Will Andrew Hawkins Re-sign with Bengals, and who Could Replace Him?

Dec 13, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver

(16) during warmups prior to playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Bengals defeated the Eagles 34-13. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals return their top-6 wide receivers from last season, but only one man was adequately suited to play in the slot. That was Andrew Hawkins, who spent nearly all of his 575 snaps last year exclusively in the slot.

Hawkins re-signed with the Bengals after becoming a restricted free agent this offseason, and unless a contract extension is reached, the 27-year-old will enter the 2014 offseason as an unrestricted free agent. He enters the 2013 NFL Season as the Bengals’ primary slot-receiver after registering 51 receptions for 533 yards and four TDs last year, all of which were the third-most on the team.

After getting off to a hot start and registering 25 catches for 329 yards in his first 6 games, Hawkins only mustered 8 catches for 63 yards over the final four games, including Cincinnati’s AFC Wild Card game vs the Houston Texans. He was held in check throughout the day, catching just two passes for 15 yards and was targeted four times in the 19-13 defeat.