The Bengals may have the best receiving trio in the NFL, but that won’t stop the front office from seeking some reinforcement at the position. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic writes that Cincinnati will be on the lookout for receiving depth over the next month-plus.
The writer notes that the organization could seek help via the waiver wire as teams begin to trim their rosters, but he adds that it could also look toward the trade market if it's truly targeting a specific name. If any of the team’s top-three wideouts suffer an injury during the preseason, then the front office would surely “turn up the aggressiveness” as they pursue that extra depth.
Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd each had 60+ receptions, 800+ receiving yards, and 5+ touchdowns during the 2022 campaign. Fortunately for the Bengals, the trio has been remarkably healthy throughout their respective careers. Chase managed to get into all 17 games as a rookie, and while Higgins missed three games in 2022, he got into all 16 games in 2021. In six seasons with Cincy, Boyd has missed 11 games, although six of those absences came in 2017.
Either way, the Bengals would rather be safe than sorry, and they could use some experience beyond their current grouping of backup receivers. The team is still rostering Mike Thomas, but he’s only hauled in 18 receptions over the past two seasons. Otherwise, the Bengals have four wideouts who had a combined six receptions in 2021 (Stanley Morgan, Trent Taylor, Trenton Irwin and Pooka Williams Jr.) and four UDFA receivers (Kwamie Lassiter II, Jaivon Heiligh, Jack Sorenson and Kendric Pryor).
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