Turnover in the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver crops means that rookie Tyler Boyd will be asked to play a major role.
Cincinnati saw a major shake up at the wide receiver position when their No. 2 and No. 3 options left via free agency. Both Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu received large contracts which were too rich for the Bengals.
While these were solid contributors neither were elite players and have already reached their ceiling. The biggest issue for Cincinnati is that they lose some continuity familiarity. Andy Dalton will need to work to develop a relationship with several new pass catchers.
Training camp will feature an open competition for the No. 2 and No. 3 receiver jobs behind A.J. Green. The veteran Brandon Lafell appears like a safe bet to grab one of those jobs but the other player in good position is rookie Tyler Boyd.
Cincinnati used a their 2nd round pick this year to select Boyd and will be looking for him to make an immediate impact. Boyd is known as a sound route runner who can create separation.
He features solid size and the ability to high-point the football. His lack of overall explosiveness means that he’s unlikely to replace the home-run ability provided by Marvin Jones. However, the Bengals will find a way to play to Boyd’s strengths.
Cincinnati’s entire offensive attack could look different this year. It’ll take time for Dalton to get comfortable with his new weapons so we could see the offense heavily feature the running game.
This is the strength of the offense thanks to a powerful offensive line and two running backs with game-breaking ability. Look for both Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard to see plenty of touches. Bernard will likely see an increase in his targets in the passing game as the team tries to overcome the free agency losses.