The 2019 Cincinnati Bengals were without their aging star WR AJ Green. While Green took a red shirt year it allowed for other players to make big plays. Throughout the season we were waiting for someone other than Tyler Boyd to step up. Was it Auden Tate (ehhh…sometimes), was it Alex Erickson (ummmm…..not really), was it John Ross III (hold your laughter). Yet, the players I just named were the team leaders in yards in order after Boyd.
@NickManchester9 over at Cincy Jungle had an interesting article which highlighted Boyd as a top performer within the NFL as a slot receiver. In fact Boyd ranked 7th in slot production in total yards. This year Boyd had to step up and be our #1 guy with the absence of Green. He responded with 1,046 yards and 5 TDs. The last year that Green played 16 games (in 2017) he posted 1,078 yards and 8 TDs. This was 200-400 yards less than his best years where he played all 16 games though…..so a down year in AJ Green standards.
So what do we have with Tyler Boyd? Do we have a #1 receiver or do we have a dominant slot receiver? If we do not sign or franchise AJ Green this offseason do we have a serious problem at WR? I think yes. I don’t expect Green to come back and play 16 games, catch 1,400 yards and go for 11 TDs. I do expect him to still get two defenders, open up the field long and make big catches when Joe Burrow needs them. I do not expect John Ross to be back unless it is on a one-year deal to prove it and I hope that Auden Tate steps up to the next level.
In the worse case scenario AJ Green does not come back, John Ross leaves in FA and becomes a speedster star for the Patriots, Auden Tate already hit his potential and I think we all know what we have in Erickson by now. This leaves us with Tyler Boyd being forced into the #1 role and no depth at WR for our new rookie QB who likes to sling the ball. There has been a lot of talk about using that 33rd pick on a LB or OL but do we need to start thinking WR. The other option is free agency….which we know the Bengals lose every season and can’t ever seem to find a WR in (I am looking at you Brandon LaFell, Greg Little and Laveranues Coles).