of Boyd as Cincinnati has announced that there simply isn’t enough cap space to budget for the talented slot receiver. So the real question is: who will Cincinnati use to fill that role?
Last season, Cincinnati selected wide receiver Charlie Jones in the fourth round out of Purdue. If you look at the physical and fundamental skillset of Jones, he is a perfect replacement for Boyd and as of now, he is slated to be the starting slot receiver in 2024. Jones is characterized as being a quick route runner who is dangerous with the ball in his hands particularly after he returned a punt for a touchdown for Cincinnati in 2023.
The biggest concern with Jones is that while sixth round pick Andrei Iosivas was able to make an impact in 2023, Jones was limited to only 44 offensive snaps in 2023 due to his inexperience as well as a broken thumb that cost him six games last season. That means Cincinnati is essentially handing Jones the starting job almost completely based on his college career with virtually no experience at the professional level. Head Coach Zac Taylor addressed the concerns on the matter earlier this week.
“He didn’t get a ton of opportunity just because of the roles a lot of different guys played for us and Trenton Irwin has earned our trust as well,” Taylor said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I think Charlie has continued to improve. I’m really excited to see Charlie in year two.”
“He’s got one year in the system under his belt. He’s got a chance to really work at it in the offseason. We gave him things to focus in the offseason, so he comes back in May ready to roll, and play at his full speed. I think the sky’s the limit for Charlie. He’s got great speed, great quickness. I’m excited to watch him have a great year in 2024.”
In the same series of interviews, recently hired offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher also gave Jones his glowing endorsement.
“The history of the NFL is littered with guys who made huge jumps between years one and two and Charlie has shown everything from a work ethic standpoint, from how hard he practices, to how important you feel it is to him that he has a chance to make the jump,” said Pitcher.
There is speculation that if Cincinnati are feeling somewhat exposed by starting a second-year player without much offensive experience that they could go out and try to find a slot receiver in free agency. The biggest challenge with that approach however is that the alternative list would still end up being expensive after the wide receiver market has gone absolutely insane over the past several seasons. Potential replacements at slot receiver include:
- Josh Reynolds (Detroit Lions)
- Darnell Mooney (Chicago Bears)
- Noah Brown (Houston Texans)
- Brandon Powell (Minnesota Vikings)
- Kendrick Bourne (New England Patriots
Based on preliminary contracts completed this offseason, it is likely that any of these players would charge a minimum of $5 million per year. While Jones may have minimal experience, the players listed above aren’t necessarily superstars and many have serious red flags that would hinder me from considering them for big plays against elite AFC competition like the Chiefs or Bills.
Jones may not be a household name but with his athletic skills and quick feet, it is likely that he may actually become one of Burrow’s favorite receivers as the elite quarterback clearly likes to make tight throws to open receivers to avoid the risk of turnovers. Look for Jones to be one of the biggest make-or-break players that decide whether Cincinnati exhibits the number one offensive in the NFL next season.
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