Over two weeks of NFL free agency has passed, and former Cincinnati Bengals slot receiver Tyler Boyd has yet to find a new home.
Boyd was a mainstay in the Bengals' receiving corps for nearly a decade, arriving before even Joe Mixon and Sam Hubbard in the later days of the Marvin Lewis era. He's seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows of Bengals football.
It was a great run for Boyd in Cincinnati, but there are reasons why it's come to an end, no matter how long he stays available in free agency.
Bengals are moving forward in the slot
For as much Boyd gave to the slot in his eight years with the Bengals, it was the only position where he could thrive in Cincinnati. He was never an explosive athlete, and experienced much more success underneath coverages compared to getting over top of them.
This limited what the Bengals' 11 personnel grouping (three receivers on the field) could've looked like for years, no matter if it was A.J. Green, Tee Higgins, or Ja'Marr Chase flanking Boyd on the outside. Boyd's lack of athleticism to threaten boundary cornerbacks was one of his few shortcomings as a receiver, and it forced the Bengals to keep him in the slot when playing him.
For this reason, the Bengals got the wheels turning towards evolving the position. It began with the selection of undersized-but-lightning quick Charlie Jones in the fourth round of last year's NFL Draft. Jones' slight frame has labeled him as a slot-only receiver, but his best strengths coming out of college were ball-tracking with a catch radius larger than his size would indicate. He's got outside versatility to go with the suddenness needed to eventually master the slot route tree.
Jones is just part of the replacement plan. Tight end Mike Gesicki, who signed a one-year contract two weeks ago, is primarily a jumbo-sized slot receiver and will take the majority of his snaps aligned in a two-point stance in a tight split detached from the offensive line. Chase's usage in the slot has also gradually increased over the past two seasons to better involve him as opposing defenses sold out to prevent him going deep. There's an expectation his comfortability there will only grow entering his fourth season.
The trio of Jones, Gesicki, and Chase make for a diversified slot platoon as all three can also line up out wide and threaten corners of all kinds with speed and explosion. There's also a good chance the Bengals will draft a receiver relatively early, which would only add another mouth to soon feed in a receivers room that's only getting younger.
Boyd will not return as a reserve
The prime of Boyd's career is likely in the rearview mirror, evidenced by his career low in receiving yards per reception (10.0) in 2023, as well as his lowest yardage output (667) since his second year in the league. Factor that with him being on the doorstep of 30 with two dozen receivers looking to be top-100 picks next month, and it's not shocking that he remains unsigned.
But the 29-year old receiver doesn't have to throw in the towel just yet. Boyd's experienced enough to integrate himself into most offenses at a moment's notice, so there's no rush for him to find a new team without landing the right deal and opportunity. Post-draft signings happen all the time when teams fail to address certain positions, and Summer injuries create even more opportunities.
There should be a chance for Boyd to play significant snaps somewhere, but it won't be in Cincinnati for all the reasons previously explained. The Bengals began preparing for this last year, enhanced the plan with the Gesicki signing, and will finalize the plan once the draft concludes.
Boyd's snaps and targets are not going to be there for him, and it wouldn't do him any good to hope for a change of heart now. We're talking about one of the most critical components to the locker room for the past eight years, responsible for several big plays through the last three consecutive winning seasons.
Cincinnati has already shown clear signs of moving on. Boyd coming back for a severely reduced role, at best, would be a waste of his time when he can offer more to another offense in need.
Closing the book
While the future is in seemingly good hands, Boyd's actual hands will be missed. He caught exactly 513 regular season passes for the team representing the 513 area code during his eight seasons in stripes. He was as sure-handed as any receiver in Bengals history, and leaves behind a catalog of iconic moments.
That will all be enough, eventually, for another club to bring him on for his next chapter. The Bengals have just turned the page already.
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