The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. sees a career-best year in store for Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase. “The position-less nature of the rest of the receiver and tight end group allows the Bengals to move Chase around more and dial up more explosive plays from different alignments,” Dehner wrote. “While his overall usage might not go up, the aggressiveness of his targets should and sets up for the three-time Pro Bowler and 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year to enjoy his best season yet.” Last year, Chase ran 76% of his routes from out wide. His average depth of target (aDOT) sunk to a career-low 9.1 yards. Of course, Joe Burrow made only 10 appearances – his fewest since 2020.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow said recently that his offense should be ready to use more varied formations this season after some personnel changes. New OC Dan Pitcher highlighted TE as a position group he likes.
Bengals RB Chase Brown spent much of the offseason training with independent receiver coach Drew Lieberman. Brown and Lieberman worked on everything from the fundamentals of catching the football to the finer points of route running. Lieberman was blown away by the progress Brown made. “I’ve never seen a transformation like it,” he said.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11 of last season. Surgery followed for the former top pick. Now, according to NFL Network’s Bridget Condon, the Bengals are comfortable with his health outlook for 2024. Note that Burrow’s only one season removed from finishing top-five in passing yards, TDs, and completion rate. 2022 also turned up a QB4 fantasy finish (16 games).
Bengals WR Tee Higgins signed his franchise tag. He'll make $21.8 million on the one-year contract. Looking for a long-term deal, Higgins requested a trade multiple times this offseason and skipped last week's mandatory minicamp. But this should be the last we hear of his contract situation this year. Higgins will hit free agency next offseason.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins was not present for the start of minicamp on Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Higgins has still not signed his franchise tag and requested a trade (again) in late April.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow was on the field and throwing as OTAs opened on Monday, according to the team's official site. Burrow resumed throwing earlier this offseason after undergoing right wrist surgery in late November, but this was the first time he did it in a team setting. He looked very close to 100% by all accounts, throwing with his usual velocity.
The Bengals grabbed Arizona TE Tanner McLachlan in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. A no-star recruit from Canada, McLachlan started his college career at FCS-level Southern Utah. His four years there included just 15 catches and a 2020 torn ACL. McLachlan missed the entire 2021 season and then transferred to Arizona. He turned in two productive seasons for the Wildcats, posting 34-456-2 and 45-528-4 receiving lines and passing Rob Gronkowski as the school’s all-time leader in receptions by a TE. McLachlan is a 6’5, 244-pounder and earned a solid 7.66 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine, highlighted by a 4.61-second 40 time. He’s a smooth athlete with reliable hands, but his route running needs refinement. That’s a bigger concern considering McLachlan is already 25 years old. He joins fellow rookie TE Erick All in Cincinnati, along with TEs Mike Gesicki, Tanner Hudson, and Drew Sample. It’s a fine landing spot, but McLachlan is well off the redraft radar and isn’t an exciting dynasty target.
The Bengals added Iowa TE Erick All in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. All’s college career was marred by injury. He needed spinal surgery in 2022 and then tore his right ACL this past October. He flashed at two different schools when he was healthy, though. All tallied 38 catches and 437 yards for Michigan in 2021 – both marks ranking second on the team. Then he led Iowa with 299 receiving yards this past year, despite missing the final seven games with that knee injury. In fact, All accounted for a whopping 36.6% of Iowa’s receiving yards in his seven outings. His 2.62 yards per route ranked third among 81 TEs with 30+ targets. Durability is a legitimate concern, but All is an intriguing sleeper in this rookie TE class. Landing with QB Joe Burrow only adds to that sleeper appeal. All joins Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, and Tanner Hudson in what should be a pretty wide-open TE room this summer. We’ll see who earns snaps.
The Bengals selected Alabama WR Jermaine Burton in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. Here’s a tricky one. Burton, a highly touted recruit, began his college journey at Georgia (2020-2021). Right away, he showed value by finishing third on the Bulldogs in catches (27), yards (404) and TDs (3). His 497 yards beat Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell in 2021; he ranked a close third among the group in catches (26). Come 2022, Burton transferred to SEC rival Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide in receiving over the next two seasons, showing electric downfield ability. That surfaced most prominently in 2023 with 20.5 yards per catch on a 20.2-yard average depth of target. Despite the downfield usage, Burton didn’t register a single drop last fall. A plus athlete (9.09 RAS score) at 6’0, 196 pounds, there’s a lot to like in his profile. So why’d he last so long in the draft? NFL scouts say he had “up and down moments” with both coaching staffs, per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Reporter Bob McGinn said pre-draft that Burton was removed from “at least two teams’ boards for various character-related issues.” Burton also lacks a standout production profile, one that includes a single-season career-high of only 40 catches (2022). That said – Cincinnati supples an excellent landing spot, particularly with Tee Higgins on the trade block. Consider Burton an upside target for dynasty rookie drafts.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. This story has flipped back and forth this offseason, with Schefter reporting back in March that Higgins wanted out and then Higgins saying earlier this month that he expected to remain in Cincinnati. According to Schefter, there have been no contract talks between Higgins and the Bengals "in over a year." If a trade is gonna go down, it'll likely happen on night 1 or 2 of the draft. Stay tuned.
WR Tee Higgins said Monday that he expects to remain with the Bengals for the 2024 campaign. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported back in March that Higgins requested a trade after getting the franchise tag, but he's evidently backed off those demands. We'll see if there's any movement during the draft later this month, but the most likely scenario has Higgins playing in Cincinnati for at least one more year. He dealt with numerous injuries last season, playing more than two-thirds of the offensive snaps in just nine games. But he averaged 66 yards and 0.6 TDs across those nine games -- after finishing as a top-14 WR in PPR points per game in both 2021 and 2022. Higgins is an easy bounce-back candidate this season.
The Bengals are signing TE Mike Gesicki to a one-year deal worth "up to" $3.25 million, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It might feel like an exciting landing spot at first glance, but no Cincinnati TE has finished better than 19th in PPR points in four seasons since QB Joe Burrow arrived. Gesicki, of course, has been a non-factor in fantasy over the past two years, totaling 606 yards and seven TDs across 34 games for the Dolphins and then Patriots. Consider him just a TE3 in early best-ball drafts.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Cincinnati used its franchise tag to keep Higgins for 2024, but Higgins is reportedly disappointed that the team hasn't made an effort to sign him to a long-term deal. We'll see how interested the Bengals are in meeting Higgins' demand. There'd be no shortage of trade interest in the 25-year-old if he becomes available. This could also result in a Higgins holdout if the Bengals choose not to trade him. We'll keep you updated on the situation, but Higgins carries elevated risk in fantasy drafts until it's resolved.
Alabama WR Jermaine Burton turned in a strong Combine showing on Saturday, highlighted by a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. He also registered a 38.5-inch vertical and 133-inch broad jump at 6'0 and 196 pounds. Burton's 9.55 Relative Athletic Score ranks 32nd out of 3,063 WRs from 1987 to 2024. We'd already been eyeing Burton as a potential sleeper in this WR class. After transferring from Georgia, Burton led the Crimson Tide in receiving yards in both of the past two years while averaging 18.7 yards per catch. We'll see when and where Burton goes in next month's NFL Draft.
The Bengals have told WR Tee Higgins they'll be applying the franchise tag ahead of free agency, according to multiple reports. This confirms the general expectation and means Higgins will be in Cincinnati for at least one more season. We're betting the Bengals hope to work out a longer-term deal ahead of the July deadline to do so, but we'll see how that plays out. Higgins has been a strong value in early best ball drafts, including his WR28 Underdog Fantasy ADP. QB Joe Burrow's modest QB7 ADP (early Round 7) enhances the value on that stack. We'll see whether Higgins' ADP moves earlier now that his situation is clearer.
The Athletic's Paul Dehner writes that "all expectations" are that the Bengals will use the franchise tag on WR Tee Higgins. Higgins is scheduled to hit free agency in March, but the tag would keep him in Cincinnati for 2024 on a one-year, $20.7 million deal. The deadline for franchise tags is March 5. Our current fantasy football rankings have Higgins projected to remain with the Bengals this year.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert (back, personal) is active for today’s game vs. the Packers. He was added to the injury report on Thursday and then sidelined on Friday – although it’s unclear if the back or personal issue kept him out. RB D’Onta Foreman is a healthy scratch again today, suggesting little concern about Herbert’s status.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Browns. He’ll be replaced by some combination of WRs Trenton Irwin and Andrei Iosivas. Neither is a reliable fantasy option.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert (back, personal) is expected to play vs. the Packers today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Herbert was added to the injury report on Thursday and then sidelined on Friday, so he comes with elevated risk in Week 18 fantasy lineups. We'll see whether RB D'Onta Foreman is active for this one after missing the last two games.
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