Cincinnati Bengals in Dire Need of Critical Position According to Major Sports Outlet in 2024

The franchise in Southwest Ohio has enjoyed an excellent string of luck over the past few seasons on the offensive side of the ball but there have been some enormous offseason casualties this free agency window.  ESPN, PFF, and Gridiron Heroics all agree that while the position has been the team’s strongest asset over the past few seasons, the wide receiver position has become the greatest liability for the Bengals.  Further analysis on a player-by-player basis is listed below.

Starting Wide Receiver – Ja’Marr Chase

It is impossible to talk about the wide receiver position in Cincinnati without throwing out superstar wideout Ja’Marr Chase.  Chase is amongst the best in the NFL not only because he has a close connection with Burrow as a former collegiate teammate but also because he has one of the most well-rounded skill sets in the entire National Football League.  Unfortunately, things get much hairier once you get past him on the depth chart.

Starting Wide Receiver – Tee Higgins

It is impossible to argue that with an outstanding combination of size and speed, Tee Higgins is one of the best secondary receivers in the league.  The biggest problem is that Higgins and Cincinnati have been in a bitter contract negotiation that almost guarantees that he will be leaving Cincinnati by the conclusion of the 2024 NFL season.  With as much talent as Higgins has, he is going to leave a gaping hole in the secondary receiver position.

Slot Receiver and Depth Positions

In a position that was held down for Tyler Boyd for almost ten years for the city of Cincinnati, the slot receiver position is as up in the air as could possibly be at the moment.  Without an obvious starter, this is going to be a massive position battle during training camp between the rest of the roster.  Jermaine Burton was drafted out of Alabama and shows promise but there is always a big question as to whether players can quickly translate to the NFL level.

Last season’s late draft picks Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas will also throw their names into the ring after strong rookie performances last season.  Iosivas in particular appeared capable but it is one thing to be a change of pace receiver.  It may be too tall of an order for him to become an every-down player at this level.  The last alternative would be long-time backup Trenton Irwin.  Irwin may be pretty low profile but he has had some monster games for Cincinnati over the past few seasons when Chase or Higgins were on the injury report.

Overview

After Higgins leaves, this unit will be a shell of its former self.  There is no questioning that.  Even with the Chase-Burrow connection, this group will desperately need to either find someone on the roster to step up in a big way or go out and find someone else who can.