Cincinnati Bengals: Takeaways from Week 15 Win vs Raiders

They Need Some New Pass Catchers

Not having a sterling passing game at this point in the year is not surprising for Cincinnati. They are missing their starring QB-WR draft buddy combination of Dalton and Green. On top of that, the key to unlock their best-case offensive attack — tight end Tyler Eifert — has been out since Week 4, and their only other high-end pass catcher (Tyler Boyd) went down with an injury of his own during this game with the Raiders.

What is left is not an appealing list of names, and for anyone who has followed this team the past couple of seasons, that revelation should leave them dumbfounded.

Thinking back a couple of years ago, it really appeared that Cincinnati was building an impressive depth chart of receiving talent for years to come. Green and Eifert were at the head of the list of course, but even back before the 2017 season began it seemed not only plausible but the completely correct decision to keep seven wide receivers on that year’s opening 53-man roster — a number that’s still somewhat shocking to discuss for any team, but even moreso for this franchise in particular with clear hindsight as our guide.

The wide receiver group as a whole has remained largely the same for two years running. The only big changes have really been the subtraction of Brandon LaFell and the addition of Auden Tate. The latter joined a group behind Green which has largely been made up of Boyd, John Ross, Josh Malone, Alex Erickson and Cody Core.

There were legitimate reasons to be excited about each of them. Boyd had shown spurts of being pretty good as a rookie, and it could be argued that a poor second year was moreso due to the inconsistency of his offensive coordinators’ game-planning than his own deficiencies. Ross was a high first-round selection in the 2017 draft who had record-breaking speed (he set the 40-yard dash record at the Combine that year).

Malone was a mid-round selection in Ross’ draft who had the size to become a big red-zone target. Erickson isn’t particularly explosive, but he had shown some craftiness and timely playmaking ability in limited action. Cody Core is a gifted athlete with enticing potential. Tate showed contested catch prowess by making a game-winning reception in the preseason.

If all of those sound great individually, just imagine having all of that together in one offensive depth chart.

Unfortunately, just about none of the positive expectations have come to pass. Boyd has become a legitimate No. 2 option to pair with Green, but nobody else here has done more than show a wispy flash here or there.

Ross lost much of his rookie season to injury, and while he’s gotten six touchdown catches this year, he has just 19 catches (on 48 targets) for 206 yards while showing little of the supposed deep attack prowess his speed suggests he should have.

Malone is a complete non-factor who can’t even get on the field. Erickson has done decently well as a returner, but he’s done just about zero as a receiver (12 receptions, 69 yards). Core has been more noteworthy as a pass dropper than catcher, and hasn’t gone over 30 receiving yards in a game this year. Tate has caught just a third of the passes thrown his way.

There are plenty of places on this roster ripe for massive changes, but this receiving corps should surely be among the top priorities. That isn’t to say all of these names past Green and Boyd must go, but it would be an abdication of coaching duties to look at this group and not make sizable changes.

Here’s a nice plan to build off. Currently, all seven wideouts are under contract for 2019. Keep most or all of them heading into the summer. On the way there, pick up three or four new names through a combination of free agency, the draft, and undrafted free agency. Make that group of 10+ receiving options duke it out in OTAs, training camp and the preseason.

In that scenario, only Green and Boyd should be safe. Everyone else — even Ross — should be set on the chopping block and forced to earn their way through a super-deep position-group competition.

Even if only one or two of the current set of names is dropped (or kept; take your pick on how to approach it), the players who are still on the wide receiver depth chart by the start of the 2019 season will have had to prove themselves to a degree that should wipe away at least some of the aroma of uselessness their play the past couple seasons has left Bengals viewers engulfed in.