NFL expert links Bengals' Tyler Boyd to NFC East team
The Eagles need a No. 3 receiver and at least one NFL expert thinks it should be Cincinnati's Tyler Boyd. He’d be a great fit, but the odds of him signing with Philadelphia aren’t very good.
Boyd made 513 catches for 6,000 yards and 31 touchdowns in eight years with the Bengals. He had just 667 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2023 but still finished as the team’s second-leading receiver.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia receivers Julio Jones, Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus combined for 380 yards in 2023. All three are free agents, which is why Brad Spielberg of Pro Football Focus believes the Eagles should pursue the 29-year-old free agent.
Boyd is a sure-handed slot receiver who Jalen Hurts can get the ball out to quickly, not always having to buy himself time waiting for a downfield route to develop, which was certainly not always his fault. Nick Sirianni’s Colts roots have historically prioritized a slot that can catch passes underneath and run-block.
It makes perfect sense from the Eagles' perspective but does signing with them make sense for Boyd? Probably not.
After spending the last three years behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the depth chart, Boyd should want a more prominent role with any new team.
He led the Bengals in receiving from 2018-2019, something he’ll never do on a team with wide receivers like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. If teammate and fellow free agent Tee Higgins decides to sign with another team, Boyd could see more targets in Cincinnati.
Of course, some experts believe Boyd will target Pittsburgh in the offseason. When asked about the possibility of joining the Steelers, the Pennsylvania native and former Pitt Panther spoke highly of the Steelers head coach:
“You never know,” Boyd said. “I love coach Tomlin. He’s probably one of the realest dudes in the sport’s business. Obviously, I played at Pitt, and I had a lot of run-ins with him and talked to him just about football. His personality is more like a father figure."
On the other hand, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni isn’t signed beyond the 2025 season and now will rely on his third set of coordinators in as many years. Given the coach’s lame-duck status and dismal finish to 2023, Boyd’s prospects seem much better with Tomlin and the Steelers.
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